Even though manufacturing day is every day for AMT members and our customers, MFG Day, one day set aside to highlight our industry is this week on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. This is our community’s chance to change perceptions about our industry among the next generation of young people who we’d like to attract to careers in our industry and who could close the skills gap.
MFG Day will occur virtually this year at most companies, so businesses have to think differently about how to best engage with schools.
Likewise, when IMTS had to be canceled, we re-imagined how we could best reach out to students and provide them with engaging content online. We created the Smartforce Career & Education Experience (SCEE; pronounced “see”) portal to connect them with the machine tools, CNC controls, CAD/CAM software, robots, and measuring equipment that they normally would have seen at the Student Summit at IMTS.
For AMT members, we’d like to make you aware of two new tools available at the SCEE that you can use to support the next generation and recruit qualified students to your company.
First, there is a link to the new NIMS online job board that AMT members can use to fill open positions and find soon-to-be graduates and recent entry-level graduates from technical schools, community colleges, and engineering schools.
Next, we’ve provided a link to Mentor Matching Engine, which allows your employees to engage remotely with high school students to assist them with their STEM projects. Not only is mentoring a great tool with which to engage students, it’s very useful in helping companies find their next interns and apprentices.
Please visit www.IMTS.com/smartforce/ for more information about the job board or to volunteer to mentor students.