As a parent, I watch my kiddos build, tinker, and fix things. When they see a project through, the joy on their faces is unforgettable. I still remember how proud my son was of his first tree house & piggy bank (shout out to Home Depot Kids Workshops first Saturday of the month!) It’s a reminder that making something with your hands is powerful and that’s exactly what manufacturing careers offer.
When kids build, they see cause and effect. They measure, cut, shape, correct. They learn persistence: when a piece doesn’t fit, they rework it. They gain confidence when a project turns real. That sense of accomplishment is formative. I believe one reason manufacturing has been undervalued is that people forget the dignity of making something. The same pride my kids feel when they complete a project should translate to careers. To build, to leave something behind, to be a craftsman of industry.
Many of the most innovative engineers and manufacturing leaders started not in boardrooms, but on the shop floor.
- Someone might begin as a machinist or toolmaker, mastering the craft and deeply understanding tolerances, materials, machine behavior and then transition into design or engineering because they know what works in practice.
- Having worked “in the trenches,” these leaders carry empathy for operators, insight into practical constraints, and a humility born from doing.
Research supports that “learning by doing” builds problem-solving ability, spatial reasoning, and transferable skills. The “maker movement” underscores that hands-on experience nurtures creativity, persistence, and innovation.
And in modern manufacturing, that foundation is more critical than ever: automation, robotics, CNC programming, quality control, additive manufacturing are not abstract; they require real understanding of how machines and materials behave.
We need to value manufacturing for our children
- Career stability and growth: These are not low-skill dead-end jobs. Many manufacturing roles offer upward mobility, cross-training, and leadership paths.
- Connection to creation: So many of us yearn to leave something of substance behind. A manufactured product, a machine, a system – these are all tangible.
- Community impact: Manufacturing jobs support families, local economies, supply chains. When your child works in manufacturing, they contribute to their hometown’s viability.
My mom grew up in Roseau, Minnesota, home of Polaris. Decades later, when devastating floods threatened the town, I remember hearing how the whole community rallied. People from all walks of life sandbagged the school and the Polaris plant. Everyone showed up, shoulder to shoulder, to protect both education and industry.
As a business owner, I see manufacturing as a way to steward our resources. We create, we serve, we care for people, we build legacies of excellence. If we teach our children that creation matters and give them opportunities to pursue it we do more than place them in jobs. We invite them into purposeful work.
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