I continuously hear from manufacturers, machine builders and integrators across our industry that they can’t find qualified people for the job openings they have. Technicians or Engineers, Controls or Mechanical, all positions are in short supply and heavy demand.
“The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)’s “Made in America” research series estimates the shortage at 80,000 to 100,000 highly skilled manufacturing workers.” SHRM
In addition, according to the same study, the average age in 2013 of these workers was 56 years. In conference presentations, I have seen segments like Steel or Metalworking show average ages up to 62. And the demand for Science Technology Engineering & Math (STEM) jobs is only growing.
“Over the past 10 years, STEM jobs grew three times faster than non-STEM jobs, and they are projected to continue to grow by 17% through 2018, compared to 9.8% for all other occupations.” SME – Anna Maria Chávez
CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA
But…
“The United States has one of the lowest shares of college degrees awarded in science and technology.” McKinsey
This collection of data screams to me that we MUST work on encouraging our youth with an interest in manufacturing and automation. Manufacturers have the opportunity to drive this interest even with small investments that can have a large impact.
- Participating in events like Mfg Day
- Providing internships or coop opportunities
- Investing in the education system with equipment
- Providing training to students
- Opening your doors to tours.
Especially important is that we invest in programs for the K-12 level according to McKinsey as relatively few incoming freshmen choose these STEM subjects and less than half complete their degrees.
I am personally passionate about encouraging people of all ages into STEM careers and I love sharing my passion for automation. We, at Balluff, are investing in technical labs, capstone projects and even middle school after school programs.
If you are interested in how you can get more involved in promoting STEM careers in your community, please reach out to me.
@WillAutomate on Twitter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/willhealyiii
