Manufacturing skills shortage solution is powerful

Paul V. Arnold, Noria Corporation
Tags: talent management

In checking the news wires recently for manufacturing jobs information, I noticed that the following headlines were listed one on top of the other:

“U.S. losing momentum in engineering”

“Worldwide hunt aims to ease skills shortage”

“U.S. can’t afford to lose its science edge”

“Energy companies in the hunt for a few good technicians”

Noticing the eerie similarity in subject matter, I thought I accidentally had searched for information on “workforce skills shortage.” But looking at the top of the page, I saw “manufacturing” in the search bar.

These articles – from newspapers in Virginia, West Virginia, New York and Houston – presented plenty of statistics:

All this was important stuff, but what the articles did not offer was a solution or solutions. The sky is falling. What do we do?

A few days later, I came across one solution in an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper. It explained how Generac, a Wisconsin-based producer of generators, built a non-traditional educational program to entice high-schoolers into technical careers in manufacturing firms.

According to the article, Generac “students” follow the usual curriculum of math, English, science and social studies. But much of their eight-hour day is spent working with Generac employees in a variety of plant manufacturing jobs. Besides knowledge, the students receive entry-level wages during the 21-month, year-round program.

“They are still technically enrolled in their school district,” says Mike Carr, Generac’s marketing and communications manager. “By satisfying the requirements of the educational component and the vocational training, they can graduate with their high school class.”

Carr says 21 students have completed the program. Ten returning students and 13 new students were enrolled this September.

“It’s not a theory; it’s not a ‘good idea.’ This is a good, working program and a good example for other companies,” says Carr.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle believes in it. He signed the 2006 state budget, which includes $200,000 to develop an education model based on the Generac program and make it available to other companies.

Sure, we have manufacturing skills shortage problems. But solutions are out there, too. You just have to search for them.