One of the laments we hear quite frequently in the manufacturing sector is the lack of skilled employees available in the hiring pool. In the age of high-definition video games, social networking, and phones that have more capability than your five-year-old laptop, it's no wonder that manufacturing looks a little boring to today’s youth. To quote '60s counterculture psychologist Timothy Leary, today’s youth literally “turn on, tune in, and drop out.”

It’s not really their fault. For too long, we—parents, schools, and industry—have done a pretty poor job of showing our youth the importance of manufacturing. And not just the importance, but the wide array of technology that comes into play. Manufacturing can be intersting, challenging, and fun. No longer is it just about spinning lug nuts onto a wheel at the end of an assembly line. Today’s modern manufacturing plants use technology that would amaze even the most tech'd-out seventh grader… if only they knew about it.

One company has taken on this educational challenge. Advanced Technology Services actively works with the schools and communities in which they are located to help students explore manufacturing career options for their future.

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