Shows
IEN RadioLISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: Young Workers Want More Skills, Not More TitlesWelcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast where I talk to 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 23-year-old Roman Andrew, an applications engineer at Fristam Pumps USA. Andrew spent nearly two years interning at Fristam Pumps while in college, gaining experience in design engineering and quality assurance. During that time, he worked on pump assemblies and part design, collaborated with machinists on the shop floor and performed gauge calibrations a...
2025-11-2514 min
IEN RadioGen Z in Manufacturing: How Gen Z Decides Between University and Trade SchoolWelcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast where I interview 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 Kyle Walter, a 24-year-old analyst at Deloitte.Walter graduated from Wichita State University, where he studied mechanical engineering and worked at Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita, which is located on the university’s Innovation Campus. Walter became a student team lead at The Factory and was eventually hired by Deloitte full-time. His...
2025-10-2820 min
IEN RadioLISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: Creating a Startup Model Inside Large CorporationsFor this episode, I welcome Marco Ristano, a 28-year-old senior industrial engineering and planning specialist at machinery manufacturer Caracol.Ristano joined Caracol after a contact in the investment sector recommended the company. After nearly four years with the company, his duties include collecting and analyzing data, interaction with a range of teams, troubleshooting analysis and digitalization and management of internal information flows.Ristano hopes to grow into a strategic role where he not only analyzes data and suggests operational improvements, but also contributes to high-level strategic decision-making. In this episode, Ristano discusses:H...
2025-09-3017 min
IEN RadioGen Z in Manufacturing: The Best Age to Make First Contact with Prospective WorkersWelcome 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 Hannah Dannecker, a 26-year-old managing partner at Better Together Group, a collection of companies that focus on supplying support and tools to staffing companies. Additionally, Dannecker serves as a board member for the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada.In this episode, Dannecker discusses:A fact about Gen Z that always surprises older ge...
2025-08-2719 min
IEN RadioLISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: How to Hire Outside the Traditional Talent PoolWelcome 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 Maggie Blaney, a 26-year-old solutions engineer at Epicor.In this episode, Blaney discusses:Why her early interest in manufacturing didn’t immediately translate into pursuing a career (1:01)How to promote growth within a company (6:21)Which parts of a shop floor attract Gen Z (10:59)How Gen Z expects a company to use technology (12:57)Pl...
2025-07-2916 min
IEN RadioLISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: Doing a 9-to-5 Wouldn’t Be IdealWelcome 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 Thomas Lesueur, a 26-year-old student pursuing a Ph.D. in microelectronics at the University of Sherbrooke in Canada, in partnership with IBM. Lesueur said he first became interested in manufacturing during a one-week internship with a company that specialized in composite materials, where his father worked as an R&D director. His education includes a...
2025-06-2419 min
IEN RadioGen Z in Manufacturing: Legacy Thinking Is Killing Your Gen Z HiringFor this episode, I welcome Ethan Schaefer, a 21-year-old student at Purdue University participating in a co-op with Fluke Reliability. Schaefer said his interest in engineering dates back to middle school, which led to him pursuing a degree in electrical engineering at Purdue.In this episode, Schaefer discusses:How a company can improve its “vibe” (2:54)How to build a workplace where asking questions feels like a strength instead of a weakness (6:32)How young people view factory work (10:31)Why small manufacturers appeal to Gen Z and what those companies can do to capitalize (15:48)Saying, “That’s the way we’v...
2025-05-2820 min
IEN RadioLISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: The Secret Weapon for Finding Talenttraining for students seeking careers in various skilled trades. Her passion for motorsport led her to a UTI division called NASCAR Technical Institute.Ahmed’s other professional experience includes working as a CNC and CNC Swiss lead operator at Victory 1 Performance and Trend Performance, which are owned by racing parts maker Race Winning Brands.Ahmed also hosts NextGenMFG, a podcast that features guests working in skilled trades and pursuing education in STEM fields. The podcast aims to elevate careers, teach younger audiences and their families about trades and inform business owners and employers about what th...
2025-03-2620 min
IEN RadioGen 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...
2025-01-2819 min
The Manufacturing EmployerGen Z in the workforce, with Nolan Beilstein of "Gen Z in Manufacturing"Nolan Beilstein, host of the "Gen Z in Manufacturing" podcast series, joins The Manufacturing Employer to talk about the newest generation to enter the workforce.
2024-12-2427 min
IEN RadioGen Z in Manufacturing: If They Don't See a Future, They'll LeaveWelcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast where I interview 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 Erin Sorensen, a 27-year-old director of the Innovation Hub, or iHub, at Northeast Community College in Nebraska. Sorensen’s professional experience includes time with Kawasaki and working in food manufacturing before transitioning to her current position, where she looks to promote innovation and manufacturing careers and provide skilled training through partnerships with existing bus...
2024-09-2420 min
IEN RadioGen Z in Manufacturing: I Make Less Than My Old Job and I’m a Million Times HappierWelcome 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 Aleigha Schulke, a 27-year-old applications engineer for ANCA CNC Machines.Schulke’s interest in manufacturing began in high school when a paperwork mixup enrolled her in metal machining classes at a technical education center. Schulke previously worked for an aerospace and defense company that used ANCA cutter grinders and admitted to only briefly knowing ab...
2024-08-2719 min
IEN RadioGen Z in Manufacturing: How to Sell Welding to Gen ZWelcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast where I interview 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 Danea Buschkoetter, a 27-year-old lead welding instructor at Cloud County Community College.In this episode, Buschkoetter discusses:How universities and trade schools shape Gen Z (1:19)Transitioning from the field to the classroom (2:48)How to sell welding to Gen Z (4:58)Misconceptions Gen Z has about welding and manufacturing (6:22)Can Gen Z handle long...
2024-04-2620 min
IEN RadioGen Z in Manufacturing: Gen Z Wants More Responsibility, Sense of PurposeWelcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast where I interview young workers about their jobs in the manufacturing industry and what they look for from an employer.For this episode, I welcome Davis Latham, a 24-year-old vice president of operations at CADmore, a design and engineering company that helps customers with a range of services related to manufacturing and product development.Latham was not specifically looking to work in the design and engineering field after graduating college. However, he ended up working for nearly three years at ZVerse, a developer of...
2023-12-0714 min
IEN RadioGen Z in Manufacturing: Employers Should Put Emphasis on 'We Will Train You'Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast series in which I interview young workers about their jobs in the manufacturing industry and what they look for from an employer.For this installment, I welcome Tomas Guillen, a 25-year-old controls engineer at Patti Engineering, a company that integrates automation, robotic and digitalization technologies in industrial facilities.Guillen began his time at Patti as an intern and became a full-time employee in June 2022. After more than three years with Patti, his duties have grown to handling his own projects, where he is choosing...
2023-10-1715 min
Star Local Media Podcast NetworkEpisode 243: High School Football Week 7 PreviewStar Local Media previews a few of the week's marquee high school football games, including our reader-voted Game of the Week: Marcus vs. Coppell. Matt Welch, Devin Hasson, David Wolman and Nolan Beilstein break down Friday's District 6-6A showdown at Buddy Echols Field between the Cowboys and Marauders, followed by previews and predictions for Frisco Liberty vs. Frisco Lebanon Trail (22:20), Lewisville vs. Flower Mound (25:40), Frisco Independence vs. Frisco Wakeland (30:28) and Mesquite vs. Mesquite Horn (34:55), followed by quick picks for other key games in the area and coverage plans for the week. Support the show
2020-11-0545 minStar Local Media Podcast NetworkEpisode 242: High School Football Week 6 in ReviewAs high school football's regular season passes the midpoint, Star Local Media takes a look back at a week filled with wild finishes and high-stakes matchups.Matt Welch, David Wolman and Nolan Beilstein discuss Rowlett's big win over longtime Garland ISD powerhouse Sachse (1:05), followed by a look around 6-6A and big wins for Lewisville, Coppell and Marcus (7:55), Frisco's defense continuing to impress (22:53), and what to make of a pair of heartbreaking losses for John Paul II and Prosper (28:00). Support the show
2020-11-0238 min