How 5 Next Gen Leaders are Changing the Way We Think About the Manufacturing Workforce

If you’re in the manufacturing industry, there are a few “macro issues” that you’re already well aware of…

People are retiring. Over 1 million manufacturing jobs are about to go unfilled.

There’s a skills gap. We need more training for the people that will fill those jobs.

Manufacturing has an image issue. Young people still aren’t flocking to this industry, one that’s becoming increasingly more high tech.

It’ll take some work, but fortunately, these are solvable problems. Here are 5 people that are changing the game in manufacturing and preparing the industry – and its workforce – for the future:

1) Rachele Focardi is creating multi-generation work environments

Here’s a line from Episode 93 of Manufacturing Happy Hour:

“Hiring people and then losing them because your environment is not multi-generationally harmonious is a reality employers have to deal with.”

…so in addition to losing folks to retirement while struggling to attract young workers, now we need to worry about losing talent because different generations can’t get along! There’s where Rachele Focardi comes in.

Rachele has built her career around helping organizations foster cross-generational collaboration to make sure that harmony is there. She is a proud Gen Xer and the Founder of XYZ at Work .

Early in her career, Rachele experienced what it was like working in environments where intergenerational harmony did not exist. Even now, she states that 97% of employees don’t understand the forces that shape their multi-generational colleagues. While the magnitude of this statistic may come as a surprise, a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic was that employees across all generations were facing a shared experience by adapting to the post-pandemic workplace.

When it comes to overcoming inter-generation conflict, Rachele says it comes down to addressing the topic – not avoiding it – and regularly seeking to understand how the experiences of other generations have influenced their worldview.

2) Andrew Crowe is making manufacturing more accessible to everyone

"All hope is not lost. American manufacturing is coming back!" This line is much more than a catchphrase for advanced-manufacturing-teacher-turned-industry-evangelist Drew Crowe . More than anyone, he also knows there’s a ton of work to be done before American manufacturing makes a full comeback…

Andrew went through high school and college as a student athlete but was ultimately unsure of what he wanted to do when he graduated. After graduating during the 2008 recession, it was only then that he stumbled upon manufacturing and realized how life-changing a career in this field could be.

Currently, Andrew is traveling the country on his New American Manufacturing Renaissance Tour, building awareness around careers in manufacturing. He’s appearing at universities and Boys & Girls Clubs across the US to bring together the youth, colleges, corporations, and local economic development organizations.

Andrew didn’t discover manufacturing until after college because he was never exposed to it. He’s not alone. Andrew is making sure underrepresented groups understand that manufacturing can be a creative, technology-driven, and lucrative career path.

If US manufacturers are really serious about addressing the skills gap, they need to access a wider talent pool and provide opportunities to those that never knew manufacturing was a viable career option. Andrew is connecting the people that can make that happen, while getting a new generation excited about working in this field. You can also hear more about his story and how he’s doing this Episode 46:

3) Meaghan Ziemba is debunking gender stereotypes in manufacturing

Meaghan Ziemba is the host of Mavens of Manufacturing and is on her own awareness mission to open the floodgates around manufacturing. She appeared on Episode 56 and has her own story about the industry's past missteps in attracting great talent to the field:

"When I was in high school, all that I was taught was "Okay, you're good at writing, so you should pursue something in writing," or "You're good at communications, so you should be in marketing." I never was really presented any opportunities with engineering or manufacturing."

Meaghan is making sure the next generation of young women don't miss their opportunity to enter and impact the manufacturing workforce. Every week on her podcast, Meaghan interviews women that are leading the industry, sharing their stories, lessons learned, and their perspectives on building more gender equity into STEM fields.

4) Brennen Dugger is focusing on collaborating, not competing

Brennen Dugger is the Founder and President of Blue Collar Automation , a robotics and automation company he created after starting his career as a controls engineering. Brennen offers a fresh perspective on another topic impacting the manufacturing workforce: Collaboration.

Brennen told us the origin story of his company in Episode 101. After the entrepreneurial itch had pestered Brennen long enough, he spoke to a couple mentors and finally took the leap to start Blue Collar Automation. While the manufacturing industry can be competitive, Brennen has doubled-down on collaboration, finding ways to work with robotics and automation suppliers while learning from others that have built companies before him. Why? Because there's more than enough work to go around right now.

While Andrew and Meaghan continue to bring people into the fold, Brennen's "all ships rise with the tide" perspective is a clear indication that collaboration - not competition - is the key to winning right now. Last I checked, Brennen had bought an RV so he could take on jobs across the US more effectively and comfortably. That seems to be a clear indication that his strategy is paying off.

5) Eddie Saunders Jr. is rewriting the marketing playbook

Speaking of ships rising with the tide, Episode 81 guest Eddie Saunders Jr is taking that exact same approach to marketing. If we're talking about the manufacturing workforce and attracting talent to the industry, we can't leave marketing out of the conversation.

From viral videos and view counts in the millions, Eddie has broken the mold in marketing more than a few times and was recently promoted to Sr. Content Strategy & Demand Generation Manager at Norgren. He got there by taking a people-centric approach to marketing:

"We focus entirely too much on what we think is right and about our products, our services, our features, our benefits. But if we take time to really let others talk...I know that helping others elevate their stories and rising their tide is going to lift my ship as well."

As a fellow podcast host who has logged over 50 interviews of his own, Eddie took old school industrial marketing – focusing on the product – and swapped it out by focusing on the stories of people shaping the industry.

What actions are needed to change the face of the future of the manufacturing workforce? What other next gen leaders should we be paying attention to in the new year? Please share and tag them in the comments.

Thanks for reading this latest edition of 5 Quick Manufacturing Insights! If you enjoyed it, please consider sharing this with a friend or colleague in the industry. See you in 2023!

Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty,

-Chris 

Chris Luecke is a Podcaster, Marketer, and Content Creator in the manufacturing industry and the host of the top-ranked podcast Manufacturing Happy Hour . Described as "TEDx meets 'How It's Made," Manufacturing Happy Hour goes beyond the buzzwords and dissects real-life applications and success stories through candid interviews with executives, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. To date, Chris has interviewed over 100 leaders in the industrial sector in an effort to simplify and explore the latest trends and technologies impacting modern manufacturers. Beyond manufacturing, he is a strong proponent of industrial tourism and has traveled to 34 countries to-date.

5 Quick Manufacturing Insights is the official LinkedIn newsletter of Manufacturing Happy Hour. After well over 100 interviews with industry leaders on the Manufacturing Happy Hour podcast, this monthly newsletter summarizes 5 of the best actionable pieces of advice that can help you take your manufacturing career and your business to the next level. From cybersecurity to Industry 4.0 to creating a more diverse, equitable, & inclusive workforce, each issue focuses on one of the biggest trends, technologies, or opportunities facing modern manufacturers.