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10 S T U F F • F a l l 2 0 1 6 B ack when he was a stu- dent at Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Carlton, Bran- dan Myhaver didn't see manufacturing as a great career. "I got the image of working on a lathe for pennies an hour," he said. So Myhaver went into drafting, learning design programs and eventually landing a job making architectural drawings. But, after a few years of twists and turns at companies that were going through hard times, he found himself laid off, with a young child at home and another on the way. That's when he signed up for an eight-week course offered by the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP). Before the program was done, he had a job at Swissturn in Oxford. He hasn't looked back ever since. A creative industry When we hear about manufac- turing, it's often about the struggles workers face as jobs are automated or go overseas. But, for people willing to stay on top of modern technology and do work that often demands both physical and mental Millennials are making money, finding success and breaking the mold at Central Mass. manufacturers By Livia Gershon Special to the Worcester Business Journal The bold next generation Project Engineer at FLEXcon Work location: Spencer Home: Worcester Education: Bachelor's degree in science and mechanical engineering from Union College in New York Salary: Not disclosed (Industrial engineers generally earn between $53,000 and $127,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.) Job duties: Determining equipment needs, purchasing and overseeing installation, focusing on industrial ventilation Fascination: Julie enjoys working with fluid mechanics and heat transfer, subjects that fascinated her in college. She also wants to help FLEXcon remain an efficient, competitive company so that it can continue to be an important institution in the local area. Julie Fehlman, 26