Editor's Note: Download the audio version below.
Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer.
For this episode, I welcome Nick Knotts, a 25-year-old graduate research assistant for Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center at the Colorado School of Mines.
Knotts studied industrial and systems engineering in college after discovering a distaste for CAD modeling. His professional experience includes quality engineering, industrial engineering and metallurgy for Lawton Standard Co.
Knotts is also a recipient of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation’s 2026 Rising Star in Manufacturing Award.
In this episode, Knotts discusses:
- (1:00) Why Gen Z is comfortable with an uncertain future
- (5:00) How young people wrestle with their ideal situation and reality
- (10:54) Chasing an undefined role and self-taught skills
- (14:18) How to keep a young worker’s brain working instead of tuning out
- (17:08) The evolution of work-life balance and how Gen Z views it
Please make sure to like and share this episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing. To view previous episodes, visit manufacturing.net. If you are a member of Gen Z and would like to discuss your experience in the manufacturing industry, please get in touch with me, Nolan Beilstein, at [email protected].
