Lean Course Teaches Value of Manufacturing FOCUS ON THE
WorkForce W
hen I start my undergraduate Lean Studies course at Oakland University, I ask the students to raise their hands if they have ever been in a plant. Usu-
ally, very few hands reach for the sky. When I ask if they are interested in manufacturing, most say, “Not really.” Yet I teach in a suburb of Detroit, the Motor City. The truth is that most college students don’t see manu- facturing as an attractive career opportunity. According to a recent survey, manufacturing even ranked dead last among career choices for 18- to 24-year-olds.
This helps to explain why American manufacturing firms are struggling to fill nearly 600,000 open positions, despite a stubbornly high US unemployment rate of about 8%, with more than 12 million people looking for work.
workflow and the processes, to observe the employees and see the equipment in operation. They talk with top manage- ment and the workers on the front line, and they ask a lot of questions. They experience the fun of doing investigative work, root cause analysis and problem-solving in real-time and in a real-life context. They learn how to work together as a team to assess the companies’ lean journeys and how to present their recommendations for improvement. They get a chance to see manufacturing in a more appealing light, and see the potential for opportunities in fields such as human re- sources, finance, process improvement, production manage- ment, and engineering.
The lean class was started five years ago with less than a dozen students in one course per year. Now it has grown to
At Oakland University and the Pawley Lean Institute, we have implemented an innovative program in partnership with several manufacturing companies in Southeast Michigan.
But there are many possible approaches to help manufac- turing regain its mojo with college students. At Oakland University and the Pawley Lean Institute, we have implemented an innovative program in partnership with several manufacturing companies in Southeast Michigan. We have created an undergraduate course on Lean that is based on the “learn-do” principle and is exposing many nontradi- tional students (i.e. not business or engineering majors) to the world of manufacturing. In addition to teaching lean basics, the experience is opening students’ eyes to the world of man- ufacturing and creating a new universe of career opportunities that most had never even considered.
By the end of the three-month class, students have a much more positive view of manufacturing. The students “go to the gemba” at their sponsor companies to understand the
a twice-a-year program with 25–28 students each term. The word has gotten out that the lean course is interesting, and that learning about manufacturing (and other industries) first- hand is cool. Talk about great PR for the local manufacturers!
Visiting a Stellar Lean Facility
When the class takes its first site visit to the Faurecia Fra- ser Interior Systems Plant, it is often their first exposure to how a factory works and feels. The Faurecia Fraser plant is grow- ing fast. First opened in 2006 with less than 300 employees, it has now grown to two locations with over 800 employees. The plant supplies Ford, GM and Chrysler with interior systems, including instrument panels, door panels and center consoles. The Faurecia plant is globally competitive and keeps winning new business. The students are excited to be there because