Working With Your Hands and Mind 

Precision metal manufacturing is a growing field in Minnesota, with plenty of job openings expected in the coming years. Machine operator Altheha DrePaul talks about her job and why she values a career in manufacturing.

DrePaul was laid off from her job as a home health aide after coming to the United States from Guyana, South America. She had no transferable skills and her certificates were not applicable in the United States. “I had to make the decision to start from the ground up—to start all over again,” DrePaul said. 

DrePaul’s niece introduced her to M-Powered – a FastTRAC training program offered through Hennepin Technical College – and to HIRED, a workforce development organization. M-Powered prepared her for the manufacturing industry by teaching her basic skills such as blueprint reading, English and math. The program takes two to three months to complete. 

One assignment from this program stood out to DrePaul. She had to pick three companies to research and decide which one she really loved and thought would fit her best. E.J. Ajax & Sons Inc., a metal-stamping manufacturer in Fridley, caught her attention. 

“E.J. Ajax stood out to me because of their safety culture. I really wanted to work there,” DrePaul said. “So, when I had the opportunity to interview Erick Ajax at a reverse job fair, that was my moment to prove myself and shine and to show that I’m an individual who really wants this. I started off on the floor as a machine operator. I had to start from scratch—how to operate the machines and even how to read the travelers.” 

When asked what makes her job rewarding, DrePaul replied, “I have a voice. My colleagues listen. You can come to work and work with your hands and your mind. If you come up with an idea and share that idea, your colleagues are willing to listen and try it out. It plays an important role to know that you are welcomed and of value to the company you work for.” 

Learn more about precision manufacturing. 

Northwest Region Manufacturing Infographic

Select the infographic below for a larger image. 

Rural Renewal Good For Manufacturers 

Much has been made of the “brain drain” that results as young people ages 15 to 29 leave rural communities everywhere to seek out education, careers and lives in cities. 

While the youth exodus is troubling and deserves our attention, what is too often overlooked in all of the hand-wringing is the influx of workers ages 30 to 49 who are coming back to rural communities all over Minnesota - and what a boon that is to manufacturers. 

From the standpoint of workforce experience, stability and productivity, this "rural renewal" as it's been called presents tremendous opportunities for manufacturers in Northwest Minnesota.

Manufacturers (and most other industries) in the region should be elated to learn about this rural renewal trend, if it isn’t already apparent to them. The manufacturing industry has added almost 3,000 jobs since 2010, with many of the workers being plucked from the 25- to 44-year-old age groups. Industry subsectors with the most new hires among these ages were fabricated metal products, wood products, food and transportation equipment.

Interestingly, most of the middle-aged workers moving to the Northwest are drawn to the region by the quality of life, not the quantity of jobs. Still, most of them need good jobs, and manufacturers have been more than happy to provide.

Learn more about manufacturing in Northwest Minnesota here. 

Today's Manufacturing Video:
Spotlight on BTD Manufacturing 

Employees from BTD talk about their company and their industry. 

Select the image above to view the video.

DEED Launches New Manufacturing Microsite for Job Seekers

DEED and its partners have launched a new microsite to help job seekers looking for manufacturing jobs. This microsite is mobile-enabled and search engine optimized and have social media-sharing capabilities. Job seekers can email job openings, tweet them, share them in LinkedIn and more.

To find job openings for manufacturing positions, visit mn-manufacturing.jobs, which will allow you to quickly and easily search for these vacancies. Seek jobs in the industry by keywords, job title and city.  

Now is a great time to find out more about the industry since it’s Minnesota Manufacturers Week. Dream It. Do It. will hold a Statewide Tour of Manufacturing from Oct. 23 to 25 where companies will conduct facility tours and show why their employees enjoy working in the industry. DEED’s website also has interactive web pages where you can learn more about this industry. Or visit a DEED Developments blog post about careers in manufacturing.