How We Created a Manufacturing Mindshift Campaign in El Salvador

Salvadoran employers in the manufacturing industry face a critical challenge—attracting young talent. Many Salvadorans perceive manufacturing as low-skilled, repetitive, and physically demanding, discouraging millennials from considering careers in the field. Parents, influenced by these outdated views, often steer their children away from the industry.

Yet, modern manufacturing offers diverse opportunities for middle- and high-skilled careers, integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), problem-solving, and cutting-edge technology. To reshape public perception and highlight these opportunities, Higher Education for Economic Growth project launched an innovative career awareness campaign via Facebook.

From September to October 2015, our project piloted a social marketing campaign to challenge misconceptions and inspire young Salvadorans to explore careers in manufacturing. The campaign used 55 targeted ads designed based on market research into youth attitudes, values, and career decision-making processes. The messages resonated with audiences by focusing on four key themes:

"The Future Is Now" – Highlighted manufacturing’s role in driving El Salvador’s future and encouraged young people to be part of a larger movement.

"You Don’t Know What to Do With Your Life?" – Provided career guidance for undecided youth, showcasing manufacturing as a path to creativity and innovation.

"We Like to Make Things" – Appealed to hands-on learners passionate about designing, testing, and producing products, from medical devices to food processing.

"Moment of Truth" – Featured testimonials from Salvadoran students in manufacturing-related fields, sharing their excitement and career aspirations.

Transformative Results

The campaign had a powerful reach, with over 404,000 Facebook views in just one month. An average of 26,500 people engaged with the campaign daily, surpassing the existing audience of the Higher Education for Economic Growth Facebook page.

Survey results from 413 campaign viewers revealed the campaign’s impact on youth and their families:

• 52% of respondents were already interested in manufacturing before the campaign, but after seeing the messages, they became more committed to pursuing careers in the sector.

  
  

• 24% of respondents initially had little or no interest in manufacturing, but the campaign prompted them to reconsider career opportunities in the industry.

The campaign increased demand for information on manufacturing careers, with respondents eager to learn about job opportunities, required education, salaries, scholarships, and universities offering relevant programs.

Building a Skilled Workforce for the Future

The Project´s Facebook pilot campaign demonstrated the power of social media marketing in transforming perceptions about manufacturing careers. By engaging Salvadoran youth and their families with relatable, inspiring content, the campaign successfully reframed manufacturing as a field of opportunity.

The campaign demonstrated the power behind using social marketing techniques through social media channels to raise career awareness. This innovative approach to attracting millennial talent to the manufacturing industry can help diminish biases against traditionally negative perceptions of jobs in this sector, as well as grow the skills base and generate new levels of economic growth in El Salvador