Every October, thousands of U.S. manufacturers open their doors for Manufacturing Day, hosting tours and demonstrations in hopes of sparking interest in manufacturing careers. It\u2019s a fantastic effort, and one that\u2019s sorely needed.<\/P><\/p>\n
But manufacturers shouldn\u2019t assume a one-day-a-year event is enough to fix the intractable talent shortage they\u2019ve faced for decades\u2014a problem that\u2019s about to get a lot worse.<\/P><\/p>\n
Deloitte estimates the number of unfilled manufacturing jobs will skyrocket as 2.7 million workers from the Great and Boomer generations retire through 2025. By then, 3.4 million new manufacturing workers<\/A> could be needed.<\/P><\/p>\n Meanwhile, the U.S. labor force is shrinking<\/A>, and growing industries like technology services and entertainment beckon as more innovative and exciting alternatives to manufacturing jobs.<\/P><\/p>\n This is the vise that\u2019s been squeezing the flow of fresh faces to manufacturing for years.<\/P><\/p>\n The good news is that it really<\/EM> is an exciting time to work in manufacturing<\/A>. Emerging technologies like advanced robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT)<\/A>, generative design<\/A> and additive manufacturing<\/A> are commonplace in modern factories.<\/P> We\u2019ve observed three ways manufacturers could change to become more attractive places to work.<\/P><\/p>\n 1. Be more engaged with the next workforce.<\/STRONG> Research suggests that manufacturers haven’t made meaningful efforts to truly engage incoming workers and discover what\u2019s important to them. Almost half of manufacturers\u201446 percent<\/A>\u2014think Millennials see manufacturing as blue-collar work they want nothing to do with, and 43 percent believe Millennials lack the ethics and discipline to succeed.<\/P> Engaging the Millennial generation is not optional, as they will make up 50 percent of the workforce by 2020<\/A>, and the two things most important to them in an employer are community involvement and company values.<\/P><\/p>\n The takeaway from these findings is that manufacturers are losing the labor battle because many of them have not evolved their cultures to match modern-day workplace expectations, such as:<\/P><\/p>\n \u2022 Authentic communication 2. Prioritize ongoing investment in the latest manufacturing technology.<\/STRONG> Next-generation workers want modern applications that work as seamlessly and intuitively as consumer applications, but can also support widespread collaboration and new discovery: new knowledge, a better process, or a new product or service. They expect an innovative culture.<\/P> The company had made significant advances automating its manufacturing process to meet the precision and quality requirements for this type of device, but paper processes remained, and they were inhibiting growth opportunities.<\/P><\/p>\n An investment in a manufacturing execution system (MES) made specifically for the medical device industry (Camstar Medical Device Suite) solved the problem. In fact, now the company produces four times the number of products with fewer employees actually touching materials.<\/P><\/p>\n \u201cOur products are completely different, with an immense increase in complexity and output that we\u2019re able to manage with the same headcount,\u201d says Juergen Linder, general manager at MSEI. \u201cIf you do the math, it speaks for itself.\u201d<\/P><\/p>\n Technology that helps people accomplish work faster, better and with fewer steps\/tasks is exactly what the modern workforce desires. After all, consumer software has trained us to be able to accomplish our immediate goals with ease and satisfaction.<\/P><\/p>\n An article in Inc. that explains what companies need to do to attract Generation Z<\/A> as buyers and employees sums it up this way:<\/P><\/p>\n \u201cGeneration Z has little to no impatience for things that don\u2019t work as intended \u2026Gen Zers want to use technology that is cutting-edge and as efficient as any of the other applications they use on a daily (or hourly) basis.\u201d<\/P><\/p>\n 3. Partner with technology leaders, higher-education institutions and industry events.<\/STRONG> These partnerships can help manufacturers identify where and how they need to change; find high-skill workers with knowledge of cutting-edge technologies and practices; and give existing employees opportunities to participate in innovative projects and new learnings.<\/P> \u201cThe digital twin project is a perfect example of the type of catalyst the BRIDG public\/private partnership creates, one that drives many direct and indirect positions across the high-tech and support services industry,\u201d says BRIDG spokesperson Gloria LeQuang.<\/P><\/p>\n
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The real question the manufacturing community needs to answer is: Why don\u2019t more people want to work for us?<\/EM><\/P><\/p>\n
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At the same time, 78 percent of Millennials say they are strongly influenced by how innovative a company is perceived to be in the marketplace; and 63 percent believe the biggest barriers to innovation are management attitudes.<\/P><\/p>\n
\u2022 Decentralized and agile work environments
\u2022 Accessible and engaged leadership
\u2022 Empowerment to drive change<\/P><\/p>\n![\"Manufacturing](\"http:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2019\/09\/Manufacturing-Jobs-3.png\" "\\"Manufacturing")
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Micro Systems Engineering Inc. (MSEI) has such a culture<\/A>, and its willingness to embrace new technology shows it. The company manufactures electronic modules for Class III life-sustaining medical devices, such as the BITRONIK defibrillator.<\/P><\/p>\n
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For example, in the GM EcoCar project, the venerable automaker worked in conjunction with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to find job candidates for its advanced vehicle programs<\/A>. In another program, Siemens partnered with BRIDG<\/A>, a semiconductor manufacturer, to develop digital twin technology for semiconductor production.<\/P><\/p>\n