Producers in Georgia are launching an effort to alter perceptions about their sector amongst college students and different younger individuals, with an eye fixed on attracting their future workforce.
The Georgia Affiliation of Producers is launching a $1 million, four-year effort for a digital platform envisioned as much like a LinkedIn for producers within the state and job seekers.
The group is partnering with on-line job expertise market Unmudl to develop a platform that may record job postings, youth apprenticeships, coaching applications and “insights into the modern age of manufacturing.”
From smoke stacks to high-tech manufacturing
“For too long, we’ve painted manufacturing as dark and gloomy, when today the industry is vibrant, clean and brimming with innovation,” Georgia Affiliation of Producers President Lloyd Avram mentioned in a written assertion. He mentioned the purpose of the platform is to alter notion “with social medialike functionality that communicates simply and clearly to all generations.”
Stephanie Scearce, the affiliation’s vp of workforce innovation, mentioned some individuals “think of us as the Industrial Revolution still, to some degree, like the smoke stacks and dark, dirty manufacturing floors.”
“That was probably a true story about 50, 60 years ago. But you know, manufacturing is definitely evolved into a totally, completely different picture, just given all the advancements and technologies these days,” Scearce mentioned.
The affiliation has main producers amongst its members which can be founding companions, together with Kia Georgia in West Level, Toyo Tires in Bartow County, glass fabrication line producer Grenzebach in Newnan and flooring makers Shaw Industries and Engineered Flooring in Dalton.
“Kia Georgia is thankful for GAM’s (the Georgia Association of Manufacturers’) commitment to combating the false stigma of the 4 D’s: that manufacturing is dull, dirty, dangerous and dead-end,” Kia Georgia CEO Stuart Countess mentioned in a written assertion.
Manufacturing throughout the state consists of giant and small corporations, with a complete of almost 427,000 employees, in response to the affiliation.
Producers may have profiles on the positioning together with job listings, and highschool and school college students — and their mother and father — may also be capable to arrange profiles.
Vary of jobs, pay
Faculties may also have pages on the platform with data on the profession pathways they provide in manufacturing, together with related engineering and laptop science applications.
“Regardless of what your niche is, there is a place for you in manufacturing,” Scearce mentioned. “Individuals don’t notice, ‘Oh, I don’t should work with my arms to be in manufacturing,’“ she mentioned.
There are additionally jobs in manufacturing in human assets, data know-how, logistics and provide chain, she mentioned. Some producers, for example, have nurses on website.
However the highest demand for jobs in manufacturing is for upkeep technicians, Scearce mentioned.
The median pay for manufacturing in Georgia is about $19 an hour for manufacturing employees, she mentioned. Upkeep technician jobs pay a median of about $25 an hour, she mentioned. Another professions in manufacturing in administration, finance and IT have increased median pay.
July goal date
The affiliation plans to exhibit the positioning to excessive faculties and schools in coming months, with an eye fixed on launching the digital platform in July.
It’s accumulating contact data from college students or others and can contact them once they can create their profiles, Scearce mentioned.
To focus on college students, the positioning may also embrace trivia-based video games or simulated video games to “sort of pique their interest in manufacturing,” Scearce mentioned.
The plan is to supply college students and different job seekers free enrollment to the platform. Producers will get free entry this yr however should pay a subscription price beginning in 2026.
