American actor and humorist, Will Rogers (1879-1935) said, “A man only

learns in two ways, one by reading and the other by association with smarter people.” And so, the SME Education Foundation has polished up its award-winning Manufacturing is Cool website with the entertainment value of pop culture, and the integrity of highly respected resources by smart people, to introduce curious and creative young people to the exciting world of modern manufacturing and the high-paying careers it offers.

SME Education Foundation Director, Bart A. Aslin says, “People have forgotten that manufacturing is the backbone of the U.S. economy. Technological advancements have changed the face of manufacturing. Unfortunately, the perception of what manufacturing is has not. To counter that perception, we are working with major industry, associations and our partners, and fueling the content of the website to educate people about what today’s advanced manufacturing really involves and the myriad of exciting, high paying career opportunities that exist today.”

The Manufacturing is Cool website celebrates creative thinkers — students, parents and their teachers, who are willing to look at the world and our global community in a new way. Unlike many education-based sites, each of the items on the Manufacturing is Cool website drills down and expands information on a variety of required engineering disciplines — challenging the students to become more involved in the basic requirements of engineering programs, STEM education in math, science, engineering and technology.

There are also links offering personal career profiles by manufacturing professionals, science and technology-based resources for teachers, and videos outlining career opportunities produced by major manufacturers such as Briggs & Stratton, Caterpillar, Harley-Davidson, Kodak, Mazda, Northrup Grumman, Oshkosh, and others.

Interested in electronics? Look on the kid’s desk for the I-Pod and click to visit “Distracting Diversions” for a behind the scenes visit and a 411 on everything from MP3 players, how DVDs and CDs are made, book publishing, video games and even theme park attractions. Each of these makes learning fun while detailing the technical expertise used in the development of systems and products.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employers will be seeking 17,000 industrial and manufacturing engineers, 14,000 mechanical engineers, 14,000 engineering technicians, and 273,000 metal and plastic production workers every year until 2012. These numbers indicate that young people need to learn more about these highly-skilled jobs and how necessary math and science are for a secure future. A visit to Manufacturing is Cool begins the journey.

The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, supporting and

preparing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists in the advancement of manufacturing education. Created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979, and celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the SME Education Foundation has provided more than $29 million since 1980 in grants, scholarships and awards through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations, and individual donors. Visit the SME Education Foundation at www.smeef.org, a new website www.CareerMe.org that supports advanced manufacturing careers, and our award-winning website for young people, www.manufacturingiscool.com.