Learn more about engineering technology by joining your schools science clubs, attending science fairs, and volunteering for local organizations related to manufacturing engineering. Keep up with the news and developments in manufacturing engineering by reading industry publications such as the magazine Manufacturing Engineering (https://www.advancedmanufacturing.org/manufacturing-engineering). A helpful Web site is https://discovere.org/engineering-careers, which offers general information about careers in engineering, as well as profiles of engineers.

Conduct information interviews with manufacturing engineering technologists to learn more about how they got started in their career. Perhaps you could even job-shadow a technologist to learn even more about the field. Ask your schools career services office for help with finding technologists interested in participating in interviews and job-shadowing experiences.

A good way to explore the engineering technology field is by participating in youth associations such as the Technology Student Association (https://tsaweb.org), which is a membership organization for middle and high school students who want to become engineers, scientists, and technologists. The Technology Student Association also offers 40 competitions (https://tsaweb.org/competitions) for high school students, including those in Computer-Aided Design, Engineering; Data Science and Analytics; Engineering Design; Manufacturing Prototype; and Robotics.

The SME, a professional association for manufacturing workers in the U.S. and Canada, offers free membership for high school students (as well as a paid option for college students). Membership benefits include access to the “SME Connect” blog, scholarships, competitions, and a mentorship program, as well as a subscription to Manufacturing Engineering magazine. Learn more at https://www.sme.org/sme-membership/join-sme.

Manufacturing engineering technologists work closely with engineers to develop, design, and integrate tools, machinery, equipment, or computer technologies to improve manufacturing processes. They monitor the processes to see where inefficiencies may be occurring and identify solutions to reduce losses, increase productivity speeds, and improve the quality of products and goods. They also ensure that manufacturing machinery and processes are operating in accordance with safety rules and regulations.

Daily tasks for manufacturing engineering technologists often include developing and maintaining automated production equipment programs and verifying the weights, measurements, and calculations of production batches and recording the results. Some of their other tasks include performing equipment maintenance on a routine basis and overseeing equipment performance. Technologists develop programs for production, inventory, and quality assurance, and they also review and create budgets for manufacturing costs. They may create schedules and budgets for production work and be involved in the purchase, installation, and transfer of machinery and equipment.

Manufacturing engineering technologists apply their knowledge of the practical applications of engineering science and technology to the design and production of various products and goods. They use different types of software programs to review and record data, monitor equipment, and manage projects. These software programs usually include computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, industrial control, enterprise resource planning, and materials requirements planning, and logistics and supply chain software. Much of this software is powered by advanced artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing).