July 30 National Intern Day Helps Create Bridge to Future

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed many internship programs on hold or turned them into remote programs. In any case, plumbing manufacturers will ramp up internship programs again as workplace issues related to COVID-19 become resolved.

National Intern Day is on July 30. NationalInternDay.com includes a variety of resources for companies looking to increase content and visibility for their internship programs. The website was created and promoted by WayUp, a company that helps early-career candidates to discover and be discovered by employers.

The website features a Virtual Lunch & Learn Summer Series of world-renowned industry experts in various fields, including technology, engineering, product management, marketing, supply chain and more. The website also features the top 100 internship programs and top 100 interns each year. Companies can both nominate and vote for themselves to appear on these lists.

A recent story in the Washington Post about internships reports that openings were 49% lower in May 2020 than in May 2019. While stating that some live experiences can’t be duplicated remotely, the article features innovations in making the virtual internship valuable for both the company and the intern. IBM launched the “IBM Intern Café,” which uses artificial intelligence to match employees and other interns who share the same interests.

The PMI@Work blog features a variety of articles about opportunities available to those interested in working in plumbing manufacturing. The blog has covered issues such as the human-computer interface, the rise of technology in manufacturing, how young people can gain experience, the multigenerational workforce, how plumbing manufacturing makes health care safer, digital manufacturing, water-saving careers, and how to safely reopen after COVID-19.

PMI’s careers page links to the careers and LinkedIn pages of its members. Students and others looking for career opportunities are encouraged to peruse these listings to gain an understanding of the broad array of positions available and to apply for positions of interest to them.

PMI member companies hire individuals to fill production level, maintenance, technician and executive positions. They require machinists, engineers and industrial designers, as well as professionals with expertise in plumbing codes and standards, sustainability, sales, marketing, finance, operations, human resources and training, government affairs, and much more. To compete globally, plumbing manufacturers require high-quality workers, as well as a strong technical workforce.

The company’s locations, as well as some common locations of jobs, are listed with each entry. The plumbing manufacturing industry is very widespread and is always in need of highly skilled workers; a Deloitte and Manufacturing Institute study states that an estimated 3.5 million jobs need to be filled by 2025 within the manufacturing industry sector. The plumbing manufacturing industry makes a positive economic impact in all 50 states; plumbing fixture and fittings manufacturers’ total economic impact on the American economy is $85.5 billion.