30 Under 30 Class of 2018: Human Resources Professionals

Moldmaking may be known as a one-off industry, but that is not an accurate description of the current employment landscape across many mold shops. Those who are under 30 are entering and staying in this niche trade. And, I am not just talking about one noteworthy individual—I am seeing multiple workers under 30 making an impact across the shop floor in everything from engineering departments to human resources and marketing. Today's blog features those among them who are human resources professionals.

Nicole Nettesheim, 24
HR Generalist
Sussex IM (Sussex, Wisconsin)

Nicole exceeds the traditional scope of human resources and employee support. She helps care for more than 400 employees and has an active, leading role in workforce development, including benefits administration, records management, interviewing, conflict resolution and training initiatives. She also is directly involved in the management, setup, execution and follow-up of career fairs and educational events and is becoming the company spokesperson in communications efforts to reach and motivate the young workforce. Candid Conversations, a series of video interviews with Milwaukee-area manufacturers willing to share insights and best practices, recently featured Nicole. She also co-manages the company's social channels about employee communications and recruiting while developing content for the corporate website. She is an optimistic and energized performer, strengthening the industry through her dedicated efforts, fresh insight and a willingness to learn.

Britteny Willis, 28
Human Resources
Paragon D&E (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

A lot of things are teachable, but passion is not one of them. Britteny is an energetic and enthusiastic advocate for not only Paragon D&E (Paragon), but for the moldmaking industry as well. Part of her role in human resources is to fill open positions. She noticed early on that there just were not enough applicants and quickly realized that it is up to industry itself to develop and nurture excitement for careers in moldmaking. Britteny helped organize outreach and educational programs for local middle schools and high schools and set up plant tours with students and teachers. She is the champion at Paragon for Career Quest in Grand Rapids, which exposes students to high-growth occupations in advanced manufacturing, construction, health sciences and information technology via various activities and engagement with professionals like Britteny. She has made a positive impact steering people toward manufacturing, and moldmaking in particular. Britteny also is on the team that brought Paragon the title of “Best and Brightest Top 100 Companies to Work For” in 2017. She has participated in panel discussions at the American Mold Builders Association National Conference and at Amerimold 2018.