The manufacturing industry is steadily improving, but experts are worried about how difficult it is to find people with the skills needed to fill available jobs. There's a shortage of university students interested in manufacturing careers, so colleges and manufacturers have been working together to drum up interest in careers throughout the industry.
According to an article on CourierPress.com, distributors and manufacturing companies throughout the United States are optimistic about industry growth in the upcoming year. Numerous companies have plans to add new products, upgrade their information technology (IT) departments, and improve their day-to-day operation processes. However, it’s the issues that company executives can’t control—including finding university students interested in manufacturing jobs—that are worrisome.
With baby boomers planning to retire, manufacturing companies have limited time to make sure that potential new hires have the training they need. Before the training can begin, companies need to get high school and university students interested in manufacturing careers. In October, many Wisconsin manufacturing companies opened their doors to local students in celebration of Manufacturing Month. Students were allowed to tour these companies and learn about different types of manufacturing equipment in use. According to an article on the website of “The McFarland Thistle,” students were surprised and impressed by the level of automation and usage of robotics. The students' reactions point to an outdated image of manufacturing jobs, which is part of the reason university students aren't showing interest in the industry.
In Vermont, Mack Molding partnered with the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center on an event designed to boost student interest in manufacturing. The event, dubbed Made in Vermont, offered three days of workshops for students from two local high schools and a career development center. According to Julie Horst, Communications Director for Mack Molding, the event was a success, and the company hired five of their summer interns during the event.
In addition to companies being proactive and offering tours to younger students, colleges in most states have begun offering more programs that train university students for manufacturing careers, such as computer numeric control (CNC) and welding programs. One of the benefits of these certificate programs is the job placement help offered to students on completion of the programs. These programs also benefit manufacturing companies because the companies can work closely with program coordinators to hire university students right out of school.
Until more students become interested in the manufacturing industry and are properly trained for available positions, the industry's skills gap will remain. However, with manufacturing companies and schools working together to give university students a glimpse at what a day in a modern factory is really like, companies should start to see the skills gap begin to shorten in the near future.
(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)
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