How mentoring programs help manufacturers build a future workforce

With the manufacturing industry facing a worker shortfall of nearly 2 million people, many manufacturers are turning to mentorship programs to build a talent pipeline and prepare existing workers to take on leadership roles.

The programs can help to train incoming workers, as well as create inclusive environments from underrepresented communities. This article explores how four U.S. manufacturers are creating mentorship programs to engage workers at all job levels, from the factory floor to corporate management.

Manufacturers use mentorship programs to foster future leaders

Industrial supplier Fastenal, for example, has run a "Manufacturing Sponsorship Program" in Minnesota every year since 2005 for up to ten individuals seeking a career in computer numerical control machining. The company partners with the local community college Minnesota State College Southeast, which students attend full-time while working part-time at Fastenal's manufacturing facility in Winona, Minnesota.

"As long as students graduate with a 3.0 [GPA] or better and have good attendance at school and work, they are guaranteed a full-time position," said Josh Hansen, who started with an entry-level position at Fastenal through the mentoring program in 2017 and is now a manufacturing trainer and recruiter at the company.

"Every six months after joining, the students receive a quarter of the cost of their tuition and books," Hansen said. "After two years of working full-time, all their schooling will have been reimbursed while they are learning beneficial skills on the job, earning a competitive hourly wage and receiving sizable pay increases every year."

Through the program, students attend an orientation on safety training and learn how to use precision measuring equipment and interpret blueprints. After this, they partner with tenured CNC machinists on the floor and begin learning the day-to-day of setting up and operating machines, inspection, boxing parts and shipping, according to Hansen.

The company has an 80% retention rate for sponsorship students, with many employees who start in entry-level positions working their way up to management.

New York-based plastics manufacturer Jamestown Plastics has a similar mentorship program in place. In 2014, CEO Jay Baker initiated a manufacturing program at Chautauqua Lake Central School in Mayville, New York.

"Due to the scarcity of educational programs that provide the skills we require at Jamestown Plastics, we have always grown our own," Baker said. "The manufacturing program initially started as a small club and has become a cornerstone of the educational plan, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, CNC machinery, welding centers, and a wood shop."

Through the program, students can accumulate 60 hours of college credit and receive multiple job offers upon graduation, with several joining Jamestown Plastics, where they continue to receive mentorship through on-the-job training, Baker added. So far, more than 500 students have participated in the program.

Mentorship programs offer tech learning opportunities

Manufacturing mentorship programs like these have become particularly useful for training new and future employees to leverage tools like artificial intelligence.

Considering this, Texas-based manufacturer Flex launched a global mentorship program in 2021, using an online tool that matches mentors and mentees based on their skills, career goals, level of experience and personal interests, said Paul Baldassari, Flex's president of manufacturing and services.

The company has gone through six 6-month cycles of the program with more than 1,000 employees; nearly 25% of the mentees have experienced career advancement. For such programs to work, Baldassari said, "Mentees should have a strong understanding of their goals, and mentors should provide actionable advice."

How manufacturers can offer creative mentorship options

Along with building a school-to-job talent pipeline and training workers to handle emerging technology, manufacturing mentorship programs have also played a key role in developing a more inclusive workforce. Electronic hardware manufacturer TE Connectivity has launched several mentorship programs to help women, LGBTQ+ workers and other marginalized groups grow in the industry.

The company currently operates manufacturing facilities in 28 countries, has eight employee resource groups (ERGs) with more than 9,000 members. Those groups include young professionals, women in networking, veterans, Asian Heritage, Latin heritage, African Heritage, a group for LGBTQ+ individuals and more, according to Malavika Sagar, TE Connectivity SVP and CHRO.

"These resource groups are employee-led and a great way for our employees to work closely with leadership," Sagar said. "The groups select a committee, elect roles, create a vision and mission and work towards achieving their five-year goals."

In addition to ERGs, Sagar launched a women-focused mentorship program in which executives offered to mentor women tracking to become senior leaders. In return, the mentees were asked to become mentors to other women in the company with similar aspirations.

"The idea of the program is to cascade the insights they have learned," Sagar said.

More than 50 women participated in the first cohort; more than 20% were promoted or made a lateral move and more than 20% were added to succession plans during the course of the year-long program, according to Sagar. The company launched its second cohort this year and 10% of the mentees have already ben promoted.

Beyond this, TE Connectivity also has a company-wide global online mentorship program called Navigate. The platform allows employees to set up a profile as a mentor stating their skills, expertise and areas of interest.

Mentees can review these profiles and ask to be paired for a mentorship. Both parties then get an automated email with the recommended program structure and choose a cadence that works for them to meet.

"In the past, you would typically have needed to know and have met your mentor personally or rely on a mutual acquaintance to connect you before you can ask them, and even then, you could have doubts around their skills or their interest level," Sagar said. "Navigate removes those barriers and allows you access to people you know have the interest and skills to mentor you."

This is particularly important for manufacturing companies considering the nature of the job, which often puts a premium on efficiency.

"The intense focus on production and output can hinder emphasis on employee development," she said. "Additionally, mentors and mentees may have different schedules due to shift work, which is less of a challenge for office or remote workers who have more control over their schedules."

Despite some of these challenges, Sagar noted the importance of mentorship and career guidance at any job level. "From the factory floor to the corporate offices, it's important for each employee to have a role model and someone to help shape their career," she said.

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