CLEVELAND, NC—Daimler Trucks is trying to fill more than 300 positions at its Freightliner assembly plant here, but the company is having trouble finding enough qualified workers in the area. The company has been hiring since April and wants to have more than 1,000 new employees by the end of the year.
WASHINGTON—A current lack of skilled and highly skilled manufacturing workers has measurable financial impacts on U.S. manufacturers, according to a new study from Accenture and the Manufacturing Institute.
CHICAGO—Half of U.S. businesses say they plan to train new hires this year, up from 39 percent in 2013, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder. “Training budgets that were diminished or nonexistent during the recession are starting to make a comeback,” says Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.
SANTA ROSA, CA—An innovative “job-shadowing” program to train high school students for skilled manufacturing jobs is gaining momentum in its third year. Launched by 101MFG, a trade group focused on boosting California’s manufacturing sector, the program is expecting up to 300 participants this year.
CLEVELAND—Tooling U-SME has introduced a new workforce development resource, called the Competency Framework, that outlines the knowledge and skill objectives for more than 60 manufacturing jobs.
For example, according to the Precision Metalforming Association, 69 percent of U.S. metalworking companies have job openings. However, 91 percent of those companies are experiencing challenges finding qualified employees, and 42 percent describe that difficulty as “severe.”
WASHINGTON—Women could help manufacturers fill their need for skill workers, but companies will need to improve the image of the industry as a female-friendly workplace.