Shaping the Future: Thriving as Young Professionals in Manufacturing
When people think of manufacturing companies, they often associate the workforce with welders, fabricators, machinists, and other skilled labor positions. Although that is true, we usually do not make the connection between manufacturing facilities and young business professionals. Manufacturing is back within the Northeast region of the United States, providing jobs for countless families that reside in small, rural towns in “the middle of nowhere” USA. Let us be the first to tell you, the manufacturing industry is the perfect opportunity for young business professionals to step in and make an immediate impact. We cannot speak for all companies, but here at MCS; we do not look at interns as anything less than employees. From day one, our interns will be responsible for shepherding projects, spearheading process improvement strategies, and be actively involved around the shop.
We currently have three college interns on staff at Mission Critical Solutions. Two students from The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and one student from Saint Francis University.
Meet Jakob
Rising UPJ Mechanical Engineering major, Jakob Felton is a Richland, PA native who is currently interning with MCS in our engineering department. Jakob feels that the hands-on experience that he is gaining at MCS will help him stand out in the classroom.
“I’m currently helping detail assemblies using the Inventor software, that’s something you really don’t get in school,” says Felton.
When asked if MCS internships is something Jakob would recommend to his friends, he provided an interesting answer; “I love it, it’s been an amazing opportunity. I would only recommend this position to students who want to be hands on, willing to learn every day, and enjoy challenges. You’ll be treated like an employee, not an intern.”
Meet Caiden
Secondly, we have UPJ student Caiden Mauzy on staff. The sophomore chemical engineer is spending his second summer interning as a laborer on our shop floor. Although Caiden isn’t actively working in the engineering department, he believes his opportunity to work on the shopfloor will help him in the future.
“Working on the shopfloor has been awesome, the best part about the whole experience is making connections with so many well respected tradesmen. The knowledge they share with me is invaluable and I’ll be able to reach back out to them if I need advice on how to handle different situations during my career,” said Mauzy.
Working on the shop floor is not easy. It is physically demanding and requires the ability to work well as a team. Mauzy believes his perception has changed since working on the floor.
“I have a great respect for what these guys do every day. It should help me gain credibility in the future. If I’m fortunate enough to be a manager one day, I’ll know how to treat workers because I’ve been in their shoes before.”
Meet Nick
Nick McGowan is double majoring in Marketing & Management with a minor in MIS at Saint Francis University. He is currently spending his second summer interning at MCS in the Business Development Department. Nick plans on attending Grad School for Supply Chain Management, post-graduation. Although he’s not sure exactly what school he wants to attend, he knows that his experience at MCS has prepared him for his future endeavors.
“Throughout my time at MCS, I have been fortunate to learn all ends of the business from the ground up,” McGowan says. “From starting as a shop laborer to now working in business development, I have been able to learn, see, and appreciate the entire manufacturing process. Along with that, I have also met and worked with some very great people during my time here. I would have to think that many people at my age have yet to encounter the experiences and knowledge that I have gained by working at MCS.”
Do you want to work at a premier metal manufacturing facility that treats each employee like family? View our current openings and apply today!