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Inspiring the Next Generation into Careers in Manufacturing and Supply Chain

Women Inspiring Success and Empowerment (WISE) at QAD

Driven and supported by QAD CEO Anton Chilton, employees recently started a women’s employee resource group (ERG) called “WISE”, with global participation by voluntary employees. The WISE group’s mission is to promote unique and critical experiences, both internally and externally, by fostering a supportive community where women rise, inspire and thrive. All QAD and QAD Redzone employees are encouraged to join and the team is growing very fast! 

The WISE team abides by four key pillars:

• Communication: Responsible for managing internal and external communications for the ERG, including the creation of newsletters, and promoting events and contributions of QAD Redzone team members and initiatives through various channels.
• Community: Focuses on leveraging the QAD Redzone customer base to introduce young people to Manufacturing and STEM careers through speakers and on-site tours to show them what careers exist in STEM and Manufacturing.
• Membership: Focuses on building a strong and active ERG by planning and organizing internal events, speakers, workshops, book clubs, discussions, new member introductions and internal networking opportunities that encourage strong participation from QAD Redzone WRG members.
• Professional Development: Develops and manages mentorship programs within the QAD Redzone ERG, matching internal mentors with mentees, providing guidance, and facilitating professional development opportunities for ERG members.

Finding Our First Customer Partner

As a part of the Community pillar, our team has the honor and pleasure of planning events to introduce young men and women into Manufacturing and Supply Chain careers. Late last year, our group began to look to our customer base for a partner in the local community. It did not take but a phone call to Suman Shekar, operations manager at Companion Baking, to get our first partner! Suman was able to reach out to a local high school in St. Louis, Missouri to coordinate our first event.

In January, Companion Baking and QAD/QAD Redzone came together to kick off the first WISE Bus to Business event. The factory opened their doors to 20 students (ages 14-18) at a local high school from Gateway STEM. Gateway STEM focuses on developing skills needed to support a career in science, technology, engineering or math.

Inspiring Students for Future Careers in Manufacturing

The day started with the Companion Baking and QAD/QAD Redzone teams making sure we were ready for the students by setting up a presentation, finalizing a bread rolling exercise and making sure all team leads were ready to present for each stop the students would make on the factory floor. And, of course, establishing an area to sample all kinds of yummy Companion Baking products at the end of the tour.

Companion Baking/QAD/Redzone team. Suman Sekar, Shannon Keys, Terry Onica, Lauren Young and Bruce Newman.

The day started with a tour of the factory facilitated by shop floor leaders speaking about their personal career journey in manufacturing and an overview of their team’s role in the manufacturing process at Companion Baking. Hearing each leader’s story of their journey was a personal favorite of ours. We are positive that each student was inspired by some aspect of the shop floor leader’s journeys.

Students at a stop on the factory floor to learn about quality, support for an environmentally friendly environment and how QAD/QAD Redzone supports the Fresh Dock department.

The students also had a chance to get hands-on by rolling out dough balls and tracking their progress in QAD/QAD Redzone software using a manual count location. We found this to be a really fun part of the tour for the students.

Gateway STEM students learning to roll bread.

We wrapped up the day tasting products along with discussion about manufacturing, careers and technology.

Delicious bakery products the students got to taste at the end of the tour.

Josh Allen, Founder of Companion Bakery, ended the tour giving the students his own personal career journey and the history of the organization.

Josh Allen, Founder of Companion Baking, sharing with the students his journey.

The students walked away from this event with a better understanding of potential career paths in manufacturing and the realization that everyone’s journey is very unique. They experienced first hand how technology can be an enabler to streamline communication, improve efficiencies and facilitate learning.

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A big Thank You to Josh Allen and Suman Shekar of Companion Baking for opening up the factory to host this event to inspire these young adults! If your organization would like to partner with QAD to hold an event such as this or any kind of event to support careers in Manufacturing and Supply Chain, please contact us at WISEleaders@qad.com.

Written by Terry Onica.