Planting Seeds for the Future: Why We Show Up for Seventh Graders

Two trainers, usually deep in the PLC lab, spent the day at Career Quest in Roanoke engaging with 3,000 seventh graders. Why? Because connecting with the next generation is vital for our industry.

This event shows us that if we build it, they will come—and they want to learn. The kids weren't just looking for a bingo stamp; they were genuinely curious. We saw over 1,400 plays on our manufacturing games!

The key takeaway from this experience is simple: Take the opportunity to teach.

It can be difficult to get students to an opportunity, so when your local community hosts an event like this, sign up. Don't get discouraged by those who say people don't want to work. Instead, be the one who goes out and shows them what's possible, especially at a young age. Most students start making career decisions before high school.

Whether it’s teaching process control despite a broken machine or just sparking an early interest, these efforts are a crucial long-term investment in our industry's future. Let's make the effort to engage and inspire. We'll check back in a decade to see how we did!