Dive Brief:
- By the year 2020, there will be roughly 3.5 million unfilled American manufacturing jobs, Supply Chain 247 reported Monday.
- Manufacturers who wish to draw attention and interest to the field must get involved and actively create interest by visiting schools, sponsoring events and educating parents about changes in the industry in order to demonstrate the new world in which manufacturing exists.
- Architecture and design are becoming essential to the traditional STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Companies such as Edge Factor are creating cinematic experiences to enable educators to connect with students to increase awareness toward manufacturing careers within the supply chain.
Dive Insight:
As baby boomers age out of the field, millennials are the natural replacement to fill open positions within manufacturing. However, drawing their attention to the advantages of working in a job they associate with clanging machines, conveyor belts and unclean environments is a significant hurdle.
And yet the looming talent shortage is real. For many young professionals, there is a disconnect as to what a technology degree can offer. Talented students view a job in technology as an ideal, but imagine only destinations such as Silicon Valley as a site likely to allow them to fulfill their ambitions. Meanwhile, the reality is that more than two-thirds of U.S. manufacturing companies are adopting 3-D printing and more than half use robots.
Forward-thinking companies determined to attract the next generation of workers must continue to update communication strategies, leverage social media channels including mobile and Youtube, to find the talent their business requires. Furthermore, the recruiting effort requires both senior employees who can provide the vision of a long-term manufacturing career as well as younger employee representatives closer in age to potential employees to find the next generation of talent.
