The manufacturing industry is in a unique predicament. Rather than not having enough jobs, the industry is instead experiencing a surplus of jobs that cannot be filled because applicants lack the necessary skill sets. Despite the level of awareness regarding the problem and the potential impact to the industry now and in the future, the skills gap continues to place a stronghold on the manufacturing industry.
Interestingly, the origination of this problem starts much before most people are thinking about their first job, let alone a career. The roots of the issue stretch as far back as primary and secondary school when students begin to resist taking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) classes. Because potential employees lack these core skills, a growing number of manufacturing jobs remain unfilled. As a result, as many as 600,000 manufacturing jobs remain open as a result of the skills gap, according to the report “Boiling Point? The Skills Gaps in U.S. Manufacturing” from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute.
Taking the Long Way Around
Instead, many employees come to work in the manufacturing industry in a roundabout way from other industries. Often they arrive to the industry with the needed skills later in their career as a result of prior on-the-job experience, not because of a dedicated educational path. Because of this circuitous route, attracting qualified workers to the manufacturing field is going to require a focused and systematic methodology that incorporates STEM education from an early educational age, exposure to the benefits of a manufacturing career, and options for secondary and continuing education.
Unlike some professions, the path into a career in manufacturing can be quite diverse and offers a number of alternatives. Interested parties can choose from a fundamentals program with a certification, an apprenticeship, an associate’s degree from community college, or a bachelor’s, masters’ or PhD in the subject. Despite all the opportunities to build manufacturing skills, there’s still disagreement on the best way to create a successful approach incorporating industry-wide and industry-sector technical competencies and management- and occupation-specific requirements.
Opportunities to Close the Manufacturing Skills Gap
- Integrate STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) information into school curriculum as early as possible
- Frame a career in manufacturing as a way to change the world through saving energy, improving health, saving lives and building a new economy
- Build connections between STEM leaders and manufacturing industry leaders
- Create synergies to integrate more manufacturing into non-manufacturing, yet related, programs
- Work with the National Center for Manufacturing Education to collect, disseminate, and evaluate ways to share the manufacturing message
Because Austin Nichols specializes in the manufacturing industry, we know what companies are looking for in new hires and how to find the right candidates for the job. All recruited talent introduced to our roster of manufacturing clients benefit from the opportunity to have on-the-job experience prior to accepting any position. When you work with Austin Nichols, Kansas City’s direct hire and contracting firm for the manufacturing industry, you can be assured that you’ll receive exposure to the best-rated manufacturing jobs and employers in the area.
As a top Kansas City recruiting firm since 1988, Austin Nichols Technical Search has served clients in a variety of fields. Austin Nichols specializes in direct hire and contract recruiting for manufacturing, construction, engineering, and technical positions.
