I had the opportunity to chat this week with Kirsten Austin from DCSC Inc. about participating in #USAMfgHour. We got on the topic of how to appeal to the younger generations and it reminded me of our January cover story of Empowering Pumps & Equipment, where Patrick Hogg discusses educating young engineers and closing the talent gap.

If you know me, you know how much I love the industrial sector and telling people how awesome this industry is…especially when it comes to the trades! If I didn’t enjoy what I do so much, I 100% would have ended up in a skilled trade. However, not being in a trade doesn’t mean I can’t advocate for it!

I read this article ACTIONS TO BRIDGE THE SKILLED TRADES GAP from Christine Torres with Graphic Products and it lit (or should I say re-lit) a fire under my ass about how important it is to be showing the younger generations all that is available to them as a career path. That they don’t have to go to college to have a successful career. Especially for women, that they don’t have to have a “traditional job” that society deems acceptable.

We all need to be more active in this discussion on both showing and telling people all of the career opportunities available for them. My Step-Dad is a Carpenter who comes from a family of Carpenters. I had a little bit of a leg-up on knowing about the trades but even then it wasn’t something that my family ever really talked to me about for my career path. It wasn’t until I stumbled into it after college working for a manufacturing company that I actually saw the industrial space as an option for me. And also where I fell in love with it!

So I ask you…what are some ways that we can actively promote and help further recruit younger generations into skilled trades and the Industrial sector as a whole?