January 21, 2026 by SME Communications The manufacturing sector is facing a severe shortage that has little to do with supply chains and everything to do with people. According to Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, up to 2.1 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2030. The cost of those empty seats is staggering, up to a potential $1 trillion hit to the U.S. economy in 2030 alone. However, the shortage is as much an opportunity gap as it is a skills gap, with engineering roles in particular exhibiting a distinct lack of diversity. At the recent SME Mission Critical Workforce 2030 exhibit at FABTECH in Chicago, Greg Jones, Director of Strategic Programs and Partnerships with SME, sat down with Jason Coleman, the founder and executive director of Project SYNCERE (Supporting Youth’s Needs with Core Engineering Research Experiments), a Chicago-based nonprofit focused on improving participation of diverse groups in manufacturing. Their conversation illuminated the only viable path forward, which was to reach underrepresented youth early, with STEM-based classroom learning, hands-on activities and, critically, guidance from mentors with industry experience. The Representation Gap To solve the workforce shortage, the industry must consider solutions like Project SYNCERE in areas where it has historically looked the least. The current demographics of the engineering and tech workforce reveal a stark disconnect between the population of the United States and the people designing its future. While the nation becomes increasingly diverse, the engineering sector has been slow to catch up. Currently, Black and Hispanic employees remain vastly underrepresented in high-tech and engineering roles compared to their overall share of the workforce, and women still comprise a small fraction of the engineering landscape. These disparities represent a significant pool of untapped talent. As Jones noted during the conversation, supporting underrepresented students in systems like the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is critical. But recognizing the problem is only the first step, while solving it requires more than good intentions. The future of manufacturing requires direct action and sustained involvement from industry veterans like Coleman. From Flight Controls to the Classroom Coleman didn't start as an educator. He is a mechanical engineer by trade, a graduate of the University of Southern California who spent the early part of his career designing flight control systems for military and commercial aircraft in the aerospace industry. Later, he moved to Chicago to work at Motorola, designing the latest cell phones during the mobile boom of the early 2000s. However, during his climb through corporate America, Coleman noticed something about his peers. "I really saw the lack of diversity within the engineering profession, and so I wanted to do something about that," Coleman said. "I didn't have mentors to really introduce me to engineering careers," so he decided to try to change that experience for the next generation. “This was in the late 90s and early 2000s, so engineering and STEM wasn't as popular as it is today. I felt that if more students have the opportunities to engage in engineering at an early age, we can get them excited about engineering and put them on a runway to an engineering career. So I took a leap of faith. I gathered with two friends. We created a business plan for Project SYNCERE, and really envisioned how we could create a continuous pathway to not only get young people excited about careers in engineering and STEM, but to really provide them with all the tools and experiences and confidence that we know that they need to be successful in those fields. So in 2008, we left corporate America and launched Project SYNCERE and haven’t looked back since,” Colemand said. The Pillars of Project SYNCERE Coleman identifies the organization's key pillars as mentorship, authentic experiences, and a demand for excellence. "Self-identity is something that is really important for students who may not always see themselves in these types of roles," Coleman said. By putting students in front of professionals who mimic their demographics, the program dispels imposter syndrome before it can take root. Coleman noted that because he didn't have mentors in the field growing up, he understands the necessity of representation. “Even as an engineer, I would always go back to the local schools and volunteer and talk to students about what an engineer is and how they can kind of get into these types of roles. So I've always had a passion for nurturing the younger generation behind me and ensuring that they had a clear path for the possibilities that exist for them,” said Coleman. “I've always had a community-first mindset and really trying to bring up the next generation behind me.” The "Sport" of Engineering: The ENpowered Games It can be difficult for young students to sustain the connection between their current lessons and a future career, as that far-off goal can feel very distant. One of Project SYNCERE’s most popular programs, the ENpowered Games, addresses this disconnect by giving students a concrete, real-world purpose for their knowledge, making the potential of a future in engineering feel current, tangible, and exciting. Held at major venues like the Wintrust Arena and the UIC Pavilion, the ENpowered Games transform engineering into a spectator sport, creating an atmosphere usually reserved for basketball tournaments. The goal of the ENpowered Games is to engage students in STEM-based activities that help them develop critical thinking, collaboration, and engineering design skills in a way that textbooks simply cannot. “There is nothing better than getting 400 students together who are all excited about engineering," Coleman said. The event gathers students to compete in engineering challenges, supported by over 100 volunteers. Seeing hundreds of other students who look like them, all competing to be the "best engineer in the room," changes the narrative of what an engineer looks like. The most recent competition focused on automation, mirroring the logistics of an Amazon warehouse. Students had to design robots capable of navigating a warehouse floor, picking up packages, and delivering them to designated zones. This is not abstract science, but a direct simulation of the automation skills required in modern manufacturing facilities today. Deep-Dive Learning: The E-Cademy While the ENpower Games spark the flame, Project SYNCERE’s E-Cademy keeps it burning. Based at the Holy Angels Catholic Church on the South Side of Chicago, this program represents the organization's "deep dive." Designed for roughly 120 students in grades 6 through 12, the E-Cademy operates on Saturdays for 32 weeks during the academic year. It is a rigorous commitment where students spend up to six hours a day engaging with college-level engineering concepts. The curriculum is designed to scaffold learning, teaching students how to apply engineering skills to identify problems, create unique solutions, and lead their own learning experience. It begins with exposure to different disciplines and matures into college visits and corporate tours. By the time the students are ready for college, they have a full understanding of their potential majors, and they possess the core skills that will get them “over all the hurdles” of being at the university level, Coleman said. However, the support doesn’t stop once they head off to college. “We also have alumni support programming to support our students once they’re in college and help them navigate that and into an actual career upon graduation,” Coleman said. The results are tangible. Coleman shared the story of a student who joined the program in middle school, stayed through high school, and recently graduated with a full-ride scholarship to MIT to study computer science. Stories like these validate the pipeline approach—nurturing a student from middle school all the way to a prestigious university and into the workforce. A Call to Action for Industry The manufacturing industry cannot be a passive observer in this process. Programs like Project SYNCERE run on two fuels: funding and industry volunteers. "Engineering can be pretty expensive," Coleman admitted. From robotics kits to venue rentals, the costs add up. But beyond dollars, the students need time. Coleman urged corporate partners to "roll up their sleeves" and volunteer. When a professional engineer spends a Saturday with a student, they aren't just teaching a skill; they are validating a dream. This advice aligns perfectly with SME’s broader goals. Part of SME's mission is to identify local model programs—like Project SYNCERE in Chicago—that are effectively closing the opportunity gap and encourage their replication in other regions. By highlighting these successes, the industry can create a new roadmap for workforce development. Learn More To hear the full conversation between Greg Jones and Jason Coleman and to see the passion behind this mission, watch the full interview:
