Student Advocate, Hands-on Trainer, DIYer
As the Manager of Experiential Learning at MAGNET in Cleveland, Ohio, Jennie Becker is on a mission to reshape how kids and young adults see the future of work, starting with manufacturing. Her efforts are focused on one powerful goal: building a pipeline of future manufacturing talent, beginning as early as 6th grade. Through hands-on experiences, she’s showing thousands of students that a career in advanced manufacturing is not only possible, but exciting, creative, and full of opportunity.
MAGNET serves a 24-county region in Northeast Ohio by supporting small- and mid-sized manufacturers, which make up 98% of the region’s nearly 10,000 manufacturers, including members of America Makes. MAGNET was a big proponent of America Makes’ proposal for the Youngstown Innovation Hub, whose vision is to establish Ohio as the epicenter and destination for market-ready, deployable additive manufacturing capabilities. This will provide a transformational impact on the regional economy.
At the heart of Jennie’s work is the field trip program she launched in early 2023. Every day, up to 25 students from different schools walk through MAGNET’s doors and spend three hours immersed in modern manufacturing. They don’t just watch—they build. Each visit includes hands-on time with real equipment like spot welders and die-cutters, a competitive design challenge where teams race battery-powered toy cars they’ve built with an automated cell, and a tour of the machine shop to show what today’s factory really looks like. In just over two years, nearly 8,000 students have come through the program.
With a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Dartmouth College and a Master’s in Secondary Science Education from the University of Florida, Jennie brings both creativity and structure to her constantly evolving curriculum. Her teaching roots, especially her innovation during the pandemic with a virtual science cooking course, have fueled her passion for experiential learning. Now certified with Tooling U credentials in manufacturing and electric vehicles, Jennie connects with students on a level that’s personal, energetic, and transformative.
Jennie’s work isn’t just about training—it’s about building confidence, breaking cycles, and giving kids a vision for a future they didn’t know existed. For this Jennie Becker is a Modern Maker.
Q&A with Jennie
How did you find your way to working in advanced manufacturing?
I was a high school science teacher for 10 years prior to coming to MAGNET. I taught biology, chemistry, environmental science, marine science, cooking, and bioethics. After the pandemic settled down, I was looking for a change and a way to reach a much broader audience than a classroom teacher is afforded. MAGNET was looking for an educator to help launch their new education program, and I happened upon it at the right time! It has been a great switch for me and as a lifelong learner I have loved diving into a new field. I go on as many plant tours as I can possibly arrange, talk to as many employers and employees as I can, and get feedback from as many people as possible.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part for me is helping students in our community get past the many barriers they face so they can settle into these jobs, find success, and start their stable adult lives. The barriers for young northeast Ohioans, especially Clevelanders, can be tough. We have high rates of poverty in the city and everything from knowing about these jobs to being able to get to them and stay in them are not easy. I think of it as MAGNET's job to help employers understand this and to remove as many of these barriers as possible. Sometimes they are too great. But the number of success stories we have grows every day and keeps me going.
What is the best part of your job?
The opposite of the most challenging, which is seeing kids come through my program and then get a job! Watching young adults lift themselves and their families out of generational poverty through manufacturing is awe-inspiring to say the least. The determination and smarts that our students have is unmatched, and I can't believe I get to watch them put it to use day in and day out. I also love the day-to-day interactions with students and teachers. Every day is different, exciting, often hilarious, and fun!
What would people be surprised to learn about manufacturing or your role in manufacturing?
That it is no longer dark, dirty, and dangerous but full of new equipment, methods, strategies, and diverse people looking to help us make what we need!
What advice do you have for someone new to the industry or considering manufacturing as a career?
Give it a try! You don't have to know everything before you get there, and companies and supervisors are excited to pour into employees that show dedication to them. I cannot believe how much people can learn "on-the-job" as opposed to going to school.
What makes you excited to go to work on Mondays?
Knowing that I'll be making cool stuff with students and providing them opportunities to change the trajectories of their lives!
If you didn’t have to work, how would you spend your day?
Gardening in the summer, making things in the winter. I am trying to learn more about being a homeowner and completing DIY projects in my basement mini woodshop.
What are the three most important skills for your job?
Public speaking, classroom management, and creativity.
What activity gives you the most energy?
Long walks in my neighborhood at night!
What hobbies make you better at your career?
Making things, gardening, and baking all require me to take a stab at something I've usually not done before, follow a process, eagerly await results, and then figure out what to do based on the results. It's a little bit like curriculum development!
How does the work you do impact the world?
I try to see myself as helping Gen-Z and Gen Alpha "see themselves in manufacturing." This career and this space are available to them just like anyone else and they should take advantage of all the opportunities a career in manufacturing can bring to them and their families!
