Workforce

Manufacturers have a new opportunity to connect with students and encourage them to explore careers in manufacturing. The Manufacturing Institute (the NAM’s workforce development and education affiliate) has developed a gamified experience called Innovators Quest, specially designed to introduce students to manufacturing-related skills in a fun-filled format.

The experience is made up of four realms in a board game format with hands-on building challenges. As they seek to recover the “Crystal of Innovation,” students in grades 4 through 9 can try their hands at 3D printing, robotics and other crucial skills. Manufacturers can sponsor Innovators Quest sets, which they can take to schools, afterschool programs, local community events, Boys and Girls Clubs and more.

The quest: The conceit of the game is that the aforementioned crystal has fractured, and the students must fix it by completing four challenges in whichever order they choose.

• While the students play collaboratively, completing challenges together, they all take on the role of different innovator characters who have different mixes of manufacturing-related strengths, including “analytical, visual, intuitive, strategic and extroverted.”
• “We want all students to see themselves in at least one of these characters,” MI Director of Student Engagement Jen White explained to us.

The challenges: The four challenges ingeniously explore manufacturing concepts while still entertaining the participants, as the writer of this article can vouch.

• One challenge instructs students to build paper airplanes. But the lesson isn’t just about building—it’s about perfecting and testing your products. The players must make 10 airplanes following two separate designs, then put together an electric plane launcher. Finally, they test their airplanes to see if they sail the necessary 6 feet to “fly away” with a handful of the crystal fragments. Skills and concepts learned: collaboration, iteration, precision, electromechanical building, aerodynamics, following directions and testing.
• A second challenge draws on the principles of additive manufacturing. Players are asked to use 3D pens (which dispense a line of malleable plastic that can be made into shapes or figures) to construct the pieces of a bridge over which the crystal fragments must be transported. Skills and concepts learned: additive manufacturing, precision, following a blueprint, welding parts together, collaborating on different pieces and structural integrity.

We won’t spoil the other two realms, but they involve a similar blend of fun challenges and manufacturing skills exploration—including the construction of a small robotic toy and a test of deductive reasoning.

The bottom line: “Innovators Quest was developed based on proven approaches to empower manufacturing employers to engage students early and often,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “By sparking their interest in skills needed in modern manufacturing, this student engagement tool illustrates the limitless possibilities of the many careers in our industry. The time to invest in our future workforce is now.”

• “Innovators Quest is an important initiative that will provide students with early knowledge about the variety of opportunities for a career in manufacturing and highlights the value of teamwork, collaboration and communication in the production environment,” said American Honda Motor Co. Executive Vice President Bob Nelson. “We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Manufacturing Institute to build that future workforce.”

Learn more: Learn more about Innovators Quest and how your company can sponsor a kit to build manufacturing career awareness in your community. To secure a sponsorship before the 2025–2026 school year begins, contact [email protected].

The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the NAM—has announced the recipients of the 2025 Women MAKE Awards, honoring some of the most impressive and inspiring women in the manufacturing industry today.

The awards, which will take place in Washington, D.C., on April 24, will highlight 130 individuals who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers across all levels of the manufacturing industry.

The challenge: The manufacturing industry faces a significant talent gap—with more than 400,000 job openings and an estimated 3.8 million positions needing to be filled by 2033.

• Women make up about half of the U.S. labor force, but less than one-third of the manufacturing workforce. Boosting the numbers of women who choose a career in modern manufacturing is essential to closing this gap—and the honorees of the Women MAKE Awards are leading the way.

The initiative: The MI’s Women MAKE America Initiative  strengthens the modern manufacturing workforce by elevating and highlighting the women leading the industry at every level—from the shop floor to the C-suite—in order to inspire the next generation and help close the talent gap in the industry.

The awards: Each year, 100 Honorees and 30 Emerging Leaders are chosen from the thousands of nominations submitted to the MI by their peers for making significant contributions to their companies, communities and efforts to cultivate the next generation of skilled talent. Since its inception, the Women MAKE Awards have recognized about 1,700 outstanding individuals.

The MI says: “Every year, more women are finding opportunity and breaking barriers in manufacturing,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “By elevating these outstanding women for their success, we are showing young women—and everyone else—that manufacturing is a rewarding industry with unlimited potential.”

• “At a time when there is such high demand for talent in our sector, these extraordinary women demonstrate the impactful careers that are available. By elevating role models who are paying it forward, the Women MAKE Awards strengthen the future of the industry by inspiring the next generation.”

Manufacturing leaders say: “With hundreds of thousands of open jobs in manufacturing, it has never been more critical to attract and retain top talent,” said Toyota Senior Vice President of Electric Vehicle Supply Susan Elkington.

• “This year’s Women MAKE Honorees and Emerging Leaders are breaking barriers, leading with innovation and proving there is no limit to what they can achieve in our industry. By amplifying their stories and accomplishments, we inspire others to step into manufacturing and shape its future.”

Learn more: Read about the awardees and learn more about the awards gala.

Bertha Ostiguin thought for years about going back to school. She had left the workforce to be a stay-at-home mom, and when she started working in production at H-E-B, she was still raising two boys at home. The idea of working part time while also studying and raising her kids felt daunting. But about six years into her manufacturing career at H-E-B, she joined the Advanced Manufacturing Technician program through TX FAME – Alamo in Alamo, Texas—more than 25 years after she was last in school.

“Honestly, I was scared that I wasn’t going to be able to make it,” said Ostiguin. “But it has been one of the best choices I’ve made. … I love it, I love what it does, and I cannot talk enough about it.”

The program: Founded in 2010 by Toyota and operated today by the Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the NAM—FAME aims to help students become highly skilled, sought-after workers capable of meeting the needs and challenges of the modern manufacturing sector.

• It provides current and aspiring workers with on-the-job training and classroom education, leading to an associate’s degree and the FAME certificate.

The opportunity: While Ostiguin was already several years into a manufacturing career, her experience at FAME has helped to expand her skillset, allowing her to advance her career at H-E-B and set herself up for greater success throughout her working life.

The benefits: In addition to teaching specific qualifications and in-demand technical skills, FAME helps to provide participants with the soft skills and professional behaviors they’ll need to succeed in today’s workforce, like communication. According to Ostiguin, it made her a better mentor to other people at work.

• “As I’m learning these things, I’m also teaching the young guys,” said Ostiguin. “And I would tell them, from my experience, why all this makes a difference.”

A model for others: In an industry that often has more men than women, Ostiguin saw early on that she was setting an example for others. She promised herself that she was going to finish the program—not just for herself and her sons, but for other women in manufacturing who might follow her lead. Ultimately, Ostiguin became the first woman from H-E-B to complete the FAME program, at the top of her class.

• “I started seeing the impact it was having for females, and how it wasn’t just about me anymore—it was about the bigger picture,” said Ostiguin.

A word of advice: Ostiguin is proud of what she has accomplished and encourages others to take advantage of opportunities to increase their knowledge and improve their skills.

• “Absorb as much as you can, and ask the questions that you have to ask,” said Ostiguin. “That’s the only way we’re all going to learn.”

From the MI: “FAME isn’t just transforming careers—it’s strengthening companies,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “Bertha’s journey shows how investing in workforce development creates highly skilled employees who bring immediate value to their employers and themselves, creating a winning combination for long-term success.”

FAME USA is revitalizing the manufacturing workforce with its global-best model of on-the-job training combined with classroom education. 

Created in 2010 by Toyota, the program was entrusted to the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s workforce development and education affiliate, in 2019. Since then, it has grown enormously, almost doubling in size under the MI’s stewardship.   

The past five years: FAME has scaled to more than 45 chapters across 16 states since the MI took over stewardship of the initiative—up from 20 chapters in 9 states. Employer support has grown, too, from 220 manufacturers to nearly 500 today.

• As a result of this growth, FAME boasts more than 1,300 enrolled students, 2,200 graduates and an impressive 90% employment rate upon graduation.
• And there’s much more coming soon: FAME plans to add eight more chapters by the beginning of the 2026 school year.  

Working with manufacturers: FAME offers two options for manufacturers looking for skilled workers.

• They can join an existing FAME chapter and benefit from the established employer collaborative. Or in locations where FAME doesn’t already have a presence or where the companies are building new facilities or undertaking large expansions, they can initiate a new FAME chapter to meet their greater need for talent.

General Mills: The food manufacturer was searching for more skilled workers for its Hannibal, Missouri, facility when it learned of FAME. In 2024, General Mills joined the Great River chapter in Illinois, which crosses state lines into Missouri, and committed to sponsoring five students.

• “We want the best talent at our manufacturing facilities, and we know that there’s tremendous talent in our communities. Partnering with FAME allows us to harness the talent in our local communities and get candidates excited about building a career with General Mills,” said Becky Crane, vice president, manufacturing & engineering at General Mills, during a recent panel discussion highlighting FAME.

Novelis: The leading producer of flat-rolled aluminum products and the world’s largest recycler of aluminum first partnered with FAME in 2015 through joint venture Logan Aluminum in Kentucky, as part of the SKY FAME chapter.

• “FAME provides an excellent forum for manufacturing companies in the same region to work together on providing the necessary exposure and skills to our future workforce,” said Dev Ahuja, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Novelis.
• Approximately 40 employees at Novelis are FAME graduates, and the company expects this number to grow as it expands participation across states.
• Novelis has also found success with FAME during greenfield projects. The Novelis plant in Guthrie, Kentucky, began partnering with the HOPFAME chapter in 2018 during construction of its new facility, and the company is now a founding employer of the FAME chapter in Bay Minette, Alabama, where it is constructing an aluminum plant that will create up to 1,000 jobs.

The bottom line: “FAME is not just a training program; it’s a transformative solution for employers looking to cultivate a skilled workforce that meets their specific needs. By engaging with FAME, companies can tap into local talent, foster economic growth and build a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee.

• “We encourage employers to join this collaborative effort—together, we can empower our communities and ensure the future of manufacturing is in America.”

Get involved: Learn more here about FAME and how you can tap into this global-best training resource. And don’t forget to follow FAME USA on LinkedIn.

For more than a century, Johnson & Johnson has been a steadfast supporter of military service members. Today, one of the ways Johnson & Johnson fulfills this mission is by partnering with the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America initiative, which connects members of the military community with rewarding careers in manufacturing.

Both Johnson & Johnson and HMA firmly believe that military experience is invaluable for manufacturing careers. Veterans often have advanced problem-solving abilities, leadership skills and a strong work ethic—qualities that are essential in the fast-paced, dynamic environment of manufacturing.

The partnership: Since 2021, Johnson & Johnson has been the official health care sponsor of HMA. With their support, the initiative has continued to expand in-person and virtual training programs and helped more service members transition into rewarding manufacturing careers.

• Johnson & Johnson is a frequent host of facility tours for HMA students, as well as an active participant in Heroes Connect. These events provide military members with valuable insights into the manufacturing sector and allow them to connect with potential employers.
• The company also hires HMA graduates itself, employing three so far at its facilities.

Bringing careers into focus: On Nov. 15, Johnson & Johnson hosted 22 HMA participants from Fort Stewart in Georgia at its Vision Care site in Jacksonville, Florida.

• Johnson & Johnson Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Operations & Risk Officer and NAM Board Chair Kathy Wengel, MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee and NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons also joined the tour. (The MI is the workforce development and education affiliate of the NAM.)
• Wengel, Lee and Timmons participated in group discussions with HMA participants and held a fireside chat where they discussed their careers in manufacturing and Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to military hiring. They also gave advice to the HMA participants about working in the industry.
• “Veterans embody resilience, adaptability and dedication—qualities that are at the heart of manufacturing excellence,” said Wengel. “At Johnson & Johnson, we’re honored to work alongside Heroes MAKE America to support veterans in their transition to civilian careers, providing them with opportunities to build rewarding futures in manufacturing.”

From the MI: “Johnson & Johnson’s partnership has been crucial to our efforts to connect the military community with meaningful career opportunities in manufacturing,” said Lee. “They are an example of what it means to invest in veterans and support their transition into civilian careers.”

Get involved: To learn more about HMA and its incredible pool of talent, attend a virtual information session or email [email protected].

Manufacturers employ more veterans than any other private industry, with roughly 980,000 veterans working in manufacturing in 2023. That is an encouraging number, yet there are still many more veterans who remain untapped by the manufacturing industry. And manufacturers need them: with 481,000 open jobs in the sector, companies have much to gain by exploring this promising talent pool.

That’s where the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America initiative comes in. Since its launch in 2018, it has assisted more than 42,000 members of the military community who are looking for their next career. Now, Heroes is expanding its reach via collaborations with the U.S. Department of Labor and Walmart, which will further boost manufacturers’ access to this skilled and dedicated workforce.

Walmart.org: Heroes’ collaboration with Walmart.org began in 2022, when Walmart funded the development of a model that translates military-acquired skills into competencies that are recognized by employers in the manufacturing industry, enhancing veterans’ visibility to employers.

• The project built, tested and evaluated a platform that allows military-connected individuals to showcase their qualifications through verifiable digital badges.
• This approach helps civilian employers recognize the skills of service members and veterans, making it easier for these job seekers to transition into high-demand roles while enhancing workforce readiness.
• New funding from Walmart.org will further expand the translation of military skills, painting fuller pictures of job seekers’ abilities and exploring avenues to increase the usage and acceptance of digital skills and badging systems, both among users and employers.

DOL: In June, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that Heroes would become a partner of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service’s Employment Navigator & Partnership Program, which provides transitioning service members and their spouses with personalized employment assistance.

• Through its partnership with ENPP, Heroes will extend its reach to 36 additional military installations worldwide, significantly expanding its role as a premier employment resource for the military community.

The MI says: “Our existing offerings coupled with added valuable collaborations with Walmart.org and DOL will help Heroes connect more manufacturers with military talent, supplying them with qualified, dedicated workers who will strengthen manufacturing in America for decades to come,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. 

Interested in learning more? Check out the HMA website, follow HMA on LinkedIn or send an email to [email protected].

That’s another success for the books! Last week, manufacturers and their supporters nationwide celebrated MFG Day 2024, rolling out the red carpet for students, educators and jobseekers and showcasing modern manufacturing’s diverse career paths.

What’s going on: The Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate, was on the ground in Kansas for multiple plant tours and conversations.

Visiting Bradbury Group: On Thursday’s tour of the Bradbury Group’s plant in Moundridge, Kansas, about 400 students got a firsthand look at how roll-forming and coil-processing equipment is made.

• The company—whose CEO David Cox is an NAM board member—set up stations where attendees could learn about its many career tracks. In addition, local education and community training partners were on-site to showcase job-training initiatives.
• MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee participated in the events, touring Bradbury’s facility with approximately 70 students from Newton High School in Newton, Kansas.

Touring with Heroes: On Friday, Lee visited four McPherson, Kansas, manufacturing plants with participants from Heroes MAKE America, the MI initiative that makes connections between the military community and the manufacturing industry.

• The companies were piping-systems manufacturer Viega, insulation and commercial roofing maker Johns Manville, downstream equipment maker Plastics Extrusion Machinery LLC and sustainable construction materials manufacturer CertainTeed.
• At Viega on Friday, Lee spoke with local high school students viewing the facility at the same time as the HMA participants.

Focus on veterans: Friday’s events also featured a networking lunch for HMA participants, including transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses, with human resources representatives from McPherson manufacturers.

• The Bradbury Group—the parent company of four manufacturing businesses in addition to the Bradbury Company, which has participated in MFG Day for nine years—was represented at the lunch by one of its employees, a U.S. military veteran.

Made possible by: This year’s activities were made possibly by generous support from sponsors Union Pacific, Dominion Energy, Johnson & Johnson, Novonesis, UKG, the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation, Lutron Electronics Co. Inc, Winnebago Industries, Alfa Laval (US), Intertek Alchemy, the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing and Seaway Bolt & Specials Corp.

Stay tuned: MFG Day events will continue across the U.S. throughout October and beyond. You can find the full list of registered events, and a handy map, here.

The last word: “MFG Day is the prime opportunity for manufacturers to demonstrate firsthand the vast career opportunities that exist in industry,” Lee said. “While students, parents and educators remain our primary focus, it’s also a great time to engage other career-seeking groups so that they, too, can see themselves in manufacturing.”

Finding a civilian job after serving in the military can be daunting. For former Army cavalry scout Jose Gallegos, the task was even more complicated because his spouse, Aleksandra Balinska-Gallegos, also needed a new position. Through Heroes MAKE America—a Manufacturing Institute program that builds connections between the military community and the manufacturing industry—both Gallegos and Balinska-Gallegos found rewarding roles in Pennsylvania with food and industrial manufacturer Cargill.

The program: Heroes MAKE America provides integrated certification and career-readiness training in partnership with local community colleges to prepare transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard members, reservists and military spouses for rewarding careers in the manufacturing and supply chain industries.

• “The program not only introduces you to the manufacturing world—it prepares you for everything that is around it,” said Balinska-Gallegos. “How to correctly write your resume, how to match a military background with civilian life, how to translate military vocabulary to civilian vocabulary. And from writing a resume to emailing with potential employers and preparing for interviews—it was a little bit of everything.”

The benefit: The program helped both spouses at the same time—a huge benefit for Gallegos, who was looking for opportunities in the civilian world, and for Balinska-Gallegos, who had arrived with Gallegos from Lithuania and was worried about navigating the U.S. job market.

• “I was a completely new fresh military spouse,” said Balinska-Gallegos. “When Jose told me that there was an opportunity not only for him to go to the manufacturing program, but to also take his spouse—I was over the moon.”

Working nearby: Although they work in different plants—Gallegos as an operations and management associate at a meat production plant, and Balinska-Gallegos as an administrative assistant at a plant producing chocolate—their mentors at Heroes MAKE America helped ensure that the couple would work at the same company and in the same location.

• “He’s at a meat plant, and he loves beef. I’m at a chocolate plant, and I love chocolate,” said Balinska-Gallegos. “It’s perfect.”

Finding success: Although Gallegos’ work in the Army was very different from his role at Cargill, his supervisors have already noticed his leadership skills. While the approximately 60 other associates recruited this year are all college graduates, it’s Gallegos who has been called to take on bigger tasks.

• “After my first month, they started giving me supervisor responsibilities,” said Gallegos. “I’m shadowing managers and superintendents so I can learn from them, so … I can be in different areas of the plant.”

The last word: “I would have been very scared to start working in the U.S. without this kind of background, and I’m not sure what [Jose] would have done after leaving the Army if he didn’t go through the Heroes MAKE America program,” said Balinska-Gallegos. “That course prepared us immensely for this new life.”

Learn more: Find out more about Heroes MAKE America and the Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education affiliate of the NAM, here.

Photo: Jose Gallegos and Aleksandra Balinska-Gallegos with MI Director of Heroes Program Execution Rachelle Wolford (left). 

Many people imagine that a job in manufacturing requires working on a shop floor to create products. Joseph Fields—a human resources professional at MGX Equipment Services—knows that isn’t the case.

“Working in MGX, there’s cranes and welding and engineering—but there’s also HR, and finance, and payroll, and employee health and safety,” said Fields. “There are lots of opportunities you can lean into.”

The background: Fields spent eight years as a yeoman in the U.S. Navy before he transitioned into a civilian role in 2000. Over the course of the next two decades, he worked in human resources at a variety of companies. However, he was laid off in October 2023 after a six-year stint when his employer downsized.

• A few days later, he attended a virtual career fair sponsored by Heroes MAKE America—a Manufacturing Institute program that builds connections between the military community and the manufacturing industry—and found his new role.

• “I wasn’t planning to go to the HMA career fair, because I had zero experience with manufacturing,” said Fields. “But I saw it on LinkedIn, and at the time, I hadn’t interviewed with anyone in six years. I figured this would be a good opportunity to talk about myself and get some feedback.”

The result: Fields didn’t just get feedback, he was offered a job with MGX, one of the manufacturers in attendance.

• “I met with lots of great companies, including a manager at MGX, and we had a great conversation,” said Fields. “She called me the next day and asked if I was interested in an HR position. They offered it to me the week after Thanksgiving.”
• “We are very thankful we found Joseph through Heroes Make America. He attended our virtual career fair and visited our breakout room. After listening to our presentation a few times, he still stayed in our room,” said MGX Director of HR Ashley Barkdoll. “I could tell he would be a great fit for our team after having a few conversations with him.”

The program: Heroes MAKE America provides integrated certification, career-readiness training and job-searching support in partnership with local technical and community colleges to prepare transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard members, reservists and military spouses for rewarding careers in the manufacturing and supply chain industries.

• Heroes also offers virtual and on-site career fairs—like the one where Fields found his new position—for members of the broader military community.

The other side: Today, Fields is paying it forward by working with Heroes MAKE America to find veterans and others with military affiliations to interview with MGX. He’s especially grateful for the support that Heroes gives to graduates and other job seekers throughout the hiring process.

• “I like that Heroes MAKE America not only promotes organizations that focus on veteran hiring, but also that they do the follow-up to make sure people get hired,” said Fields.

Advice to veterans: Fields wants other veterans to know that manufacturing offers a broad range of opportunities, with something for everyone—and that Heroes MAKE America can help them find it.

• “It’s not about finding a manufacturing job; it’s about finding a job in a manufacturing company,” said Fields. “There are so many different kinds of roles and opportunities.”
• “If you’re unsure about finding a job in manufacturing, attending the virtual career fair is a great option to meet with companies to see what they have to offer, even if you think this industry isn’t something that you would normally consider,” added Barkdoll.

Advice to manufacturers: Fields encourages other employers to connect with the Heroes MAKE America program and see everything that a veteran brings to the table.

• “Some of us may not have hands-on experience for the position you’re trying to fill, but we’re trainable,” said Fields. “So ask yourself: Can I train up for this position?”

The last word: “Take a chance on a veteran,” said Fields. “You’ll get a great employee out of it.”