In tenth grade, Macalister Burke was introduced to the world of computer-aided design (CAD) and robotics, and it changed his career trajectory.
Now in his final semester of Grade 12, he has completed a co-op placement at a local start-up, has started studying robotics and 3D modelling, and will continue to compete with the Fenelon Falls Secondary School robotics team.
All this development began with a connection made through Connections Kawartha, a new program from the Kawartha Manufacturers Association (KMA) that matched Burke’s interests with the leadership team at Cormor, a newly established innovative 3D construction printing company based in Peterborough.
Through Connections Kawartha, KMA is breaking down misperceptions about employment opportunities in manufacturing by showcasing meaningful, viable, and rewarding careers in the industry. With the Instagram account @connections.kawartha as the method of delivery, the program’s goal is to foster connections by spotlighting local stories with insight from industry leaders and the emerging employees working in the sector.
“There’s a good part of the new generation that have no idea what manufacturing supply chain is and have a really wrong perception of it,” says Diane Richard, founder of Diatom Professional Consulting and a resource to the KMA board of directors.
“We started Connections Kawartha to get true insights from the owners and plant managers around who is successful, what capabilities they’re looking for, who gets promoted, and what the career path looks like. Then, we’re sharing stories of youth in the community under 30 years old who all followed a different path (in the industry).”
Founded in 1990, KMA is an advocacy group bringing the leaders of individual manufacturing companies in the Kawarthas together to provide networking, create and promote opportunities, and share concerns that lead to policy. Often working to address industry problems, KMA has identified a potential concern about the number of long-time employees currently in the local workforce who will soon be leaving the industry.
“There’s a huge number of (people with) manufacturing expertise that will retire, so there’s that real angst of what are employers going to do as, at the same time, we are not getting the pipeline of new people into these roles at all,” Richard says.
She explains that one of the barriers of attracting young people is a negative perception associated with how the manufacuring industry describes career opportunities. As an example, she points to the language commonly used in industry, highlighting how using terms like “skilled trades” for jobs requiring licensed skills, or those that require post-secondary education such as electronics and welding, implies that other jobs are “unskilled.”
“These are technicians who are very, very highly skilled,” she says. “Years ago, top graduates of university went into manufacturing but, over time, these are not seen as the preeminent jobs in society. I don’t know what happened, but (the jobs) haven’t really changed.”
She adds that young people may not see “general labour” as a desirable career path, despite the fact that an entry-level position in manufacturing is no different, for example, than a software technician who might begin in customer service before ascending the career ladder.
For his part, Burke explored a number of skill developmental opportunities as a co-op student over the course of a semester. In his Connections Kawartha feature with KMA, he shared that, in working with a start-up like Cormor, he was exposed to many aspects of running the company and worked directly with the team leaders to learn about their roles.
“I have helped create manuals, compiled data on test prints, learned how to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), and been challenged in areas I have never been challenged in before,” he wrote to KMA, noting he has learned a lot about the industry and himself. “I discovered that I enjoy getting down and dirty and engaging in physical work.”
Richard says that having a range of different opportunities in manufacturing mean students are still able to explore whatever interests them when it comes to post-secondary education, without having to make career decisions in the eleventh grade.
“Take whatever you’re interested in, whatever you want to learn — whether it be business or science or anything else — because the majority of roles in the industry come as completely agnostic to those skill sets,” says Richard. “People get there from all over.”
One of the other young people featured through Connections Kawartha, Rebecca Jackson is an example of how pursuing a seemingly unrelated career path can still lead to a job in manufacturing.
After studying as an Ecosystem Management Technician at Fleming College, she discovered a passion for fishing and an interest in conservation. When she passed by the Lucky Strike Bait Works building in Peterborough one day, she decided to email the company to ask about job openings.
“I shared my passion for the environment and fishing, and it led to an incredible opportunity,” Jackson shared in her Connections Kawartha feature.
Now a supply chain resource at Lucky Strike Bait Works, she enjoys networking with customers and participating in conservation events — showing how a job in manufacturing can still align with personal passions and interests.
Jackson Gougeon is another young person who shared his story with Connections Kawartha. Although he was originally interested in pursuing a career as an athletic therapist, he became interested in manufacturing while taking welding and auto shop classes in high school.
That led him to begin working as a labourer at TS Manufacturing in Lindsay, assisting with machine assembly, fabricating components, and helping around the shop. Realizing how much he loved working directly with his hands, he then asked the company for a millwright apprenticeship.
He now enjoys greater responsibilities, including including building machines independently, tackling more complex tasks, and assisting in the installation and startup of equipment sold to customers.
In addition to spotlighting these stories of young adults finding their way into the manufacturing industry, Connections Kawartha highlights the perspectives of employers, who share what they are looking for from those they hire.
“We screen the manufacturers, so they have to be a highly viable, growing, successful business that predominantly promote from within,” Richard says. “They are good employers, the HR professionals are outstanding, and they have a formal development approach.”
Playing off the NIMBY acronym, the theme of Connections Kawartha is “Yes, in my backyard,” to encourage those entering the workforce to see the opportunities that exist within their own region.
“Yes, I could get a career; yes, there is a college here; yes, there’s a university; yes, there’s all kinds of clubs — and it’s all in my backyard, even if I don’t know it,” says Richard. “We have these initiatives to get people in and working together as one.”
Richard adds that careers in manufacturing provide transferable skills, which means youth don’t have to stick to one company throughout their career should they want to explore other opportunities.
“When we develop somebody in one company, we’re developing them for the community,” Richard points out.
With the help of Connections Kawartha, students like Burke can see a future for themselves in the manufacturing industry.
“My time with Cormor has made me more excited about the possibility of continuing to work with them this summer,” he shared with KMA. “I look forward to diving deeper into the manufacturing world and getting more experience in both CAD and hands-on aspects of manufacturing at the post-secondary level.”
To learn more about Connections Kawartha, follow @connections.kawartha on Instagram. Those who are interested or have questions are encouraged to send a direct message through Instagram.
To learn more about KMA, visit www.thekma.com.
