Rebecca Knight, President, Student Run Manufacturing Enterprise
Manufacturing businesses face a critical challenge: an aging workforce nearing retirement with too few skilled professionals ready to step in. If you’re a manufacturing leader, you’ve likely felt the pressure of this talent shortage firsthand. At HBK CPAs & Consultants, we understand the unique workforce challenges facing the manufacturing industry—and we’re committed to connecting you with innovative solutions. Rebecca Knight, President of Student Run Manufacturing Enterprise (SRME), shares an inspiring model that’s building the next generation of manufacturing talent while creating immediate value for local businesses.
Student Run Manufacturing Enterprise (SRME)is a work-based learning model bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world industry experience. Launched with 6 schools in northwest Pennsylvania, SRME gained national recognition for its success and is now spreading across the country. Students from accounting, business, marketing, engineering, and skilled trades work together to create and manage their own company – while still in high school.
Manufacturing-focused enterprises are especially relevant today, as many industry leaders are near retirement and there’s a shortage of qualified talent ready to step in. With the resurgence of American manufacturing and the rise of small businesses, there’s growing demand for skilled, tech-savvy workers.
Building the next generation of skilled professionals, these programs produce real parts for real customers and build relationships with local industry partners. Student-run enterprises show young people that these careers are innovative and rewarding—whether they’re headed to college or straight into the workforce.
Combining classroom curriculum (like business or advanced manufacturing courses) with an extra-curricular component (such as a club or activity), the enterprises allow students from different programs to work together on business operations. Students gain entrepreneurial skills, build resumes, apply and interview for roles, and advance within their student-run company. One year they might be a machinist or salesperson; the next, they may be a production manager or the company president.
Industry partners are essential. They mentor students, provide real-world projects, and offer challenges like prototyping parts or solving production issues.
For example, Zippo’s lighter factory in Bradford, PA needed a part for a custom machine. Students from Bradford Area High School’s enterprise, Parkway Industrial, took the engineers’ drawings, converted them into compatible software, and manufactured the part. Zippo now regularly orders this part from the school, recognizing the student-run enterprise as an official vendor in their purchasing system. Payments run through the school’s activity club, which supports materials and operations.
These partnerships help industries build connections with future talent. One Parkway Industrial student was hired by Zippo immediately after graduation and began an apprenticeship – proof of how these programs create a local talent pipeline. Additionally, Parkway Industrial students have secured paid college internships through their relationship with American Refining Group (ARG)—North America’s longest continuously operating oil refinery—which frequently hosts students for refinery tours.
Advice for an interested school/community: If you don’t want to re-invent the wheel, there is an organization that helps schools get started quickly by sharing best practices and offering consulting and supplemental curriculum support called Student Run Manufacturing Enterprise, or SRME. SRME can also help schools connect with industry partners and secure funding for equipment.
The organization was started by the Northwest Industrial Resource Center, (NWIRC), one of the centers that make up the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Extension Partnership, serving small to mid-sized manufacturers throughout northwest and north-central Pennsylvania. The focus is kept on future growth and matching the needs of manufacturers in each community. Learn more in this short video What is an SRME?, or get in contact with us at: info@StudentRunMFG.com.
Student-run manufacturing enterprises represent a powerful solution to one of manufacturing’s most pressing challenges. If your business is facing talent shortages or looking to build stronger connections with future workforce talent, HBK Manufacturing Solutions can help you navigate workforce development strategies, operational improvements, and strategic planning. We specialize in helping manufacturers like you strengthen their operations and prepare for long-term growth. Ready to discuss how workforce development fits into your business strategy? Contact us today at Manufacturing@hbkcpa.com to schedule a consultation with one of our manufacturing industry specialists.
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