Building a foundation for the next generation of manufacturers

Did you know that manufacturing is the third largest industry sector in the Western New York region? Cummins Inc. is proud to play a part in building engines at our Jamestown Engine Plant (JEP), where we employ roughly 1,300 (and counting) of the 18,000 manufacturing workers in the three-county area. However, a shortage of qualified workers is predicted over the coming decade due to industry growth and workers retiring. The industry will need help to fill this gap. Enter, Dream It Do It Western New York (DIDIWNY).

Todd Tranum, Executive Director of the Manufacturers Association, and President of DIDIWNY, and Melissa Himes, Director of DIDIWNY, sat down with us to share some of their accomplishments in the industry.

What is Dream It Do It?

“Dream It Do It was created to help build the talent pipeline, to help manufacturers,” explains Himes. DIDIWNY provides courses, tours, higher education resources and even job-scouting access.

Tranum adds, “It creates a great bridge, an intermediary, between our schools – the students, teachers, even administrators – and manufacturers.”
The initiative’s various programs provide a better understanding of career opportunities in manufacturing. Programs include a major annual event called STEM Wars, which brings together several school districts and Girls in Manufacturing, a program just for girls in grades 5-12.

Advanced Manufacturing Program

The newest offering from DIDIWNY is the Advanced Manufacturing Program, aimed at students in seventh grade and up. Himes says speaking to junior high school students is important because “we try and reach them before they’ve already decided their career pathway.”

The new program offers a comprehensive experience and tracks participants’ success. “What we’re doing is taking best practices from other regions, along with what we have learned over the years with Dream It Do It and have packaged them into the Dream It Do It Advanced Manufacturing Program,” Tranum explains.

They do this by offering electronic badging for manufacturing-focused classes the students are already taking at school. The program provides tours of plants like Cummins JEP and participation in hands-on programming and events. Additionally, students can earn a badge for completion of a work ethics certificate as part of the program. The students accumulate badges to earn “belts” inspired by the Six Sigma training program for professionals.

Students enroll using an online platform, which allows them to track their progress. They are recognized for their accomplishments in Dream It Do It at their high school graduation or awards ceremonies.

Destigmatizing the manufacturing industry

Communicating with parents is another important aspect of DIDIWNY’s work. Tranum and Himes shared that some parents may hold negative misconceptions about manufacturing. Through this program, parents learn how much the industry has changed and how most positions are specialized these days, which leads to greater earning potential than there once was.

Cummins is proud to be a key partner in DIDIWNY, working with youth in the community to introduce them to potential careers in manufacturing and link them to higher education courses. DIDIWNY and Cummins have also partnered to work with Jamestown Community College, advising on its manufacturing curriculum. The program is now more diverse and attracts more young applicants than it once did. This foundation is key to building the future of manufacturing.