Maite Mauri
Program Manager, ACES Amazon
SME Member Since 2011 SME SPEAKS GUEST EDITORIAL
Local Chapters Pave the Way for Involvement and Leadership Opportunities
I
’ve been asked many times why I’m an involved volun- teer member at SME. The answer is simple: it makes me happy. Attending a company tour and learning about the
different ways manufacturers are tackling the quickly evolv- ing materials, customer demands and global markets is eye opening. Listening to a professional expert share insights into new technologies that are changing the way we design and manufacture products during a tech talk event, like how ad- ditive manufacturing is being used by companies to redesign attachments for aircraft overhead bins to reduce weight by as much as 80%, is exciting and inspiring. Representing SME at an annual engineering expo for K-12 students to introduce them to the different facets of engineering, and to encourage them to continue learning and being curious about the world around them, is rewarding beyond measure. Allow me to take a step back to 2005. As a student at
California State University, Long Beach, after strong encour- agement from a professor, I took the lead to reinstate the SME student chapter. I recruited a team of students that would work on an extracurricular project for three months, and we presented the project at an SME conference—WESTEC 2006–at the LA Convention Center. This was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I was able to develop and demonstrate my leadership and project management skills, I walked the fl oor of the exposition and watched the machines demonstrate cutting-edge technologies, I received the William B. Johnson Leadership in Manufacturing Award presented by Buzz Aldrin, and I was offered multiple employment opportuni- ties directly from senior leaders of some of the biggest manu- facturers in the Los Angeles area–all within two days. This is just one example of how SME opens doors, provides op- portunities for development and networking, and is dedicated
to enabling the next generation to pursue manufacturing and engineering professions.
The last two years, I had the honor of being chair of SME’s Seattle Chapter 39 where I worked with a very active group of members who are committed to education. The Manufactur- ing Institute recently published a paper by Deloitte titled “The skills gap in U.S. manufacturing 2015 and beyond.” Manufac- turing is a valuable industry as “every dollar spent in manufac- turing adds $1.37 to the U.S. economy, and every 100 jobs in a manufacturing facility creates an additional 250 jobs in other sectors.” However, there is a skills gap–six out of 10 manu- facturing job openings remain open because of a shortage in skilled workers. Young people have a negative view of the manufacturing industry and they lack STEM skills. That’s where the local chapter comes in. Chapter 39 lead- ers have created direct connections with local high schools, universities and colleges. It sponsors four student chapters as well as the only PRIME school in Washington State, add- ing up to about 80 students per year. Chapter volunteers attend the annual engineering expo for K-12 students, where hundreds of young students are introduced to manufactur- ing. Additionally, the chapter leaders are involved in several educator committees, helping educators better understand the current manufacturing industry needs. Thirty-fi ve to 50 professional members take SME’s CMfgE/CMfgT Review Course every year, offered free of charge to SME members thanks to chapter volunteers. A successful organization is defi ned by its people. People who have bias for action and are obsessed with continuously improving are able to positively infl uence their communi- ties. There are many ways in which each and every one of us can affect the so-called skills gap in manufacturing. SME
February 2016 |
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