The soft hum of sewing machines greets your ears as you walk onto the floor of Globe Manufacturing. When the company started making protective coats for firefighters in the 1880s, all an employee needed to know was how to cut and stitch by hand. Today, employees at the oldest and largest producer of firefighter turnout gear in the world need to know how to operate the industrial equipment that assembles the coats and pants to rigorous specifications.
Due to the nature of the work, most of Globe’s employees arrive with little or no job-specific training. Employees are trained on-site at the company’s Pittsfield facility. Post-secondary degrees are not necessary for the majority of the company’s positions; however, this does not diminish Globe’s dedication to increasing opportunity for students in their community and beyond.
It’s hard to miss the smiling faces of all ages, gender, and color on the shop floor, all dedicated to the same mission: To bring firefighters home safely. “It’s a mission everyone can get behind,” says Human Resource Manager Gayle Troy.
Their own educational mission is one that is easy to get behind as well. Troy takes part in local job fairs, and assembled a packet of information students can use when they begin their job searches. It includes helpful hints of all sorts, and is designed to give students the guidance they need for landing their first job (whether it be in manufacturing or in an office). Globe also conducts mock interviews for students and opens its doors for student tours.
The skills required 135 years ago (or even 35 years ago) are certainly not the same as those needed in today’s advanced manufacturing workforce. In order to keep up with the times, Globe and its employees have evolved. As the nature of advanced manufacturing in New Hampshire continues to change, Globe is among those ensuring the workforce will be prepared to change along with it.
For more information, please contact Gayle Troy at gtroy@globefiresuits.com or (603) 435-1822.
Due to the nature of the work, most of Globe’s employees arrive with little or no job-specific training. Employees are trained on-site at the company’s Pittsfield facility. Post-secondary degrees are not necessary for the majority of the company’s positions; however, this does not diminish Globe’s dedication to increasing opportunity for students in their community and beyond.
It’s hard to miss the smiling faces of all ages, gender, and color on the shop floor, all dedicated to the same mission: To bring firefighters home safely. “It’s a mission everyone can get behind,” says Human Resource Manager Gayle Troy.
Their own educational mission is one that is easy to get behind as well. Troy takes part in local job fairs, and assembled a packet of information students can use when they begin their job searches. It includes helpful hints of all sorts, and is designed to give students the guidance they need for landing their first job (whether it be in manufacturing or in an office). Globe also conducts mock interviews for students and opens its doors for student tours.
The skills required 135 years ago (or even 35 years ago) are certainly not the same as those needed in today’s advanced manufacturing workforce. In order to keep up with the times, Globe and its employees have evolved. As the nature of advanced manufacturing in New Hampshire continues to change, Globe is among those ensuring the workforce will be prepared to change along with it.
For more information, please contact Gayle Troy at gtroy@globefiresuits.com or (603) 435-1822.
