Outreach
The Skilled Labor Shortage
A new survey shows baby-boomer retirement coupled with a lost generation of factory workers have combined to create a perfect storm, aggravating a costly skilled labor shortage for manufacturers in the U.S.
The need to replace these lost skilled workers has grown from a concern to a wholesale crisis in just three short years, according to the 100 senior manufacturing executives surveyed. They say the shortfall will cost their companies an average $52 million each, and even more, $100 million, for the nation's largest companies who report more than $1 billion in annual revenue.
According to the Economic Policy Institute "While U.S. manufacturing has been hit hard by a decade of rapid import growth and job loss, the manufacturing sector remains a vital part of the U.S. economy. The manufacturing sector supported 14 million jobs in 2007, or about 10.1% of total employment."
In other words, Manufacturing is critical to the health of our Nation's economy, and a steady stream of new, highly skilled employees is critical to Manufacturing in any region.
Reaching Potential Students
The Manufacturing Assistance Center works to address the critical shortage of trained machinists by going out into the community to reach new streams of interested students.
Career Fairs, Group Presentations, and School Field Trips provide us with the opportunity to connect with potential students. We work with CareerLink/CareerTrack Centers in Western PA, Area High Schools, Veterans Programs, Youth Employment Programs, Special Interest Groups to reach a diverse and talented group of potential students who might not otherwise hear about the fantastic career path opportunities available to them in Manufacturing.
