Many manufacturers are questioning how to attract Gen Z talent as the industry faces labor shortages and a skills gap. In this Q&A, Emily Orwaru, an enterprise technology and performance consultant at Deloitte, describes how in-person interactions and authentic storytelling can captivate the younger workforce.
Orwaru works as a leading consultant within Deloitte’s Smart Manufacturing practice and played an integral role in the launch of Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita, a smart manufacturing experience center.
Orwaru’s global experience includes an aerospace engineering degree in Russia, professional roles in Kenya and, now, her current role with Deloitte in Kansas.
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Nolan Beilstein (NB): Throughout your global travels, what was the best example you saw of a manufacturing company attracting a young workforce?
Emily Orwaru (EO): In-person interactions with companies tend to be the most effective, in my experience. I was fortunate to have an opportunity to work for a manufacturer as an intern, which allowed me to explore the possibilities of utilizing my skills and ultimately become more interested in a career in the sector.
For most people, especially younger people, a career in manufacturing doesn’t sound very attractive, given that many view the field as gritty and involving hard labor versus the reality of working in manufacturing today, which is more about engineering and utilizing advanced technologies.
I have also found that manufacturing companies are able to meet and energize students and recent graduates by authentically sharing personal stories about their career paths and personal journeys in the field.
Finally, reaching out to students, especially those who have gaps in access to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programming is vitally important in developing the workforce of the future. There is a big opportunity to build interest in the sector at an early age.
Deloitte has a program called Smart Factory Believers which aims to provide children and teachers at schools in underserved communities with access to robust STEM curriculum and technology to drive interest in STEM careers particularly those in manufacturing. As part of this program, The Smart Factory manufactures robotic toys for learning on their assembly line and ships them to schools in the U.S.
NB: What inspired your switch from aerospace engineering to smart manufacturing?
EO: Even though my childhood fascination with aircraft led me to a degree in aerospace engineering, I chose to pursue a graduate degree in industrial manufacturing engineering at Wichita State University to diversify and expand my career growth opportunities. Part of this was because I found that aerospace engineering had become a bit too routine for me.
I felt industrial manufacturing would open new doors for employment opportunities and give me a competitive edge as I saw the significance of technology and manufacturing in today’s global marketplace.
While at Wichita State, I was a part of the University’s applied learning program, which pairs students with technology companies on the school’s Innovation Campus. I landed with Deloitte, which at the time, was working on building its new immersive smart manufacturing experience center on WSU’s Innovation Campus and became very involved with the project, which led to me contributing to the development and creation of The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita.
As a system integration lead on the architecture team, I helped launch the facility in 2022, an experience that helped me solidify my interest in the field.
NB: How does smart manufacturing align with Gen Z’s interests and how can employers use it as a selling point to young people?
EO: There are several selling points that come to mind:
- Versatility: Smart manufacturing careers are flexible enough for Gen Z to transition from one role to another.
- Flexibility: The potential to work in a field that supports hybrid working systems which enables a working-away-from-the-office model.
- Tech-enablement: Most Gen Z’s are tech-savvy and have a passion for advancement in technology. Smart manufacturing embraces automation, AI, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), cloud-based business models, big data analytics and cybersecurity.
- Sustainability: As customers drive the need for more sustainable products with a high percentage of clients willing to pay a premium for more net-zero emission products, manufacturing is going clean, green and smart.
- Purpose-driven work: More young people, especially Gen Z, prefer to work for organizations where they feel their purpose is aligned with the brand. Organizations should align their company’s initiatives to a purpose that is relevant and impactful to their mission to connect with Gen Z and future consumers.
NB: How can manufacturers use storytelling to maintain Gen Z’s interest and help them connect with a potential career at a company?
EO: In my opinion, there is no right way or wrong way to do this. The world is very connected, and many businesses are global. Manufacturers should use the tools that enable a global connection and provide a wider reach to meet the most talented young people where they are. Here are a few examples of how I believe that can be achieved:
- Influencers: Like traditional marketing and branding, manufacturers should use more Gen Zs and young people already in the industry to help influence the talent that they would like to attract. Role models are extremely important, especially for women in STEM fields.
- Social media campaigns: Many non-manufacturing organizations embrace social media marketing more than manufacturing companies do. Manufacturers need to find Gen Z where they already engage with content, and those places tend to be non-traditional channels.
- Podcasts: Podcasts are a great way for manufacturers to tell their stories to the world and young talent since they are far-reaching and very popular among younger generations.
- Seminars and colloquiums: Manufacturers should develop more seminars and conferences targeted at attracting young talent and use them as a platform to showcase their employees’ manufacturing journeys and what it is like to work in the industry.
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