The manufacturing industry has undergone significant changes during the past few decades. In the past, manufacturers needed workers to perform repetitive tasks requiring few specialized skills. Now that automated manufacturing is the norm, workers need the ability to work with computerized manufacturing systems and robotic equipment. This change in the job market leaves employers scrambling to find employees with the right skills, which affects production levels and makes it difficult to fill orders.
Employers use automated manufacturing systems to perform tasks such as creating 3-D graphics of product parts, cutting and bending steel, and measuring raw materials. Workers must be able to program these machines and troubleshoot technical errors. Unfortunately, manufacturers are having a hard time finding workers who have these specialized skills. Dave Johnson of Steris Corporation said his company needed more than seventy skilled workers to run a new manufacturing plant in Ohio but was able to hire only fifty-five workers with the required skills.
Thomas J. Duesterberg of The Huffington Post says one way to address the skills shortage is to encourage women to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Advances in automated manufacturing increase the need for workers with STEM-related skills, but women currently represent only 25 percent of the workforce in the manufacturing sector. Duesterberg says women are an "untapped resource" for manufacturing companies in need of workers with advanced skills. If employers invest more resources in getting women interested in manufacturing jobs, the job market could change significantly within the next few years.
Automated manufacturing has also created new challenges for recruiters. Employers in Rhode Island indicate it is more difficult to find workers with advanced skills than it is to find unskilled workers to fill packing, shipping, and general labor positions, according to a survey conducted by the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association and Rhode Island Manufacturing Extension Services. Nearly 70 percent of respondents said it is getting harder to find skilled workers, while only 45 percent said it is getting harder to find entry-level workers. Manufacturers are struggling to find skilled machinists, CNC operators, and engineers, leaving approximately 300,000 manufacturing jobs unfilled as of March 2014. Some employers are partnering with their local school districts to get students interested in automated manufacturing in the hope of influencing more students to choose manufacturing as a career.
If the manufacturing industry is going to thrive, employers need to hire skilled employees to work with automated equipment and produce high-quality products. The job market has changed significantly due to automation, but there are opportunities for employers to find the right workers. Encouraging women to enter the field and working with students before they choose their career paths could help employers find the right employees for their automated manufacturing facilities.
(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)
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