HERSTORY | Madison Griemann

Innovative Manufacturing

My name is Madison Griemann. I am seventeen years old, from Moosomin, Saskatchewan. I currently reside in Regina, where I attend Saskatchewan Polytechnic. I am enrolled in a program called Innovative Manufacturing. This is an interesting program that covers a variety of concepts related to manufacturing. I have discovered that I have a love for working in a shop, so I decided to study Innovative Manufacturing. I plan to enter a career in the manufacturing industry after I complete my course and receive my diploma.

I discovered my love for working with my hands at a young age. My dad is a mechanic and I often followed him around and wanted to learn what he was doing. I spent time in the shop with my dad and a lot of time in the shop at school. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the shop is where I loved to be. I took a lot of shop classes throughout high school to help me determine what areas I liked best. I took my Class 5 Power Engineer when I was sixteen and I wrote and passed my Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan exam. I took woodworking, mechanics, welding and machining classes as well. But my favourite classes were the ones that focused on metal work, like welding and machining. The variety of classes that I took helped me realize that I really wanted to work in a metal shop.

I applied for admission to Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Machining program at the Saskatoon campus in my senior year of high school. I was accepted into the Machining program and I was ready to confirm my seat, when I heard about Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Innovative Manufacturing program offered at the Regina campus. The description of this new Innovative Manufacturing program matched everything I was looking for in a postsecondary course. This program offers far more career opportunities than machining does. I applied to this program and I was accepted. I let go of my seat in the Machining program and I secured my seat in the Innovative Manufacturing program.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Innovative Manufacturing program is a very wide and diverse program that teaches a lot of skills related to the manufacturing sector. This program covers machining, welding, drafting, Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing and so much more. My studies began at the beginning of September and I have already learned a lot that will be useful in a career in manufacturing. I know I will learn even more valuable skills as I continue with this program.

Students in Innovative Manufacturing work in a very technologically advanced shop. We are privileged to work with numerous new machines. These highly advanced machines prepare us to go directly into the manufacturing industry and be up to speed on the newest technology. I began taking the Innovative Manufacturing program in the fall of 2018 and I will graduate in the spring of 2020. I will have my diploma in Innovative Manufacturing and my first apprenticeship level as a machinist when I graduate. I really do love machining and I plan to become a journeyman machinist. The Innovative Manufacturing program will teach me extra skills that will make me a better machinist. I can already see that this program will provide me with a lot of career opportunities in the manufacturing sector.

Canada’s manufacturing industry employs a large number of people in a variety of different jobs. This is a key industry to Canada and it is an industry that I would like to be a part of. I am a very driven young woman and I plan to do my part to help the Canadian manufacturing industry continue to succeed. I realize that there are far more men than women in manufacturing, but that won’t stop me from wanting to enter a career in the industry. I have always had hobbies that some would call “untraditional”. Some of these hobbies are playing hockey, archery and working on vehicles. These hobbies have enabled me to experience some really great things. If we can encourage other women to step out of their comfort zone and try new things we could get more women to enter the manufacturing sector. For these reasons and more, I am very proud to be a woman entering into a non-traditional career path in manufacturing and I am excited to see what this industry has in store for me!

I am so grateful for the people who have encouraged me to branch out and try new things. I wouldn’t have discovered my passion for the manufacturing industry if I had not had this encouragement from others. I am very excited to learn so much more about manufacturing as I continue my journey!