The Association for Manufacturing Excellence created a new program—the AME Emerging Leaders—aimed at ensuring the next generation of lean leaders.

“The AME Emerging Leaders program allows AME to continue its mission of share, learn, and grow with the next generation of industry leaders,” said AME president and CEO George Saiz in a press release. “We look forward to partnering with our members as they invest in the future of these leaders and in the future of enterprise excellence.”

AME’s program is looking to grow the leadership skills of the less-experienced leaders within its current member pool. The association is asking lean practitioners with less than five years of experience to consider applying to the program. Those selected will participate in problem-solving work groups, as well as have the chance to network with peers and serve the profession in a leadership capacity. It also puts participants on a fast track to potentially serve on an AME task force or committee.

The program will then culminate at the AME International Conference in San Diego this fall. These emerging leaders will not only receive complimentary registration to the meeting, but they will also take part in a leadership clinic and be invited to attend a reception with some of the industry’s top leaders.

This leadership-development program is an extension of AME’s mission, which seeks to help its members “come together to explore lean thinking and other enterprise improvement methods, exchange best practices, and network in order to advance their careers and improve the competitiveness and overall value of their organizations,” according to AME’s website.

Other manufacturing groups are thinking about how to develop the industry’s next generation too. While AME is focusing on developing current members with its program, other groups are trying to reach out to those not yet in the workforce or industry. For instance, the Ohio Manufacturers Association rolled out a campaign aimed at bolstering interest in Ohio manufacturing jobs, while the Precision Metalforming Association launched an initiative to draw millennials to its industry.

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