Exposing minds to job possibilities

Manufacturing jobs are changing -- no longer are they only the grimy, labor-intensive work familiar to many students and parents. Advances in technology have expanded offerings, and area manufacturers and schools are working together to promote awareness of that change.

To that end, more than 300 area students from junior high and high schools attended Manufacturing Day at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center on Wednesday. Seven area manufacturers participated, with hands-on demonstrations and opportunities to talk with officials at the companies.

Botkin Lumber Co. of Cape Girardeau showed students how to "grade" lumber, and had an interactive process to assemble wood pallets.

Buzzi-Unicem USA of Cape Girardeau showed the cement-making process, and emphasized science and mathematics skills necessary to their highly-technical manufacturing process.

Nestle-Purina Petcare Co. of Bloomfield, Missouri, and Mondi Jackson also had interactive booths at the event.

Central Junior High School eighth-grade student Keontae Dixon said he'd learned a lot about local manufacturers, such as Buzzi-Unicem's process, and about Rubbermaid's closet-organization systems.

Mary Shaw, human resources manager at Semo Milling in Scott City, said the company takes corn from whole kernel to flour consistency, depending on a client's needs, then ships the product by rail, roadway or boat to companies across the country.

"We have bagging technicians, shipping technicians, millers," Shaw said, adding technical expertise and experience are important in the company.

Semo Milling is growing, too. The company has about 91 employees, and recently opened a grain elevator in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Kathleen Clayton, workforce development coordinator at the Career and Technology Center, said manufacturing jobs are becoming far more high-tech, and are a far cry from the hot, dirty, tough jobs many people often think.

"That's truly not the case with, I would say, most of our manufacturers today," Clayton said. "Some, you could eat off the floor; they have to be that clean."

Processes including robotics often require clean, cool spaces, for instance, she said.

"These jobs don't always require a college degree, but workers do have to have mechanical and technical aptitude to do those jobs," Clayton said. "We're seeing manufacturers hurting for good employees, people who are trainable with an aptitude, who will show up to work every day, on time and ready to put in a full day."

The CTC has many programs aimed at giving students skills to find work, even if not specific to a manufacturing career, Clayton said.

From automotive technician training to electrical trades to welding, Clayton said, students have a range of skill sets to train in.

Advisory committees for those programs include company officials, she said, who can advise the CTC on technology being used in their processes.

And, said Kim Voelker, vice president of community development for the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, it's important to change the perception of manufacturing to more accurately reflect the needs.

"So many manufacturers are desperate for employees," Voelker said, adding the Chamber's work-ready coalition has worked closely with the CTC's Manufacturing Day since its inception in 2016.

"Students can come out of high school and get training on the job and make decent money," Voelker said.

And there's a huge variety of jobs available, Clayton said. At Delta Cos., located near the CTC in Cape Girardeau, they need employees in a wide range of positions: heavy equipment operation, drone technology, maintenance, among others, she said.

"We're definitely seeing a nationwide shortage of workers, but locally as well, employers desperately need people in all manufacturing positions. They're recruiting heavily, and one thing we need to do is change that mindset," Clayton said, adding if students are interested but parents might not be, they could discourage students based on outdated ideas of manufacturing jobs.

"Manufacturing is not the face of what it was 50 years ago. It's changed, very high-tech and a lot of fun, with different opportunities," Clayton said. "We want kids and parents to be aware of the great opportunities here -- it's not necessary to have a degree to have a good job."

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630