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employees often sit around the conference room table and ask our clients what ’ s great about their organization . We must have those difficult conversations . If the answer is not a bunch of goodness , then how is it possible to position them as competitive employers .
“ One of my favorite things to ask a manufacturer is how the skills gap is affecting them and what are they doing about it . Most of the time the answer is ‘ not much .’ From upskilling to reskilling , there are so many learning paths to put forward for employees . There are new technologies to explore that can really propel manufacturing into the future . Here in the States , we work closely with the National Association of Manufacturers , which has a program specifically created to attract high school graduates who are not going on to college to see the opportunities in manufacturing including these fun new technologies .
“ This is reinforced by the annual Manufacturing Day , MFG Day , that showcases advancements in modern manufacturing . It opens the door to high school students so they can really see what ’ s happening in the industry . We partner with thousands of manufacturing companies throughout the country to make a big splash for this day . If we only touch a few percent of those individuals and they go on to decide on a career in
Advancement opportunities are king , and employees are willing to invest their time manufacturing , then we ’ ve done our job ,” Alex enthuses .
“ Nearly 80 percent of the current employed population is telling us that they would stay within the sector if they were able to learn new skills and advance their careers . People are willing to learn more . There is a perception that as we introduce new technology , such as robotics for example , then jobs will be rendered obsolete . I don ’ t believe that ’ s necessarily true . The data shows us that the implementation of robotics will require a different skill set . So , why not repackage that with new learning paths . We need to arm people with the necessary technical acumen to operate , maintain , and program robots , so that the cobot concept can become a reality ,” he asserts .
“ If manufacturers get better or more consistent at measuring the competencies of the current workforce , then it ’ s possible to start devising strategies for upskilling those individuals in the new technological roles that we need . That can be a combination of classroom , online , and on the job training . Not everybody learns in the same way . If employers are willing to offer advancement opportunities and work closely with educational establishments to deliver that training , then there is a greater chance of retaining staff . Some organizations are doing this but it ’ s not consistent across the board .
“ Advancement opportunities are king , and employees are willing to invest their time . While this is encouraging , it ’ s also important to bear in mind that ten percent of those people telling us that they ’ re learning a new skill are doing so because they think they ’ re going to lose their job . Hence , the importance of presenting the message in a better , more positive light .”
Profitable partnerships
In drawing our conversation to a close , Alex highlights that in manufacturing , there are ordinary people doing extraordinary things every day . “ In some cases , they ’ re not necessarily recognized for it , which is cited by a lot of people . While the worker has a responsibility to start getting some of that loyalty and investment from the company by being vocal , manufacturers must meet and listen to them .
“ Manufacturers need to be intentional about getting into the minds of their
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