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In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
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Inside the Minds of Gen Z
November 6, 2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Gen Z employees definitely bring new skills and expectations to today’s workforce. Manufacturers, take note: You have a generation of employees who are curious about the world, love to keep busy and engaged, and just need a better understanding of why manufacturing is cool. In this roundtable discussion, recent high school graduate Dylan Nguyen and Paige Fiet, a recent university graduate, provide insight into what they’re looking for in a career. It’s an enlightening discussion.
Barry Matties: Paige and Dylan, there are some general stereotypes or perceptions about manufacturing. The pandemic raised awareness that manufacturing matters, but we're still not attracting a younger workforce, unless they’re building a Tesla car or a SpaceX rocket. What is your perception of that?
Dylan Nguyen: I did FIRST Robotics in high school and I initially came into it with a CAD specialty. But as I progressed, my focus shifted to manufacturing, where I ran the CNC machining.
From my experience, manufacturing is definitely not the first thing that students think about, even those in a STEM field. It’s a niche topic that isn't promoted as much as other fields, like software or computer-aided design. Only two people on my team were actively in the manufacturing group while the mechanical section comprised the rest of the team.
Matties: You've now been introduced to the circuit board industry at IPC APEX EXPO, so what image comes to mind when you think of manufacturing?
Nguyen: I immediately think of the inside of a shop—blue collar, lots of physical labor, and very difficult on the body.
Matties: Paige, you've chosen a career in circuit board manufacturing. How do you see manufacturing, how do Gen Zs see it, and why might you see it differently?
Paige Fiet: Manufacturing has a reputation of being kind of dirty and gross. Like Dylan said, it’s seen as hard labor. My dad is an engineer who has worked in manufacturing, and when I was a kid, I was able to run around the factory. I remember them getting their first robot arm and how excited he was that they would put in a robot. That was a big lead for me—whether consciously or subconsciously—into manufacturing.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the November 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
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