Finding, equipping, and keeping talent has been difficult for manufacturers, in part because many people making career decisions are unfamiliar with the kinds of work involved. They might think of production jobs as dirty and dangerous, or they might think the only exciting work involves engineering robots. They might overlook a busi- ness like Schaumburg, Illinois-based PM Mold Company. In fact, mold making has been and still is a highly creative type of work that is essential to producing an enormous variety of products we depend on. PM Mold and similar companies assess a particular product to be made, and then they design and produce finely detailed molds out of steel. which their customers use to make parts of all sizes out of plastic or rubber. A good mold delivers precise, accurate, and consistent results. Carrying out this work requires a combination of prob- lem solving, creative thinking, and careful craftsmanship. PM Mold looks for people with thinking skills and then uses an apprenticeship program to train them to apply those skills to mold making. In response to the challenge of recruiting for these jobs, the company has become creative in making the apprenticeship program motivational as well as informational. Apprentices at PM Mold attend classes and engage in on-the-job learning as they earn a starting wage. In addition to these basics, the apprentices are asked to work together on a creative mold-making project. One year, for example, the company had decided to produce a specialty golf tee for a trade show. Tom White, the company's vice presi- dent of operations and business development. asked the apprentices to go out and look at golf tees on the market to see what features and functions caught their eye. They discussed their findings and brainstormed how to incor- porate the most beneficial ideas into the giveaway tees. The apprentices agreed on a design and built the mold to make the tees. At the trade show, a golf company executive happened to see the giveaway tees and expressed interest in working with PM Mold to make something similar for sale. After some discussion of his needs, the golf executive wound up placing an order for a mold to use in making a modified version of what the apprentices had developed. Although the group project amounts to less than 10% of the training time. White considers it a key part of appren- tices' training. Making something valuable gets them excited about what they are learning, and that makes them think harder and learn more. It helps them envision not just their first job but also a career path they can follow at PM Mold as they gain experience. Questions 1. Based on the information given, what is your assessment of apprentices' readiness for training at PM Mold? How does the company enable readiness for training? 2. Recommend two measures for PM Mold to use in deter- mining the success of its apprenticeship training. Sources: Company website. "About Us" and "PM Mold Apprenticeship, https://www.pmmold.com, accessed April 16, 2020, Schaumburg Business April 16, 2020, Cynthia Kustush. "Workforce Development with a Twist, Mold Association member list, https://members.schaumburgbusiness.com. accessed Making Technolog March 2019. pp. 32-37.