9 reasons why employers need to hire candidates who are early in their manufacturing careers

There are important short- and long-term benefits for employers to hire students, recent graduates, and others early in their careers for manufacturing roles. We reached out to nine hiring experts to get their thoughts:

• Partner with Technical Schools for Talent Pipeline
• Engage Students Early in Academic Journey
• Host Skill-Based Competitions at Local Colleges
• Offer Internships and Facility Tours
• Highlight Modern Technology in Manufacturing
• Establish Registered Apprenticeship Programs
• Implement Practical Tests for Bulk Hiring
• Emphasize Job Security and Meaningful Impact
• Create Partnerships with Local Educational Institutions

Partner with Technical Schools for Talent Pipeline

One key recruiting strategy that I recommend is establishing collaborative partnerships with technical schools, vocational schools, and community colleges. These schools contain a wealth of talented early-stage professionals who are ready to join the workforce, but who may not know of numerous available paths in the manufacturing industry. Companies can build brand recognition by sponsoring school functions, offering internships, or launching apprenticeship programs. At Sumitec International Inc., we have greatly benefited from being active on campus and providing valuable hands-on training.

Moreover, we have implemented targeted digital outreach aimed at younger audiences. Strategic outreach on social media is also useful on Instagram, LinkedIn, and even TikTok. Our recruiting team produces safety, innovation, and career growth-focused short videos showcasing modern manufacturing to dispel the notion that manufacturing jobs are outdated. This boosts visibility and changes the perceptions of younger audiences, who in the past did not consider a career in manufacturing.

Lastly, we focus on internal recruitment and defined career pathways. Today’s entry-level employees seek more than just a position — they seek a career. By offering comprehensive, tiered training, mentorship, and advancement pathways, we foster increased loyalty and motivation. We actively map out a 3, 5, or even 10-year future for new hires. This future-oriented approach has greatly contributed to our ability to attract and retain high-potential talent at scale.

Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Sumitec Int’l Inc.

Engage Students Early in Academic Journey

One highly effective recruiting strategy for hiring dozens or even hundreds of early-career candidates into manufacturing jobs is to partner with local technical schools, community colleges, and high schools offering vocational programs. Here’s how this strategy works:

Why it works:

1. Talent pipeline access: These institutions have students actively training in relevant skills, such as machining, mechatronics, welding, and industrial maintenance.

2. Early engagement: You can build relationships with students before they graduate through internships, job shadowing, plant tours, and apprenticeships.

3. Skills alignment: Curricula can sometimes be customized or aligned with your company’s needs through advisory boards or input on curriculum development.

Implementation tips:

1. Sponsor on-campus events, such as career days and resume workshops.

2. Offer scholarships or tool/equipment stipends tied to job offers.

3. Establish co-op or pre-apprenticeship programs with guaranteed job placement.

4. Create a fast-track hiring program for graduates who meet skill and certification benchmarks.

Sakthivel Rasu, Design Engineer, Stanadyne LLC

Host Skill-Based Competitions at Local Colleges

One effective recruiting strategy for hiring large volumes of early-career candidates into manufacturing roles is to build long-term partnerships with local technical schools, community colleges, and trade programs — and to engage those institutions not only at the point of graduation but throughout a student’s academic journey.

Employers too often wait until the end of a student’s training before making contact, which puts them in a race with other companies. Instead, a more proactive and high-yield strategy is to begin outreach much earlier. This could involve sponsoring class projects, co-developing hands-on training modules aligned with your machinery or processes, or offering first-year apprenticeships. Creating brand awareness early ensures your company is top-of-mind when students approach graduation. More importantly, it signals long-term investment — something that resonates deeply with younger candidates who crave growth and purpose.

We’ve advised manufacturing clients to implement multi-tiered campus outreach, including guest lectures, plant tours, and simulation days that demystify what modern manufacturing looks like — especially important in changing the outdated perception that the industry is monotonous or unsafe. One client hosted a “Build Your Career Day” in partnership with a local polytechnic, allowing students to shadow machine operators, see robotics in action, and speak with team leads about progression opportunities. The result was a 68% increase in applications the following quarter and a notable uptick in retention among hires who had attended the event.

This strategy is supported by recent research from the Manufacturing Institute, which found that students exposed to manufacturing careers through hands-on experiences were over twice as likely to pursue those paths. Moreover, the National Association of Manufacturers reported that companies investing in “early pipeline development” saw up to 30% faster onboarding and stronger engagement in their entry-level workforce.

In conclusion, if employers want to scale early-career recruitment in manufacturing efficiently and meaningfully, they must go beyond job fairs and transactional outreach. The key is to embed your brand into the local talent ecosystem — educating, engaging, and inspiring candidates long before they enter the job market. That’s how loyalty and volume come together.

Miriam Groom, CEO, Mindful Career Counselling

Offer Internships and Facility Tours

When we needed to ramp up hiring for manufacturing roles, we took a more hands-on approach and started hosting skill-based competitions at community colleges and trade schools. Instead of waiting for resumes to arrive, we created real challenges that mirrored the kind of tasks our team handles daily.

These challenges included assembly tests, equipment troubleshooting, and quality control under pressure.

These competitions gave us a front-row seat to see who had the technical instincts, work ethic, and attention to detail needed on the production floor. Winners didn’t just receive recognition; we offered them internships or full-time roles right on the spot.

This approach provided us with a steady flow of early-career talent who had already proven themselves in action, and it gave students a direct path into a career without all the guesswork. This kind of connection between education and opportunity has been a win-win situation for both sides.

Lacey Jarvis, COO, AAA State of Play

Highlight Modern Technology in Manufacturing

Partnering with local trade schools, community colleges, and high school vocational programs is a great way to attract a pipeline of early career candidates for manufacturing jobs. Offering internships, tours of your facility, and branded training programs offers these early candidates glimpses into how you operate and what their future with your company might look like. Early career candidates, especially younger ones, value transparency and access to understand how the business operates, how their work meaningfully contributes to the business’s overall goals and mission. Therefore, developing your company’s overall mission and how their work helps accomplish that mission is critically important.

Jake Hyten, CEO, Superior Supplement Manufacturing

Establish Registered Apprenticeship Programs

To recruit early career candidates for manufacturing jobs, focus on changing the outdated view of the industry. Manufacturing remains low-tech and low-paying in the eyes of many young people, but you can show that the industry is innovative and high-tech by highlighting modern technology such as the use of robotics, 3D printing, and smart manufacturing.

Offering an apprenticeship and “earn as you learn” program is also another great strategy since these programs provide experience and a clear path to full-time work with a paycheck to candidates. This helps eliminate financial barriers that may limit youth from pursuing jobs in the manufacturing industry.

Kyle Sobko, CEO, SonderCare

Implement Practical Tests for Bulk Hiring

A key recruiting strategy for hiring a large number of candidates into manufacturing roles is to establish partnerships with local high schools, trade schools, and community colleges. We’ll work with school guidance counselors and career centers at local colleges to establish registered apprenticeships and earn-while-you-learn programs for students interested in pursuing careers in manufacturing. We find that these pipelines provide us with a consistent source of entry-level talent, because these students are well-vetted by experienced educators, have hands-on experience with machinery, require less on-the-job training, and are more likely to stay in the industry, which improves retention rates.

Lucie Voves, CEO & Founder, Church Hill Classics

Emphasize Job Security and Meaningful Impact

We did bulk hiring by eliminating the resumes at the initial stages of selection and instead gave small practical tests. We timed the applicants to perform a similar task to that of the actual job like counting inventory or matching product labels. It gave us a cold measure of skill, we did not even need to take a look at work history or writing proficiency.

Such modification doubled the number of candidates in a month. Most of those who did well originally would have been filtered out due to their backgrounds in a traditional system. Others included elderly people going back to work or fresh high school graduates. It has assisted us in identifying individuals who were capable of performing the job even though their resumes never got past an algorithm.

Maegan Damugo, Marketing Coordinator, MacPherson’s Medical Supply

Create Partnerships with Local Educational Institutions

When recruiting entry-level candidates to fill manufacturing positions, job security and the impact of their labor may be a powerful message. Manufacturing jobs tend to be recession-proof as they provide our basic needs such as medical equipment or renewable energy products.

Emphasizing the permanence of these positions and the role employees play in making important products will appeal to candidates who are looking for more than a paycheck. Real-life stories about workers who have contributed to the development of life-saving devices or green technology can help them feel that the job is worthwhile.

Employers who demonstrate that manufacturing can give them long-term employment and a real opportunity to make a positive impact will attract those who believe in stability as well as meaning.

John Beaver, Founder, Desky