Written on: January 1, 2026 by Patrick Heskins
At a recent conference I attended, the organizers ran a session where young people just starting in the industry shared their thoughts on life, now that they are out in the world of work. One young man, who had recently graduated from university, explained how he had taken his GCSEs (examinations one takes at age 16 here in the UK) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from reminding me that the COVID lockdowns weren’t just a few months ago, it also made me realize that the next generation has grown up and lived through a whole new way of learning and interacting with one another. They are often referred to as “Gen Z” but are more accurately described as “digital natives.”
When I started in business, I mostly gained detailed knowledge by spending time with more experienced people. Usually, this meant one had to listen to quite long stories before getting to the nugget needed to help sort out the problem one was trying to resolve.
Much of the testing was done empirically, as well. For example, the first valve company I worked for had created a test rig called the Poore-o-meter (named after Mike Poore, the engineer who invented it). This was built when “fast-filling valves” were becoming a thing, and was designed to test different valve designs, measuring how much gas flowed down the dip tube and how much over the gasket, using car engine oil. It worked brilliantly, and the CA38F was born.
However, we now have a generation that expects information to be delivered digitally and who will use digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to solve problems and test designs. This is where organizations such as BAMA must help. We have access to a wide range of individuals across all the different sectors of our industry. Part of our role must be to capture the knowledge that those of us who aren’t digital natives carry in our heads and share it with digitally fluent newcomers.
Digitized content & AI search capabilities
BAMA has already started its journey into this digital world. We have created a Learning Centre with a set of six “Basics” videos on aerosol technology, covering topics such as how a tinplate can is made or how a valve works. Our second step was to create a series of interactive learning units on some of the most critical areas our members must address—for instance, labeling requirements and factory fire safety.
Just two years into this project, we are now updating the user interface to make it more intuitive and easier to access. In the coming months, we plan to digitize much of the content on the BAMA website and put an AI search engine at the front end so people can ask the technology to find the information they need, rather than searching through documents themselves.
As we create an environment for Gen Z to work in, we need to keep in mind Gen Alpha, who will enter the workforce within the next five years. Their digital experience and expectations will be at an entirely different level.
By the way, these are my thoughts made readable by Grammarly.
If you are BAMA member and would like to access the Learning Centre, please click here. SPRAY
