Most of us do not wake up thinking about manufacturing. We wake up and slide our feet into something warm, maybe fluffy. We turn on a tap. We make coffee, pack lunch, drive to work, sit at a desk, open a laptop, use a pen, send a parcel, walk past a building, eat food prepared by equipment we have never noticed, let alone considered. We move through a day made possible by people who know how to design, make, assemble, maintain, improve and problem-solve.

Manufacturing is a quiet part of everyday life. It is in the materials around us, the products we rely on, the infrastructure that supports us, and the businesses that help keep local economies moving.

That is why the future of manufacturing matters. Not just to manufacturers, but to all of us.

Last month, Priority One General Manager Greg Simmonds and Instep Manager Michelle Clarke along with Dan Taylor, Head of Pathways and Partnerships at Toi Ohomai and a group of students joined local manufacturing businesses on a visit to Waikato manufacturers involved in the Earn as You Learn manufacturing pathways programme. The visit included APL Manufacturing, Longveld and Hansa Products, and offered a practical look at how a paid, structured pathway into manufacturing can work.

The model is refreshingly simple. School leavers enter the programme, complete three 10-week paid rotations across different manufacturing businesses, and work towards a Level 3 Manufacturing qualification. They earn while they learn, gain experience in real workplaces, and get the chance to discover what they enjoy, what they are good at, and where they might want to go next.

For young people, that matters. It is one thing to be told a career exists. It is another thing entirely to step inside a business, put on the vest, meet the team, learn the rhythm of the work and realise there is a place for you in it.

For businesses, it also makes sense. The programme gives employers the opportunity to meet and support future talent, while contributing to a stronger, more sustainable manufacturing workforce. It turns the idea of talent development from something businesses hope will happen into something they can actively help build.

That connection sits at the heart of Priority One’s People and Investment pillars.

People, because a thriving regional economy depends on clear, visible pathways for local rangatahi and school leavers. We need more young people to see manufacturing not as a fallback option, but as a smart, varied and future-focused career choice. One that can involve technology, design, engineering, logistics, leadership, problem-solving and creativity.

Investment, because workforce development is investment. When businesses commit time, energy and practical support into growing local talent, they are also investing in the long-term capability of the region. They are helping build the pipeline they need, while strengthening the wider sector around them.

The visit marks the next stage in the manufacturing experience visits Priority One began last year with local secondary schools. The next step is to reconnect the Bay of Plenty manufacturing sector to support a similar programme here. Because when we talk about the future of manufacturing, we are not just talking about machines, materials or production lines.

We are talking about the people who will make the things we use every day. The businesses willing to help them learn. And the kind of region we build when pathways, skills and industry need are brought together with intention.

If you would like more information or are a business wanting to get involved, reach out to michelle@priorityone.co.nz