How Manufacturers are Fighting Back Against the Skills Gap

For decades, the U.S. manufacturing industry was a backbone of the economy and a thriving, highly desirable industry. Now, many manufacturers struggle to find new workers to replace those who are retiring. You’ve probably heard of the skills gap in the news, but what is it and how can it be fixed? 

What is the Skills Gap?

The skills gap is an across-the-board industry problem in manufacturing. Many manufacturers report a gap between the talent they desire in an employee and the talent they find in job seekers. A whopping 84% of executives agree that there is a talent shortage in U.S. manufacturing. Even more alarming: 3.4 million jobs will be vacated by retiring baby boomers while only 1.4 million will be filled by qualified candidates. That’s 2 million jobs hanging in limbo.

How Can We Fight the Skills Gap?

Manufacturers like Dayton Rogers are fighting back against the skills gap. Some of the solutions include:

• Getting in front of high school students and spreading education. While traditional universities can be a great path for some, they aren’t a path for everyone. By working directly with high school students, we can reach a new generation through vocational training initiatives and apprenticeships.
• Capitalizing on popular media. Shows like MythBusters and How It’s Made have helped make manufacturing appealing to younger generations. It’s up to manufacturers to show the younger generations how they can unleash their creativity through manufacturing.
• Offering competitive benefits. The manufacturing industry is in a unique position to offer alluring benefits to inspire new employees. New employees can earn significantly more starting out in manufacturing than they typically can in a white-collar position. Manufacturing companies can also offer added benefits – for example at Dayton Rogers we offer to pay for college or other post-secondary education.

What does the future of manufacturing hold? Only time will tell. With these new efforts, we hope to shorten and close the skills gap in manufacturing. Interested in learning more about what Dayton Rogers has to offer? Check out our current employment opportunities.

Dayton Rogers is your trusted resource for sheet metal fabrication, metal stamps, metalforming and all your manufacturing company needs. Get a free quote today on your custom metal fabrication project.