Encouraging students to consider manufacturing as a career choice and preparing them for modern manufacturing jobs were among the main topics of discussion at the Manufacturing Works Community Forum on Thursday, July 18.
The event, held at Vance-Granville Community College’s Civic Center in Henderson, was organized by the N.C. State University Institute for Emerging Issues.
The more than 90 participants who attended represented the sectors of county government, education, economic development, manufacturing and other fields Warren, Franklin and Vance counties.
“We all recognize the importance of existing industries and attracting emerging technologies,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC).
Diane Cherry, environments policy manager with the Institute for Emerging Issues, told those attending that the field of manufacturing has changed drastically over the years; therefore, different education is needed in order to prepare students for work.
She described the forum as one in a series of community forums held across the state for discussion about how to encourage more students to consider manufacturing as a career choice.
The forums have focused on changing the stereotype of manufacturing work as low paying and having a bad reputation, Cherry said.
She noted that both small and large corporations have an important role in the world of manufacturing today.
A panel discussion allowed representatives from VGCC, several area companies and the N.C. Department of Commerce to address the challenge of preparing students for work. Discussion focused on the need for both technological education as well as the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.
Todd Wemyss, plant manager of Glen Raven, Inc.’s Norlina site, who served on the panel, said that the need to attract young people to manufacturing careers is evident at Glen Raven, as around 30 people are planning to retire in the next couple of years.
He said that community colleges play a vital role in preparing new employees for work, but companies such as Glen Raven face the question of how long those employees will stay before moving on to another job.
Sharon Decker, secretary of the N.C. Department of Commerce, said that parents used to discourage children from working at their local mills because of manufacturing work’s poor reputation, but that old ideas about manufacturing must change.
“The challenge is to discuss opportunities in manufacturing with children at the dinner table, “ she said.
Decker suggested that children, beginning in elementary school, could have opportunities to visit manufacturing companies and that older students could have a chance to assist at these companies during the summer.
Small group discussions allowed forum participants to discuss what communities can do to increase students’ interest in manufacturing work.
Suggestions included increasing student and parent awareness about work opportunities through such resources as virtual tours and advertising campaigns to show that an entry level manufacturing job is just as important as one that someone with a four-year college degree could obtain.
Another group suggested apprenticeships, internships and job shadowing for students to show them what jobs are available. Participants also recommended that industry representatives visit schools to discuss work opportunities.
A third group said that dialogues between schools and businesses are essential for school systems to know what skills need to be taught. The group also indicated that work ethic and character should be components of students’ education.
The forum concluded with the reflection that not all students will attend a four-year college or university, but they still need training for the skills they must have in order to have meaningful careers.