GE Careers Blog.

A new report commissioned by MIT finds that new forms of collaboration and risk sharing can allow firms at every end of the spectrum to grow. Called “Production in the Innovation Economy”, the report, edited by Richard M. Locke and Rachel Wellhausen, asserts that manufacturing should not be perceived as a shrinking traditional sector and industries, but can rather embrace new technologies and new collaborations to evolve and grow.

At the event, GE’s CEO, Jeff Immelt, exclaimed the pressing need to change this archaic perception of factory work among young students. Parents, teachers, and guidance councilors alike had to be on-board too. Results from a recent survey showed that only 3 out of 10 parents supported a manufacturing career for their children. Without greater parental support, the hurdle to attract students to a STEM career path (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) would become insurmountable, especially among the emerging, young Latino population who tend to be family centric. Alcoa’s VP of Human Resources, Natalie Shilling, noted that children’s long-term interests in STEM subjects tend to drop off significantly during the 6th grade level. In response Alcoa has partnered with local schools to sponsor science fairs and family factory visits but expressed concern that their ‘grassroots’ efforts may be insufficient. Like GE, they also see the urgent need for a formalized regulatory framework backed by sound government policies.

The president of the Jones County economic development authority recounts the collaboration behind establishing a technology park that brought jobs and innovation to the community: ““Build it and they will come” was the mantra when Jones County, Mississippi purchased just over 500 acres of land in Ellisville, MS on which was constructed Howard Technology Park, that eventually led to a momentous July 2011 announcement by GE Aviation CEO David Joyce.”

New GE #Aviation Plant Will Use #Lasers to Build #Jet #Engines

Workers at a brand new GE Aviation plant in Auburn, Alabama will be using lasers to drill tiny cooling holes in super-alloy blades for jet engines. “This is one of the most critical and sophisticated components in our jet engines,” says David Joyce, GE Aviation CEO. “We consider them a work of art.”

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has partnered with Intel and GE to change the status quo through a targeted set of grants whose projects take creative approaches in engaging and retaining undergraduates in engineering and computer science. Both fields are dynamic, encompassing areas of focus that didn’t even exist a couple of decades ago–from green energy and advanced robotics to cybersecurity. Engineering and computer science also offer good careers with salaries that can make a life-changing difference, especially to first-generation college students and their families.