Professional organizations are an excellent source of information, education and networking opportunities in any career, connecting companies to the people who work in their industry.
With the coming STEM workforce shortage, the need for students to pursue engineering and other STEM fields, particularly in manufacturing, is paramount.
Enter the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and SkillsUSA, two organizations who have partnered up in order to open their doors to up-and-coming engineering students still at the high school level, helping them to get their foot in the door of the manufacturing sector by highlighting the cutting edge technology involved.
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit group of students, instructors and industry leaders who strive to ensure the next generation of students consider STEM as a career path. They have partnered with SME, a professional organization committed to the training and development of professionals in manufacturing through events, media, training and development of its membership.
“SkillsUSA and SME are driven by similar missions – we are both dedicated to providing skills gap solutions and filling talent pipelines,” said Timothy Lawrence, executive director of SkillsUSA. “By partnering, we can truly make an impact on the manufacturing industry by engaging educators and students, to drive interest in career options and high-tech possibilities.”
SME’s High School membership program offers plenty to its student members, from student contests and mentorship opportunities, to scholarships toward an engineering or STEM post-secondary education. Students have an opportunity to connect with people working in the industry, and see what modern manufacturing is really all about.
Manufacturing isn’t the same industry it was for previous generations of engineers, and this change may not be readily apparent to students considering it as a career path. New technologies, automation and robotics are the future of manufacturing, and are also topics of interest for students of all ages.
In the words of Christopher Wojcik, vice president of SME Membership, “Manufacturing has evolved and is undergoing a renaissance, with high-tech jobs and well-paying careers. This isn’t your grandfather’s manufacturing.”
Manufacturing as an industry also offers many avenues for students, from skilled trades that require a high school diploma or GED, all the way up to professional engineers, researchers and scientists requiring a doctorate. Supporting all levels of education and students is important to ensure all aspects of manufacturing will have skilled workers to draw upon.
As students are able to learn the ins and outs of an industry and get hands on experience, they are better equipped to make decisions on their career path. With SME and SkillsUSA acting as guides, students can shape their interests into promising university education and future careers in fields where they are needed most.