LISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: Apprenticeships Need to Do More Than Just Pay for School

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.For this episode, I welcome Chloe Doherty, a 22-year-old Industry 4.0 tech center engineer for machinery manufacturer Zoller Inc. Doherty’s interest in manufacturing started as a student in FIRST Robotics and PLTW, a nonprofit organization that develops STEM curriculum. Through FIRST Robotics, Doherty was introduced to a mechatronics CTE class where she studied many disciplines in manufacturing. She then discovered Zoller at a career fair and went on to earn a mechatronics apprenticeship. Doherty became a full-time Zoller employee in the spring of 2023 where she has been responsible for ensuring that the machines in the showroom are up to date and working properly, training new employees and customers, helping the technical support team with customer inquiries and doing live or online demonstrations.