NJMEP Launches "Experience Manufacturing" Program to Expose New Jersey Youth to Manufacturing Careers

April 27, 2014 (Press-News.org) The New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. (NJMEP) announces the launch of the Experience Manufacturing Program, a statewide initiative to introduce the manufacturing industry and its careers to young adults. The program will connect manufacturing companies in need of employees with young adults in search of job opportunities.

"The talent shortage in the manufacturing field is a serious issue right now, and we need to strengthen the employment pool for our state's manufacturers," explains Matt Paknis, Chief Development Officer of NJMEP. "We can only do this by changing the perception of our industry to our youth, their parents and general public. By exposing NJ youth to the diverse career opportunities and high-paying jobs in the industry, we can cultivate the next generation of manufacturing workers."

Statistics show a gap between the perception and reality of manufacturing careers. While the annual average salary of a manufacturing worker is $77k and manufacturing employees have the highest job tenure in the private sector, less than one-third of U.S. parents encourage their kids to enter manufacturing. Less than 20 percent of people view manufacturing as a top career choice.

The program enables NJ manufacturers to fill out an application with their open positions and return it to NJMEP. Manufacturers must be willing to pay qualified young adults and have a willingness to introduce them to the world of manufacturing.

Young adult job seekers from numerous arenas including county colleges, high schools, leadership and mentoring programs, private institutions, scouts, STEM, universities and vocational schools also fill out a submission form. Applicants must express an interest in manufacturing, have reliable transportation, be at least 18 years old and want to learn about the various careers in manufacturing.

NJMEP serves as a bridge and connects the relevant job applicants to the manufacturers based on their requirements. The rest of the process is managed between the manufacturer and job applicant. NJMEP is not charging a fee for this service.

NJMEP is a not-for-profit that helps New Jersey's manufacturers increase sales, reduce costs, improve efficiencies and spur job creation. Since 2000, the organization has helped New Jersey manufacturers realize more than $2.58 billion in value and create or retain more than 20,000 jobs for the state's economy.

"Modern manufacturing is high-tech, exciting and provides incredible career options. It's time we spread the word," adds Paknis.

Manufacturers can click here to download the submission form. Job seekers can click here to download the application. All forms should be emailed to experiencemanufacturing@njmep.org.

For more information about the Experience Manufacturing Program, click here or call Matt Paknis at 973-998-9801.

About NJMEP

NJMEP is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a network of more than 60 MEP centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To learn more about NJMEP visit http://www.njmep.org or call 973-998-9801.