MRO Today - My g-generation

My g-generation -- Future MRO Pros

Inspiring the next generation of workers takes next-generation methods

Last summer, I dragged two of my kids, Cass, then 16, and Sean, 15, along on my tour of Victory Motorcycles’ assembly plant. Victory production managers gave them a VIP tour of the facility, answering every question. Their verdict: “Cool.”

I was thrilled.

Not every bright teenager is automatically college-bound. Some are genuinely interested in industry, but reaching this future workforce is a challenge. You have to meet them on their ground — YouTube, Facebook and the iPod in their pocket.

Organizations are getting “hip.” The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED). is hosting a competition to create videos for YouTube.com on careers in electrical distribution.

Individual companies are at work, too. Miller Electric’s redesigned Web site has special interest categories for Gearheads, Motorsports, Manufacturing and Fabrication.

Perhaps the most extreme marketing yet is being done by TMP Worldwide, which leases space inside the virtual world of the online game Second Life. Companies can now host real-time recruiting events inside a virtual world for real-world jobs, with a potential audience of 20 million.

It’s a good start, but with millions of workers set to retire in the next decade, there’s a long way to go. So, when was the last time your plant gave a tour to high schoolers?