In July of this year more than 450,000 factory jobs went unfilled. And for years all around the country companies have struggled to find workers who want these jobs and have the skill to do them. One possible fix? Colorado thinks it may be in getting teenagers interested in those jobs. By way of an example, in high school Genesis Gomez took a manufacturing class and loved it. In her own words, “Because I felt like I was actually doing something. Making something of myself.” She said she really enjoyed the manufacturing environment.
Apprentice
Credit:Jennifer Coombes, NPR
Since graduating high school, the 18-year old, gets to work at 5 a.m., at CoorsTek, an engineering ceramics company in Golden, Colorado, that makes everything from orthopedic implants to ball bearings for jet engines.
These types of jobs are hard to fill according to Kai Ryssdal of NPR’s Marketplace, and according to a study by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce …. As well as national data. A study conducted in November and December of last year by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce of nearly 170 businesses found that more than half of manufacturers struggle to hire for these kinds of jobs.
According to Leigh Patterson of NPR, “in Colorado state agencies are throwing millions of dollars at this problem.” CoorsTek, is based in El Segundo, California. The company opened a regional hands-on academy in Colorado paid for by a state grant The young apprentices it brings start work between 5AM -6AM, making $19 an hour and can eventually earn. Once hired they can make between $23 – $28 an hour.
In the early 2000’s millions of manufacturing jobs went overseas, But also, as I have written about before, at the same time (and equally important) Peter Hancock, a recruiter and the workforce chair for the Rocky Mountain Tooling and Machining Association, says high schools were shutting down as focus and push of young people toward college dominated.
“Over the last 30 years, manufacturing was seen as a second class job,” Hancock said. “It was not seen as ‘If my son or daughter goes into this job, they are successful.” But again, as I have pointed out in previous posts the trend is that trade schools and apprenticeships are seen as serious and viable options to 4-year colleges. And there’s been a 180 degree turn in. career/trade education programs in high schools.
Andrew Sutliff went to one of these schools: the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, south of Denver. In an NPR interview Sutliff said. “I knew I didn’t want to go to college. And I was like, ‘Oh, this is awesome. I would much rather do this than sit in a classroom for another four years.’” Sutliff is now one of the new CoorsTek apprentices. Working there when the program is done, he said, would be really appealing. Colorado now has 69 manufacturing programs operating in high schools across the state.