Hardware Podcasts

Educating the New Collar Workforce with Sarah Boisvert

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 22 Mar 2022 · 41m

What this episode covers

Sarah Boisvert, founder of the New Collar Network and Fab Lab Hub, explains how her career in laser technology and 3D printing led to addressing the manufacturing skills gap through short, problem-solving-based training. She details the structure of Fab Labs, the use of digital badges to verify skills, and the shift from traditional degrees to portfolio-based hiring. Boisvert highlights the importance of hands-on project-based learning, citing specific examples like students designing replacement parts for tractors and wildfire sensors, to prepare a workforce capable of critical thinking and technical execution.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
New Collar Network, Fab Lab Hub, Potomac Photonics, IBM, MIT, America Makes
Tools
TinkerCad, Fusion 360, Rhino, SolidWorks

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 21m

    The Learning Factory: Closing the Skill Gap Starts with Education w/ Mike Nager

    Mike Nager, Founding Member of the Solution Center at Festo Didactic, discusses closing the manufacturing skill gap through education and rebranding. He outlines three career paths into manufacturing—four-year degrees, two-year technical colleges, and direct plant floor entry—and highlights the role of 'Learning Factory' in providing safe, hands-on training with technologies from Siemens, Rockwell, and Universal Robots. Nager emphasizes that manufacturers must actively promote themselves via social media and open houses to compete for talent against healthcare and legal sectors, noting that cybersecurity and AI are now critical components of modern manufacturing curricula.

    Hiring & workforceCareers & education
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 31m

    The NFL Draft, The NBA Draft and... The Manufacturing Skills Draft? w/ Dr. Jason Scales

    Dr. Jason Scales, Business Manager of Education at Lincoln Electric, discusses the critical manufacturing skills gap and proposes a 'Skills Draft' to elevate the status of skilled trades. He explains how Lincoln Electric’s historic welding school has evolved to include technology like the Vertex simulator to boost student confidence and employability. Scales argues that manufacturers must actively partner with educational institutions and consider flexible work environments to recruit from alternative populations, including women and incarcerated individuals, to solve the talent shortage.

    Hiring & workforceCareers & education
    9 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 36m

    The Shared Responsibility of Upskilling the Workforce w/ Bill Berrien

    Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindal Global Precision and Liberty Precision Manufacturing, discusses upskilling the existing manufacturing workforce as a solution to labor shortages, drawing parallels between his Navy SEAL background and modern shop floor operations. He argues against the fallacy that education ends in the first 25 years of life, advocating for industry-led, continuous professional development modeled after the military's NCO corps structure. Berrien highlights specific success stories at his Wisconsin facility, such as material handlers becoming CNC operators, and proposes a 'shared economy' model for training to increase scalability.

    Hiring & workforceLeadership, teams & culture
    8 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 38m

    Forwardskilling: Technical Training for the Existing Workforce w/ Bill Berrien

    Bill Berrien, Owner and CEO of Pindel Global Precision and Liberty Precision Manufacturing, explains his 'Forwardskilling' initiative, a mid-career apprenticeship model designed to upskill existing manufacturing workers. He details how his company applied a 'sharing economy' approach to technical training, partnering with Milwaukee Area Technical College to create a CNC Swiss production machinist pilot program. Berrien highlights the operational lessons learned from shifting class schedules to accommodate shift workers and the financial impact of doubling or tripling employee wages through these new high-skill roles.

    Hiring & workforceScaling production
    7 chapters

  • OnTrack · 33m

    The Critical Shift: Bridging the Generational Gap in PCB Design

    Cory Blaylock, Director of Workforce Partnerships at IPC, discusses the critical generational gap in the electronics manufacturing industry caused by the retirement of experienced workers who gained their skills before manufacturing moved offshore. He details IPC's new Department of Labor-approved national apprenticeship program, designed to provide a standardized 'plug-and-play' model for employers to upskill workers and attract new talent through high school and community college partnerships. Blaylock highlights the shift in perception of manufacturing from 'dirty jobs' to high-tech STEM careers and explains how stackable apprenticeships can lead to engineering roles or frontline leadership.

    Hiring & workforceCareers & education
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Manufacturing Happy Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.