Your kids are not interested in manufacturing? Well, they should

In 2019, Eurofound found out that 39% of European manufacturing companies reported that their production was limited by labour shortages.  

How come? The manufacturing sector offers among other things to:

1. Join a high-demand industry
2. Get good pay and benefits
3. Work with new technologies
4. Have job stability
5. Take pride in making something real! 

The last argument can be a convincing one for younger generations eager to get involved in jobs that make sense.

But despite these objective facts, young minds seem more and more inclined to stay away from a field in constant evolution, and adopting more and more deep technologies to be more productive…and more sustainable at the same time.

The manufacturing sector may well be suffering from misconceptions but also true realities that stick to the mind from a very young age.

When asked in la Fête de la Science (Grenoble 7-17 October 2022), an event aiming to raise awareness on science-related topics in front of kids, what they think when hearing the word “industry”, many kids answered (rather relevantly) “pollution”…and isn’t this precisely why we need these kids to join later the sector in order to make it more environmentally friendly?

For this reason, three manufacturing initiatives – Integradde, PeneloPe, DIMOFAC – joined forces to create a virtual escape room with Industry 4.0 being the background topic.

How to play? 

• Make sure you have a good internet connection
• 3 players are needed, ideally between 14-18 years but you could also be an adult playing with two other kids.
• Communicate through an online call (Skype, Zoom, etc.) or chat at the same time you play so that you can easily exchange information
• Each of you should play on a different screen 
• To begin, all of you should click on “Start” and then agree on who is player 1, who is player 2 and who is player 3

The idea is to hone skills that are relevant and needed in the manufacturing field:

• Time management
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Critical thinking
• Problem resolution
• Negotiation

Besides, this is also an opportunity for young minds to understand:

• What is Industry 4.0 
• What benefits it brings
• What challenges it brings
• What technologies it uses.

If you want your child to find interest, in a fun way, in skills that will be useful in the future, go ahead! 

(Plus, they get to practice their English at the same time 😉)