A Web site and outreach program designed to encourage young people to choose careers in engineering and manufacturing has received recognition as the High Achiever in the Education & Training Mastery category of Managing Automation's 2007 Progressive Manufacturing awards competition.

Sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation, the Manufacturing Is Cool Web site is part of the association's effort to advance manufacturing education and offset the shortage of skilled manufacturing workers.

"Pulling our industry together to tackle recruitment and educational issues is no small task," says Maureen Steinwall, president of Steinwall Inc., who served on the judging panel for the Progressive Manufacturing competition. "The Web site project is just one facet of a three-pronged approach, with the goal being to strengthen the quantity and quality of the future manufacturing engineer. SME's project was focused, well thought through, and, in my opinion, should strengthen the whole manufacturing industry. It's not often that a project could have this wide an impact."

The need to draw skilled workers to manufacturing is critical. A 2003 survey of U.S. manufacturing employers by the National Association of Manufacturing found 80% experiencing serious problems finding qualified candidates. With fewer young people pursuing engineering-related careers and more engineers retiring, manufacturers will continue to experience a growing need for skilled workers. In fact, a shortage currently estimated at 268,000 is projected to grow to 1.6 million unfilled positions by 2010. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that each year through 2012 employers will be seeking 17,000 industrial/manufacturing engineers, 14,000 mechanical engineers, 14,000 engineering technicians, and 273,000 metal and plastic production workers.

With this kind of shortfall, Steinwall believes the importance of the Manufacturing Is Cool project cannot be overestimated. "Attracting young talent to the manufacturing profession is top-of-mind for most companies," she explains, noting that it has been more than 30 years since manufacturing has been viewed as a viable career path, and other organizations have attempted to tackle the problem with little success. "SME pinpointed the most critical issue facing manufacturing and allocated its limited resources toward trying to make a difference. ... Let's hope their effort is the one that turns the tide."

Positive results are already apparent. The Manufacturing Is Cool Web site helped the SME Education Foundation boost the number of kids attending its Science, Technology & Engineering Preview Summer (STEPS) program more than tenfold, from roughly 200 per year in the first decade to 2,500 in 2007. The foundation expects to expand the schedule even further in 2008.

"We had an outdated Web site that we decided to revamp in order to offer middle- and high-school students insight into the world of manufacturing and careers within manufacturing," says Bart Aslin, director of the SME Education Foundation and project leader.

"We see the Web site as an opportunity to educate young people, their parents, and educators about the world of manufacturing and its career opportunities," he continues. "This will help to reverse the negative image that many have about manufacturing."

Built with Adobe Flash CS3 Professional from Adobe Systems Inc. and housed on a server running a Unix operating system, the Manufacturing Is Cool Web site launched on March 1, 2007. It relies heavily on Flash animation and Flash video to provide an inside look at how kid favorites — such as snacks, fashion, cars, and cell phones — are designed and produced by engineers. It also features video clips of kids' peers creating radio-controlled airplanes and building computers.

Navigation is easy. Users roll the cursor over items arranged on a desktop. Clicking on sunglasses or a wristwatch, for example, leads to a "fabricating fashion" screen where a click on a cosmetic compact leads to a look at the career of Deanna Fell, director of engineering and operations maintenance at Mary Kay, Inc. Fell discusses the importance of teamwork and problem-solving in her position, as well as her experiences, such as being part of the team that built the company's first manufacturing plant in China.