As workforce development initiatives go, this one may be among the more colorful.

Germany-based electric motor manufacturer Menzel Elektromotoren has published what it says is the world's first coloring book focused on industrial motor manufacturing. Aimed at preschool and elementary-age children, the book uses illustrations based on actual shop-floor photographs to show how large electric motors are manufactured, assembled, tested and repaired.

Rather than featuring cartoon machinery, the coloring pages are drawn from real production activities at the company's Hennigsdorf manufacturing facility near Berlin. Children can color scenes depicting rotor machining, coil winding, welding, motor assembly and final testing, offering an early glimpse into industrial manufacturing.

According to the company, the project is designed to spark curiosity about engineering while highlighting the role electric motors play in factories, conveyor systems, robotics, building infrastructure and countless other industrial applications.

Menzel also hopes the book shines a light on careers that often receive little public attention, particularly electrical machine and drive systems technicians, who build, maintain and repair industrial motors. The family-owned company, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, said it already partners with local schools and trains apprentices annually as part of its workforce development efforts.

As Anja Leipold, the company's head of marketing, noted, it's never too early to introduce the next generation to the technology that keeps much of modern industry running—and if that starts with a box of crayons, all the better.