Why don’t more young people want to get into manufacturing? 

This week’s Manufacturing Happy Hour guest, Terry Iverson, President & CEO of Iverson & Company, is the author of two fantastic books on the subject. His latest one, Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing, aims to encourage both students and their parents to give manufacturing a shot. 

We had a great in-person conversation at The Vanguard in Milwaukee to talk about his mission to elevate manufacturing as a career path and to encourage more people into the industry. Terry explains why he thinks manufacturing leaders could be doing more to reach out to young people and bridge the awareness gap.  

While the U.S. manufacturing industry is getting better, we still have a long way to go to finding the next generation of manufacturers. Terry shares some stats on college education and why he believes a European-style rethink on apprenticeships is long overdue.  

Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.   

In this episode, find out: 

• Why Terry decided to write a second book  
• What Terry learned from growing up in a manufacturing family 
• Why his mission to get the word out about manufacturing has evolved 
• How the apprenticeship culture is different in Europe 
• Why there needs to be more engagement between schools and the trades 
• Why the “learn and earn” route is a great alternative to college 
• How children’s “maker spaces” work 
• Why the industry still has a long way to go to appeal to younger people 
• How we can get the industry and education system on the same page 
• What the statistics say about reshoring and workforce needs 

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Tweetable Quotes: 

• “We need the industry and education on the same page. Just like I'm trying to do with the book. I'm trying to connect parents and the child to have conversations more like they do in Europe when they're 14-15 years old about all the different things you could do in manufacturing.” 
• “Parents need to be more informed and more focused on what every given child shines in or is passionate about or has the natural ability to do.” 
• “How many times have you heard a parent say, “I'd give them a toy and they'd have it all apart and then try to put it back together.” That's an engineer or a manufacturer in the making.” 

Links & mentions: 

• Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing: Discover the Path to a Debt-Free Career, by Terry Iverson (student and parent edition both available) 
• Finding America's Greatest Champion: Building Prosperity Through Manufacturing, Mentoring and the Awesome Responsibility of Parenting, Terry’s first book written in 2018 
• The Vanguard, a locally-owned bar and restaurant located in the heart of Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood serving up house-made sausages and a great whiskey selection 

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.