I recently started a discussion on LinkedIn about the need to attract youth to manufacturing and ways to do it.  This discussion quickly received numerous comments sparking a meaningful discussion between manufacturers from all over the globe.  I would like to share a few ideas from this discussion:

“I am VP of a machine shop in Oklahoma City. I’ve got plenty of work to do but not enough skilled labor. We started an “apprentice program” here and have been taking young people and training them how to be machinist. We’ve got two under the age of 24 and they have been doing great shadowing the more mature machinist we have! We hope it encourages them to continue on in this field!”

-Mary Jo Jerome

“One cool idea in the article was a new game called Plantville where players can simulate running a manufacturing plant. Teens love games like Minecraft which is all about building things; it’s like modern day legos. Maybe they’ll love Plantville as well!”

-Brian Baer

“I understand that we are all in business to make money, but maybe it is time for business’s in a geographic area to step up and create a training center that mainly targets our young people. Think about this, if 10-20 business’s in a large geographical area got together and provided the funding for a training center, what would the actual cost to benefit ratio be? It could provide our youth the training needed, give the employer a trained employee they did not have to spend time training on their floor along with the costs associated with that, give businesses a feeder program.”

-Martin Migliori

“We have several programs within the state and here locally in West Michigan to attract and retain talent, for these positions and others. There are several organizations that work with high school kids, not just vo-tech centers, but FIRST Robotics and others who help make kids aware of the job opportunities in the manufacturing world.”

-Rebecca Dutcher

 

I’d like to thank all the professionals that shared their thoughts and concerns about this widespread issue in the industry.  It is great to see so much enthusiasm from the several professionals that have joined this conversation.

Interested in reading more from this discussion? Want to share your own opinion and ideas? Then check out the full discussion here.

Manufacturing is one of the most important industries in the nation today.  Jobs created in the industry help to create other jobs, such as sales and administration.  Furthermore, despite the trend of outsourcing to foreign countries, the United State still remains the top manufacturer in the world.  But another trend exists in the manufacturing industry.  That trend is the aging of the current workforce and shortage of skilled laborers due to the declining interest from young people in pursuing manufacturing careers.

RiteWay recognizes the importance of encouraging the youth to pursue a career in manufacturing, so we created a new page under the tab of “Youth.”  This new page is centered around addressing the biases against manufacturing and demonstrating the true value that a career in the field really has.  On this page, we have included multiple links to non-profit organizations that educate students about the many opportunities in manufacturing and assist those that are considering a career in the field.

So please, feel free to visit our new page and let us know what you think or share any link you believe would be beneficial to include.

Over the last few years, manufacturers within the United States have been experiencing labor shortages due to the decrease in skilled laborers. This declining workforce has been fueled by a number of factors: a large number of laborers reaching retirement age, decreases in the number of shop classes offered in high school, and the misconception of manufacturing careers as unglamorous and low-paying. However, many manufacturing careers actually offer great pay along with advancement opportunities. Another plus is that many manufacturers are currently hiring, even during this slow economy.

Several organizations are looking to change the negative stereotypes of manufacturing. One of these is Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs, a foundation created by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association. The goal of this organization is to change the negative perceptions regarding manufacturing careers and inspire young people to pursue careers in the manufacturing sector. Partnering with colleges and manufacturers across the country, they hold several manufacturing camps for high school students and award scholarships to many students that plan on earning a degree or certification in manufacturing.

Manufacturing is an exciting industry offering plenty of rewarding careers, so it is important to keep the youth interested. So please, grab your gloves, your hammers, and your welding torches, and help us create the next great manufacturing generation!