Junior Achievement Spreads The Word About Great Manufacturing Jobs

PONTIAC (WWJ) The manufacturing industry needs skilled people--but today's teens and young adults don't necessarily think of that as an optimal career choice.

Junior Achievement is trying to change that.

Today, Junior Achievement brought together companies who need workers and teens who are seeking careers at an event where engineers and others told teens about the rewards of a manufacturing career.

Linda Ratliff-Watkins, with Detroit Chassis, was one of the many companies on hand. She explained what happened when they tell kids their company makes parts for heavy duty trucks.

"A lot of them are interested and they want to know what types of careers are available in manufacturing," Ratliff-Watkins said. "What we want to let them know is there are a lot of things that can be done from being an assembly line worker to being in a manager of a quality department or engineering department."

More than 300 teens were on hand for today's event at Ultimate Soccer in Pontiac.

A Warren Cousino High School teacher brought more than 40 students to meet with employers.

"The kids need to know that manufacturing is not dirty jobs that you have to work really hard at, kids don't want to work really hard these days."

She added that the message that resonates is that some manufacturing jobs don't require a college degree, and all the debt that goes along with that.

Junior Achievement's goal is to "develop a generation of individuals who are armed with the confidence, knowledge and determination to thrive; to build a better future for themselves and their community."

And they're doing it one event at a time.

Click here for more information on the program.