Look at it as branding
Companies of any size will likely tell you that branding is important, that image is how people see you ― and correcting an unflattering image takes time and effort.
In an age when innovation occurs regularly and perception is vital to success, manufacturing has been trying to shake off the view that it’s dark and dirty ― to rebrand itself.
“It’s absolutely true that the image and the definition of manufacturing in this country has not kept up with the industry,” DeRocco says.
Indeed, the parents, teachers and counselors who influence students and young people are often given the wrong picture.
“They have an image that either there are no manufacturing jobs or the ones that they know or they think they know are really what they remember as children in their communities,” she says.
Only 30 percent of respondents to the 2010 “Made in America?” survey conducted by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute said they would encourage their child to pursue a career in manufacturing ― despite reporting encouraging improvements in their perceptions about the jobs.
The survey reported that respondents feel state and federal leadership, tax rates on individuals and government business policies are the top concerns hampering American manufacturing competitiveness ― and that Americans are less likely to pursue jobs in manufacturing or encourage their children to consider these jobs in the future because of those issues.
In addition, only 22 percent said their school system encourages students to pursue manufacturing careers and only 18 percent said their parents encouraged them to pursue a career in manufacturing.
“Most people in Gen Y out of high school don’t think of manufacturing as a career or as a good option,” says Kika Young, human resources director at Forest City Gear Co. Inc. of Rockford, Ill. “They don’t think of it as glamorous; they think of it as dark and dingy and dirty and aren’t interested in going into that.”
It’s important to break the mold of that outdated image, and some signs of progress are being seen. Appealing to a nobler perception is key to successful image building. So is taking innovative approaches and strategies.
“I don’t think the image is the problem any more,” Tomlinson says. “You see many examples in advertisements, like General Electric’s, that take manufacturing out of the dark and dirty environment,” he says. “The real value right now for the younger generation is that through making things they could change the world. You have to innovate, create and make if you really want to improve everybody’s lives and environment.”
In the end, each level of success builds upon the previous one. For the manufacturing industry, those levels are the employers, workers, educators and economic developers.
“This winning proposition for these sectors has really led to an incredible amount of momentum and support, and not that we don’t have a long way to go, but we think it’s a model that other business sectors can and should be using,” DeRocco says.
