Manufacturing jobs are hot, but the kids say they’re cool

Lynn Michelangelo

Oct 13, 2026

When more than 120 high school juniors and seniors from 14 area districts arrived at Mill 19 on a recent Friday morning, they were greeted by an impressive group of employers, educational institutions, and community organizations who were eager to introduce themselves to students who would soon be entering colleges, training programs, and the workforce.

As attendees at the Manufacturing Day event, they were invited to learn about careers and job opportunities in manufacturing. Those who imagined manufacturing meant manual labor in dirty dangerous factories gained an entirely new understanding of what modern manufacturing jobs looked like and could mean for their future.

  • A woman holding a 3d printed skull with other printed parts on a table in front of her
    Liza Allison from CMU’s Next Manufacturing Center showed students the many cool things that can be made with additive manufacturing.
  • Students watching a demo in a lab
    Ian Machlachlan, who runs the Mill 19 machine shop, demonstrated how a CNC machine works.
  • Three students playing ping pong
    Ryan Bates, manager of the MFI Learning Lab and Experience Center, built a Ping Pong robot that showed students the adaptability of commercial devices like the robot’s end defector.
  • Students walking through the expo area
    Students got to meet with representatives from 12 local manufacturing companies.
  • Two female students in a lab chatting
    Representatives from the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute demonstrated manufacturing robots in action.
  • A man demonstrating 3d printing on a computer screen
    Representatives from Motional demonstrated technology used in their driverless vehicles.

    • Many of them spent time with Ian Maclachlan, the Manufacturing Futures Institute’s (MFI) advanced manufacturing technician who runs the machine shop at Mill 19. He was on hand to show the students the Computer Numerical Control, or CNC, machine and tell them how they could get into jobs using it.

    A CNC is a computer-controlled machine that turns a digital CAD design into a physical part by automatically cutting, shaping, drilling, and finishing metal and other materials. The Haas CNC machine at Mill 19 can move along five axes to produce complex, highly precise parts repeatedly and efficiently.

    “You’re fire, dude,” was one of many enthusiastic responses to Maclachlan’s demonstrations.

    But the subtractive manufacturing method was not the only process on display. At the other end of the long first-floor hallway, Liza Allison was showing what could be done with 3D printing. Allison is the program manager for the Next Manufacturing Cener, CMU’s additive manufacturing research center.

    Even though additive manufacturing is used by engineers and computer scientists, Allison explained that college degrees are not required for all jobs in the field. The industry relies heavily on skilled technicians and machine operators to maintain and run 3D printing equipment.

    Showing them printed parts was definitely a highlight of the day because I too think additive manufacturing is incredibly cool!

    Liza Allison, Program Manager, Next Manufacturing Center

    The real-world samples she showed impressed the students the most, which wasn’t surprising to Allison who said, “Showing them printed parts was definitely a highlight of the day because I too think additive manufacturing is incredibly cool!”

    The event, which was presented by the MFI, Catalyst Connection, and the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, was followed by a job fair where job seekers were invited to meet some of the many exhibitors who had spent the morning with the high school students. Learn more about the participating organizations listed below.

    MFG Day @ Mill 19 2026 participants: