Building Hope in the 'Hollers: It's Morning in American Manufacturing
Jerrod Adams is a chef-turned-machinist from Kentucky. In this post, he shares his inspirational career path, credits a unique program that gave him hope, and calls for young Americans to join him.
A guest post from William “Jerrod” Adams
The International Manufacturing Technology Show
Or “IMTS” as it is commonly known, was held in Chicago last week. It is the mecca of manufacturing, with nearly 90,000 attendees, and it is a sight to behold. Vendors from around the world gather to showcase their newest products and technological advancements in the industry. For someone like myself, it was overwhelming to say the least. Displays showcasing machining, additive manufacturing, robotics, automation, work holding, tooling, metrology, software, and systems integration were abundant. Vendors from across the globe come together with the goal of showing the world manufacturing technology is rapidly growing toward a digital age with the integration of software and machine.
My journey from a chef’s kitchen to Lockheed Martin
I am a former student of the eKentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute in Paintsville, Kentucky. This state-of-the-art training facility is a Haas Technical Education Center. Kathy Walker is the CEO and Founder of eKAMI. A former coal executive who has spent a lifetime dedicated to this small town community, she is a believer in the underdog. She represents motivated, hardworking people that just needed a chance at a better life. A new direction, a new goal to strive for.
Five years ago, I was working as a chef in Lexington who was extremely over-worked and under-paid. To be frank, my life was miserable. There was no work-life balance, living paycheck to paycheck, and struggling to see a future where I could be successful. Kathy took a chance on me. To say my life has changed for the better is an understatement. In 5 months, I went from being a chef to highly skilled CNC machinist who arrived on the job fully equipped to setup and run CNC machine tools. Employers have been blown away by being able to hire eKAMI graduates that can begin work without the need to be trained from the ground up. And there are many more where I come from.
The East Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute
Eastern Kentucky has been a staple in the coal industry for some time. The coal industry has been in a steep decline for years and it has left a large portion of the workforce in its wake. Miners are highly skilled, mechanically inclined individuals that have been pushed aside by a dying industry. That is where Kathy Walker stepped in. She recognized the strain the lack of jobs was putting on the area and knows that we are people who are skilled and proud to be hardworking individuals. The coal industry provided jobs for a large portion of the area and many of these workers began in the mines at a young age. With this comes the fact that as far as work goes, this is what Eastern Kentuckian’s know how to do. The coal industry is dying, so now what?
Kathy looked to the future and understood that there is a critical shortage of highly skilled men and women. She has spent years establishing a training facility that would allow these men and women to learn a new trade, which is essential to the future of U.S. manufacturing. The training immerses students in an intensive, fast paced learning environment. The white glove, lab-like facility boasts a learning environment like none I have seen. This facility is at the forefront of technology and students are given every resource in order to make them successful. eKAMI emerged as a program to train the workforce of the future in CNC Machining with CAD/CAM certifications in MasterCAM. What began as a 4 month CNC machining program, has now been extended to 5 months to add robotics for unmanned machining and autonomous mobile robots. Students now have training with the setup, programming, and operation of Yaskawa and Universal Robots, AutoGuide AMR’s, and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR).
American Manufacturing needs people, people, people!
All of this leads me back to IMTS. Thanks to Matt Blodgett, Founder and General Partner of Praxis, I was able to attend this event and get an in depth perspective of what the U.S. manufacturing industry needs. It needs people! Everyone in the industry I spoke with last week faces similar challenges. Where do we find the workforce to implement, grow, and maintain the future technology in manufacturing? Places like eKAMI that train students in the trades that are in demand now. Highly skilled, and highly specified training that will support the future of the industry.
Build a hopeful future with a career in American manufacturing
In my opinion, the younger, up-an-coming generation should be the target for growth. This is not your Father and Grandfather’s industry. Today’s businesses are technology driven, and your imagination is the only limitation. The possibilities are endless. Today’s middle and high school students need exposure to the new way of manufacturing. We as a community need to get the word out. We need the future workforce to know that you can establish a very successful, exciting, and never-ending learning experience. What if they knew they could be equipped for an interesting, well-paying career by dedicating 5 months of their life to intensive learning in advanced manufacturing?
This is definitely a fascinating topic, that requires serious conversations.
I have consulted with many North American Manufacturers and interacted with hundreds of their employees, developing deep relationships with many. I agree that the upcoming generation needs to consider this career track with an entrepreneurial mindset.