Toy Engineering [Market-Based Analyses]

By itself, the question drew applause. We were sitting in a meeting on the future of manufacturing with a panel of distinguished policy makers who had been discussing how the world needed to develop more technical talent to support manufacturing. The ideas that they presented were solid but predictable: more funds to community college, nonstandard training such as the courses from the Khan Academy, and apprenticeships for people who could not go to college. Finally, one member of the audience rose and asked if the Maker Movement might be used to encourage young people to prepare for careers in engineering and manufacturing. To that question, the audience clapped their hands in approval. Listening to the noise, one could have easily drawn the conclusion that no one had ever thought of using toys and hobbies to educate children.