THE GLEANER, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 • www.jamaica-gleaner.com •
MAGINE BEING able to create your own wealth, to boost the sales and profitability of a company, or to play a part in the development of a product that is being consumed globally. Well, you can, through the rewarding field of manufacturing, and there are three main avenues. First, through starting a business, which applies directly to your skill set. Many of us grew up with a talent and a passion for a particular hobby. This talent or passion could be making clothes, baking, programming technological gadgets, etc. Whatever the case may be, why not transform this talent into a legitimate business venture? An example of an entrepreneur who used his talent to become a world-class manufacturer is Jukie Gladstone Chin. He learned to make patties at home and sold them to a grocery store owned by his family. After the demand grew, he then decided to start his own restaurant (Juici Patties) in May Pen, Clarendon, where he resided.
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TALENT AND PASSION Juici Patties now has more than 50 locations islandwide and one franchise in Canada. This all started with a passion for baking and the desire to succeed. How many of us have a similar talent with a similar passion to succeed? Many manufacturers outsource services, and it is in this outsourcing
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Careers in manufacturing
‘... manufacturing has moved far beyond a set of unskilled factory line workers. It has now evolved into highly skilled technical professionals. Therefore, for persons searching for a successful career path, manufacturing may just be the area for you.’
of services that lies the second avenue for a career in manufacturing. Based on a survey done by the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, services such as promotions, research, printing and graphic designs are frequently outsourced by manufacturers. These areas are prominent fields of study among university graduates. The demand for outsourced services among manufacturers are increasing, therefore, many of these companies can be virtual gold mines for savvy, business-minded people. The survey further revealed that manufacturers usually looked for the ability to decrease cost in the long-run, ultimately increasing profits. Therefore, the challenge is to create a proposal that will communicate the ability to deliver an overall package that in the long run will cut costs and increase profits. Other in-demand professions in manufacturing are operations management, productions management, and sales and purchasing management. These provide the third avenue for a career change. These professions require strong manage-
ment, analytical abilities, and like many other jobs, a creative and open mind. Professions such as operations management and production management require skills in overall plant management, legal boundaries in which to operate, environmental and safety practices, as well as quality control. The aim is to be complete and efficient managers, with strong charismatic leadership qualities to plan, motivate, and coordinate. Universities in Jamaica currently offer operations management as an undergraduate degree that will equip students with the pre-requisite skills needed to execute.
PURCHASING MANAGER Areas such as purchasing and sales require linkages with external personnel as well as excellent interpersonal skills. A purchasing manager would be involved in backward linkage as it will require the manager to form relationships with suppliers, and not just any supplier, but those that are seen in the best interest of the company. A sales manager is required to form linkages with buyers/distributors as well as form relationships with them. This will ensure
that there is always a market for the products, whether local or international. Many people searching for a successful career path tend to shy away from manufacturing because it is not viewed as an ‘exciting career’. In fact, it comes across a lot like physical labour. But manufacturing has moved far beyond a set of unskilled factory line workers. It has now evolved into highly skilled technical professionals. Therefore, for persons searching for a successful career path, manufacturing may just be the area for you. Manufacturing provides an objective environment of work with tangible targets. Think about your skill set and think how those skills could be used to increase a company’s profits, if you can imagine that, then there is a career in manufacturing for you. Or think about that one thing you find yourself always making or using, that you are so passionate about, then start thinking about producing that product for the purpose of a profit now. Do you see where it could take off on the local market or international market? If the answer is yes, there is your career path in manufacturing.