Building the Manufacturing Mind: Turning Curiosity Into Careers

This article appeared in 2025 MMA Workforce Solutions Summit event program. Learn more about MMA events.

Manufacturing today faces a challenge bigger than technology or supply chains — it’s about people. The future depends on how well we cultivate the mindsets of young learners who may one day become our technicians, trades workers and innovators.

Consider two different kinds of experiences a child might have. One child builds something out of Legos, and her parents kneel down to ask questions, encourage her thinking and let her explain her design. Another child does the same but gets a quick “that’s nice” before the adults go back to their phones. Both children are curious but only one receives the reinforcement that curiosity matters.

As these children grow, the gap widens. The first child is encouraged to fix her own bike chain, to take things apart and learn how they work, and to explore hands-on projects even if they get messy. Her parents value making, tinkering and grit. The second child is shielded from risks, steered toward structured sports and purely theoretical learning in the classroom, and told that breaking something out of curiosity is a problem rather than a learning moment.

Fast forward to high school. In one district, students discover Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs like mechatronics or welding, alongside college-prep academics. They get hands- on labs, exposure to local manufacturers and even after-school jobs that tie directly to what they are learning in class. With mentorship and a structured apprenticeship, these students gain skills and confidence. In another district, the only marker of success is enrollment in a four-year university. Students who learn best by doing feel out of place, struggle with grades and miss the chance to see their curiosity transformed into a career.

The lesson is clear: experiences shape minds. Neuroscience tells us that our brains are physically shaped by what we do and repeat. When young people are given chances to explore, tinker, and connect learning with real-world applications, their “manufacturing minds” develop. When those opportunities are absent, many drift into unstable work, cycle through jobs with no structured growth, and never realize their potential.

Building an Ecosystem for Talent

Creating the Manufacturing Mind isn’t the job of one group alone — it requires a coordinated ecosystem.

• Parents play the first role: encouraging curiosity, making time for projects and teaching resilience when things don’t work out the first time.
• Schools need to bring industry connections into classrooms, provide hands-on learning and support CTE as vigorously as college prep.
• Businesses must design structured career paths, offer mentorship, and replace “sink-or-swim” jobs with deliberate training.
• Government can expand CTE funding, support registered apprenticeships, incentivize employer- education partnerships and reduce barriers to training.

The contrast between children who are supported in curiosity and those who are not is stark. One pathway leads to thriving careers, home ownership and leadership in advanced manufacturing. The other too often leads to frustration, stalled jobs and lost potential.

The question before us is simple: will our culture produce more young people ready to thrive in manufacturing — or more left behind because no one helped build their Manufacturing Mind?

About the Author

Ryan Pohl is the founder of Praeco Skills LLC. He may be reached at ryan@praecoskills.com.

Ryan Pohl was a speaker at the 2025 MMA Workforce Solutions Summit. Learn more about MMA events.

Praeco Skills LLC is an MMA Basic Associate Member and has been an MMA member company since May 2023.