A boots-on-the-ground moment for the metal manufacturing industry

If the purchase of a pair of steel-toed boots is the only thing separating a young person interested in a possible career in manufacturing from pursuing that path, companies should come together to figure out how to clear this obstacle. vm/E+/Getty Images

Industry: “Modern manufacturing is clean, exciting, and involves advanced technologies. It’s in desperate need of workers to help the U.S. retain its position as the leading manufacturing nation on this planet. There is so much opportunity in manufacturing for those only willing to give it a shot. And in some instances, you can get paid while you learn valuable skills.”

Encouraged student: “That sounds great. What do I need to do next?”

Industry: “Get your steel-toed boots and come see us.”

Discouraged student: “Well, about those boots …”

This situation is actually a reflection of conversations my wife has had with her colleague at the Illinois high school where they work. The school district has an outstanding manufacturing work program, made possible with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, for high school students 16 to 18 years old, to intern for two area manufacturing companies for five weeks each. No previous work experience is necessary for interested parties to participate.

But manufacturing being what it is, these newcomers need safety gear. The most basic of this required gear is a pair of steel-toed boots, and that’s actually a problem for some.

It doesn’t sound like much, but some students from modest backgrounds don’t have the spare $100 or so to buy a pair of shoes that they only will need for 10 weeks. That might be hard for some people to fathom, but that’s the case for a handful of students—and likely more throughout the U.S. They want to take advantage of an opportunity to improve their financial future down the road, but they don’t have financial wherewithal in the present to begin that trek.

This discussion is set against the backdrop of a populace that recognizes what manufacturing means to a society’s future. Voters and private companies are stepping forward and supporting investments in vocational training programs at their local high schools and community colleges. Enrollments at four-year colleges have decreased in recent years as some students question the wisdom in taking out large student loans and instead look for something more practical and affordable, such as industrial technology tracks or welding programs, at their local community colleges.

The shift is real and indicative of the interest in scholarships and summer manufacturing camp grants offered through the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association’s Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT) foundation. (NBT provides scholarships up to $3,500 for students pursuing degrees that will lead to manufacturing careers and offers grants for educational institutions to defray the costs associated with hosting a manufacturing-focused summer camp for students.) For the Fall 2023 semester, NBT received 340 applications for scholarships; in 2022, the foundation got just over 200 applications. In 2023, NBT has awarded grants for 239 summer manufacturing camps; in 2022, it helped to fund 165 camps. There’s a lot of interest in what manufacturing might have to offer in terms of career paths for young people.

This comes at a great time as manufacturing has to compete with every other sector for workers. Economists estimate that the manufacturing industry lost about 1.4 million jobs at the onset of the pandemic. A lot of those jobs have since been recovered, but the number of available workers has shrunk as many have chosen to retire and others found work in other sectors.

The U.S. manufacturing industry has an incredible hunger for new workers. This is how a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report (“Understanding America’s Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted Industries”) released in February describes it: “Even if every unemployed person with experience in the durable goods manufacturing industry were employed, the industry would fill roughly a third of the vacant jobs.”

And a young person is disqualified from these opportunities because of a pair of steel-toed boots? I’ve got to think that shouldn’t be the case.

Private companies are asked to do a lot in the U.S., and some might not be responsive to a message asking them to take the extra step and provide some protective gear for potential new hires who can’t afford the gear themselves. “Why buy the shoes that they might then use to walk down the road and go to work for a competitor or even leave the manufacturing industry altogether?” is a logical question to ask. The answer is that it’s a good bet to make if a company is truly looking to bring in new talent and foster the next generation of manufacturing’s leaders.

The last 20 years have been a grassroots battle to win over the hearts and minds of students, parents, teachers, guidance counselors, school administrators, and elected officials and convince them that a job in manufacturing is worth having. When a young person shows a willingness to take on the challenge of learning what manufacturing has to offer, let’s not turn them away because they can’t afford the right footwear.