Smart Career Moves: Why Young Engineers Are Choosing Manufacturing

At one of Sandisk's manufacturing sites in Japan, young engineer Yuechan Zhang is deep in NAND device development. She has been developing new methods for detecting electrical failures and improving device reliability.

Originally from Shenyang in northeastern China, Zhang moved to Japan to study theoretical chemistry. It was after her studies and a short experience at another company that she discovered Sandisk's manufacturing site and its joint venture with Kioxia.

"For young people, manufacturing is a space to explore the latest technologies," she said, sharing how she made the leap from chemistry to using Python and other coding languages to analyze data and help drive process decisions.

"Every day I come to work, I get to learn something new. I get to tackle problems that haven't been solved before, and I get to see my ideas turn into real products", Zhang said.

The appeal of modern manufacturing

Zhang is not alone in her enthusiasm. Over the last three years, Nolan Beilstein has hosted the Gen Z in Manufacturing Podcast, interviewing dozens of young people who are thriving in the manufacturing sector.

As the youngest member of the Manufacturing.net editorial team, it was a natural fit for him to talk to his cohort. But it was also an eye-opening journey for someone who had given up a dream of sports journalism and whose own entry into the sector was anything but intentional.

"Realizing the range of opportunities; how large and all-encompassing the manufacturing industry is, might have been the most surprising thing for me, let alone that you could write about it as a journalistic field", Beilstein chuckled.

His interviewees include everything from innovators working with 3D-printed custom footwear and manufacturing in local community spaces to female machinists in motorsports and young CEOs leading the charge on circular metal fabrication.

If these roles sound exciting and energizing, it's because they are.

"One interviewee I spoke with talked about how natural the transition to manufacturing should be for young people—they like working with their hands, they like building, they like watching how things are made", said Beilstein. "The whole industry is really about problem solving. If everything was perfect and worked all the time, you wouldn't need anyone in the first place."

The factory as a digital playground

While Beilstein had to stumble upon manufacturing, others have long seen its appeal. Wei Yi Wong grew up in Penang, a city known for its rich cultural heritage, colorful street art, and bustling eateries, and one that is also at the heart of the semiconductor and tech manufacturing industry.

"Growing up in this environment, I was always surrounded by conversations about manufacturing and technology", Wong said.

Inspired by the technological transformation in her city, Wong became the first in her family to pursue engineering, earning a bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence and continuing to a master's in robotics at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where she is currently enrolled.

Her passion for technology led her to apply for an internship at Sandisk's Center of Innovation and Automation (CiA). In this first-of-its-kind lab, students tackle industry-driven research projects alongside experienced engineers.

"We students often bring in fresh ideas from university, trending technologies, or the latest machine learning techniques", Wong said. "But here, we learn how to adapt those bold and creative ideas for the real world; how to bridge knowledge gaps and get around roadblocks."

For Wong, the factory is a state-of-the-art playground, where she can work hands-on with advanced technologies like sensors, robotic kits, and prototyping tools.

Sandisk's manufacturing site in Penang is already one of the most advanced in the world, recognized multiple times by the World Economic Forum's Global Lighthouse Network. But Wong and her peers are on a mission to push its leading edge forward.

Lifting the curtain

While Wong is busy finishing her master's project—advancing a humanoid robot that may soon join the factory floor in assisting its human counterparts—she admits that not everyone understands what manufacturing looks like today.

"Some of my friends still think manufacturing is a very traditional or labor-intensive field," she said. "But for people like me who are exposed to the new ways of intelligent production, and for all of us here at the CiA lab who are directly connected to smart manufacturing, what we see is a space full of opportunities."

Helping others see those possibilities is the mission of Elvina Tiun, University Recruiter and Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at Sandisk in Penang. While you'll see her chatting with thousands of students at career fairs and events around the country, she knows that words aren't always the best way to capture Sandisk's cutting-edge facilities.

Determined to show what Sandisk's manufacturing really looks like, Tiun recently filmed a day in her life at the site. Sporting her white sneakers, a big smile, and signature purple-to-blue ombré hair, she guides the viewer through sleek and futuristic control centers, robots in motion, on-site perks like a gym and game room, and a workplace filled with young, energized professionals.

"My favorite thing, though, is bringing students in to do an industry visit", she said. "It is a 'wow' moment for them. They are blown away as it opens their eyes to a different level of manufacturing, and they often say, 'I can't wait to join a company like this'."

Equipping the next generation

Manufacturing will need a lot of fresh, new talent. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that the industry will need 3.8 million additional workers by 2033. Malaysia, now the world's sixth-largest semiconductor exporter, is already facing a severe shortage of engineers.

Helping prepare that next generation is Associate Professor Dr. Muhammad Nasiruddin Mahyuddin, a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Dean in charge of research, innovation, and industrial engagement at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, USM.

Driven by a fascination with how humans and machines interact, Dr. Nasir has spent more than two decades researching the forefront of robotics and next-generation control methods. Today, he is one of the key academic partners of Sandisk's CiA lab, mentoring and guiding students as they build the future of industrial automation.

"Robots are evolving at a very fast rate, unprecedented even for the roboticist community. At the same time, the price of robotic arms is dropping dramatically, which means we'll see this market explode and the borders between humans and robots increasingly overlap", he said.

For Dr. Nasir, that imminent future demands immediate action.

"We need to equip young students with a mix of proficiencies for the fast-paced environment ahead—sharp skills [technical skills] and smart skills [communication and other soft skills] capabilities are vital, but we must also instill a strong sense of responsibility", he said. "In a world where we will increasingly coexist with machines, humanistic values will matter more than ever", Dr. Nasir said.

For a generation eager to make a real-world impact, next-generation manufacturing provides a playing field for cutting-edge technologies and a space that rewards creativity and complex problem solving.

It also offers a rare opportunity to shape the future in a world where technology and society will be increasingly intertwined.

"Our work impacts millions of products around the world", Yuechan Zhang of Sandisk said. "For me, that means taking responsibility seriously and paying attention to detail. It gives me a lot of pride being part of a team that builds something lasting."