Manufacturing is Magic: Inspiring the Next Generation with Keri Westland of Carr Lane Manufacturing

What if everything you thought you knew about manufacturing careers was completely outdated?

Host Monica Magallanes welcomes Keri Westland, Chief Administrative Officer at Carr Lane Manufacturing, to discuss how modern manufacturing is creating pathways for Central Texas students. Keri, a third-generation leader who started on the assembly line at 15, now oversees operations for Carr Lane's facilities in St. Louis and Elgin, Texas. With 73 years of industry experience, Carr Lane manufactures precision tooling components used globally—including parts that have been going to space since the U.S. space program began. Keri shares her viral catchphrase "manufacturing is magic" and explains how combining art, science, math, and technology creates exciting career opportunities.

This episode explores Carr Lane's four-year participation in Workforce Solutions Capital Area's Teacher Externship Program, where educators spend a week learning manufacturing processes hands-on, then bring that knowledge back to their classrooms. Monica and Keri discuss partnerships with Elgin ISD and Texas State Technical College, dispelling outdated manufacturing myths about dirty and dangerous conditions, career advancement from entry-level to management positions, educational requirements for manufacturing careers, and why building a talent pipeline requires industry-wide collaboration. Listeners will discover how Carr Lane's bilingual, climate-controlled Elgin facility is changing perceptions and creating opportunities for the next generation.

Keri Westland serves as Chief Administrative Officer at Carr Lane Manufacturing, where she began her career as a high school student, working on the assembly line and in shipping, accounting, and purchasing. Over more than 20 years, she has built teams and led initiatives in human resources, recruiting, talent development, and diversity and inclusion, including roles at Waddell & Reed Financial and State Street before returning to Carr Lane.

In This Episode:

• (00:00) Why Carr Lane participates in teacher externship every year

• (02:23) How starting on the assembly line at 15 shaped a manufacturing career

• (08:02) Dispelling myths about dirty, dangerous manufacturing conditions

• (11:05) Career advancement from assembly line to production manager explained

• (16:58) How ‘manufacturing is magic’ went viral in the Austin business community

• (21:02) Why teacher externship is the favorite week of the year for Carr Lane's team

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About the show:

Austin Hires Local, powered by Workforce Solutions Capital Area, dives deep with the trailblazers who are shaping the future of jobs in our city, our state, and even nationally. We pull back the curtain on the challenges we all face – the anxieties, the roadblocks, and what's holding us back from filling those critical open positions. But hey, it's not all doom and gloom. We also celebrate the victories: the ingenious solutions, the unexpected collaborations, and the best practices that are making us all sharper. You’ll hear guests from all sides of the table – elected officials with a finger on the pulse of the economy, industry leaders from booming sectors like tech, healthcare, and skilled trades, and educators shaping young minds in our schools and post-secondary education programs. So, tune in and get ready to be informed, insp...