Memphis is shaping the next generation of innovators, builders, and creators through a powerful new program connecting students to high-demand careers.
Junior Achievement of Memphis has launched a new initiative — “Made in Memphis and Beyond” — in partnership with the Greater Memphis Chamber and Morgan Steel, designed to prepare and connect local and regional students with pathways to success in industries like construction, healthcare, technology, and supply chain management.
“This groundbreaking initiative is designed to prepare and connect Memphis-area students — not just Memphis, but regional students — with career opportunities in high-demand industries,” said Phil Dotson, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships and Government Relations for Junior Achievement of Memphis.
The program will engage 100 students across the region through hands-on career experiences and mentorship from local industry leaders. Partners include Morgan Steel, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Collierville Schools, Nucor Steel, Memphis Light, Gas and Water, Regional One Health, and the Greater Memphis Chamber.
“Together, these organizations are investing in Memphis’s future workforce and creating pathways to succeed,” Dotson added. “This project shows that it truly takes a village to prepare young people for the future.”
The initiative was officially announced during a Morgan Steel facility tour, hosted by the Chamber, where students got a firsthand look at Memphis manufacturing in action. Memphis Mayor Paul Young, school district leaders, and about 70 local students toured the 227,000-square-foot warehouse, watching steelworkers cut and shape metal, learning how products move from design to distribution.
“Today we celebrate not only the machines and technology, but the men and women who build, create, and keep our economy moving forward,” said MSCS Interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond.
Students from West Memphis, Collierville High, Crosstown High, and Craigmont High spoke with Mayor Young and Morgan Steel CEO Jonathan Keith, who encouraged them to see manufacturing as a career filled with opportunity and purpose.
“I just want the students to know that they have opportunities,” said Keith. “Morgan Steel started by creating opportunities for kids. I want them to see how something like this can shape their futures.”
Mayor Young reminded students that Memphis has more than 1,100 manufacturers, calling the industry “part of the DNA of our city.”
“We don’t just consume here,” Young said. “We create. We build. We innovate.”
He also emphasized how access to meaningful work can inspire hope and change lives:
“The root of crime is hopelessness — and you feel hopelessness when you don’t feel a sense of opportunity,” Young said. “Hope is driven by access to jobs and opportunity. That’s what this program is about.”
“Made in Memphis and Beyond” reflects the city’s spirit of collaboration and its deep belief in the power of education, industry, and innovation to build a stronger future — one student at a time.
