The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled a national movement to strengthen domestic supply chains and reshore. Recruitment of the next generation of skilled manufacturing talent is paramount to this effort, but there is a widening gap between the skills needed by industry and the skills of job candidates. There are two leading reasons for the skills gap. First, a lack of recruits. Second, the pace of innovation. For U.S. manufacturing and workforce development, innovation is a game changer.
Young people have a preconceived image of manufacturing careers being dark, dirty, dangerous and disappearing, consistent with the 1950s reality and the impact of decades of offshoring. But conditions have dramatically improved, and much of today’s manufacturing is bright, clean, safe and expanding. To improve the perception of manufacturing and attract more young workers, the industry needs to show that modern manufacturing is a high-skilled, high-tech, high-paying, stable career choice.