Gen Z in Manufacturing: It’s Time to Redefine What It Means to Be ‘Qualified’

Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer.This episode welcomes 22-year-old Oscar Ramirez, a quality control microbiology technician at life sciences company MilliporeSigma.Ramirez was introduced to the pharma industry as a senior in high school when he enrolled in BIO+, a dual-enrollment course provided by Kansas City Kansas Community College. After graduating high school, Ramirez decided to pursue a career in the biomanufacturing field and earned his first job as a Dry Powder Media Formulator at MilliporeSigma.Ramirez was later promoted to a quality control microbiology technician, where he currently completes auxiliary functions and assists scientists with various work, including preparation, laboratory cleaning and biohazard removal.The pros and cons of dual-enrollment courses (1:19)How Gen Z looks for a job (4:40)Challenging the biomanufacturing industry’s definition of “qualified” (7:48)How to help Gen Z workers gain more skillsets (10:01)Supporting workers who are also attending school (12:56)How companies can reach talent in low-income areas (15:27)What employers need to know about Gen Z’s priorities (17:12)Please make sure to like and share this episode. To view previous episodes, visit Manufacturing.net. If you are a member of Gen Z and would like to discuss your experience in the manufacturing industry, please contact Nolan Beilstein at [email protected].