A study made by Tooling U, a training subsidiary of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), said it’s time for manufacturing employers to pay better attention to the workforce crisis that is taking place within the industry.
It was already reported last year that 2.4 million manufacturing jobs are expected to stay unfilled over the next decade due to a retiring workforce and a shortage of skilled talent. In more recent projections, that number has gone up to 3.5 million.
Tooling U’s 2018 Manufacturing Workforce Survey reported that the overwhelming majority of manufacturers say they will face significant challenges developing a skilled workforce in the next three years. Among the biggest challenges are: finding experienced new hires, upskilling the incumbent workforce and onboarding or executing the recruitment process of getting a new hire.
Another issue that manufacturers face is that the younger generation is more interested in positions within high-tech companies. According to a study made by Ernst and Young, industrial employers are thought to be risk-averse and slow to change while tech companies build a perception of a cutting-edge, fast-paced culture that attracts millennials to careers within that field.
Those who participated in Tooling U’s Workforce survey said they are most in need of Manufacturing Engineers and Mechanical Engineers.
What’s the solution to get more workers to fill these jobs?
Most in the manufacturing community believe that training to upskill their current workforce may address the low talent pool, and provide a path for employee promotion and pay growth. They are attaining this by designating current personnel to train lower-skilled workers or by offering tuition reimbursement for those pursuing additional education towards these vacant positions.
Others are keen on developing the younger generation’s interest in pursuing jobs within manufacturing:
- 75% said they offer internship for students in manufacturing
- 69% said they support community college programs built towards manufacturing careers
- 65% said they provide financial contributions to support programs that develop the manufacturing workforce pipeline
- 59% said they support K-12 manufacturing programs as well as use their local workforce boards for pipeline development.
How a niche staffing firm can help:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
- Niched staffing firms are well versed in the technical nuances of recruiting for hard-to-find talent such as Mechanical Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers and Electrical Engineers.
- They are well-networked within the industry and can identify active and passive candidates interested in changing jobs or up-skilling.
- Because staffing firms specialize in contingent and flexible talent, they are able to provide interim relief for vacant positions.
- They are fully equipped to support Human Resources with keeping in compliance with labor requirements and can supplement the end-to-end process of on-boarding new hires.
To learn more about how a niched staffing firm can help in addressing manufacturing labor issues, call SoloPoint Solutions today at (408)246-5945 or (714) 708-3639!