About Us

Calling all Manufacturing Representatives

The Mentor are members of the GLBMA and a local manufacturer. Mentors should have an interest in developing youth and their soft skills and increasing their knowledge around manufacturing professionals. They should have support of their company and be able to commit to 20 hours through out the year for in-person events and communication through email.

To become a Mentor, please email the GLBMA office.

Calling all students!

The Mentee program is open to area high school and college students, age 16 – 25. We encourage all mentees to be in good standing with their school. They should have an interest in pursuing a potential career in or manufacturing. They should be available year-round and be able to attend events around the region (event transportation may be provided).

Become a Mentee here.

About the Young Mfg Mentors

Mission

To enhance, grow, and retain youth from the region through mentoring.

Vision

The vision of the Young Mfg Mentors is to grow the talent pool for professional manufacturing jobs through mentoring and developing relationships with the next generation.

About

The Young Mfg Mentors is a program of the Great Lakes Bay Manufactures Association. The program is designed to engage members with the local talent and next generations of manufacturing. Engagement is through social events, a match program, and communication. The program is application based. and activities are centered around manufacturing. We will provide a list of targeted activities.

Contact

Have additional questions or would like more detail, please contact the GLBMA office at 989-964-2881 or email tlblehm@svsu.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at tlblehm@svsu.edu if you cannot find an answer to your question.

How long is the program?

We ask that both the mentor and the mentee spend approximately one year in the program. Please note our year is coordinated with the school system, operating from July to June. Although, this program is a continually running program.

What does a mentee do in the program?

The mentor will guide the mentee through a series of activities such as a plant tour, mock job interview, or answer questions about a particular career. The mentee is free to gather information from their mentor to make decisions about their career path. A mentee can put as much into the program as their time allows. It is a great way to build your network for possible talent pipelines that are available upon graduation or completion of a degree, or skilled trades program.

How much time is required?

For both the mentor and the mentee, the program should take about 8-20 hours over the course of an year. We find that most mentors plan about one to two hours a month to guide the mentee and answer their questions.

What if I sign up and it is not what I expected or I change my field of study?

We ask that you reach out to your mentor or the GLBMA office and let me know about your dilemma. We may have another mentor for you. But at least we know that you are not going to continue with the program and can stop contacting you.

Are their field trips or special events?

We may schedule certain events for you to attend through out the year. But these are not required.

Is there a cost involved?

We are not able to provide personal transportation to and from meetings with your mentors. We will cover transportation to and from an offsite coordinated event leaving from a designated point using mass transit. There is no fee involved to join the program.