U.S. Return of Work Operations Escapes Preparedness of Manufacturers
The United States stands as the second-largest producer of medium- and high-tech manufactured goods globally, a position that holds immense potential for expansion. However, this growth comes with a challenge: the workforce isn't ready to fill the jobs created by these advanced manufacturing projects.
To address this skills shortage, companies are employing a variety of strategies. Employer-led apprenticeship and earn-and-learn programs are being implemented to provide hands-on training and education, such as the successful FAME program, a collaboration between the Manufacturing Institute and Toyota.
Industry coalitions, like NIICA, are partnering with employers and technical colleges to build workforce pipelines in critical sectors, like semiconductors, facing acute shortages. They focus on experiential training and creating flexible career pathways, especially for advanced manufacturing fields like quantum computing and biomanufacturing.
Companies are also investing in incumbent worker upskilling and developing transferable skill credentialing systems aligned with industry needs. This approach aims to foster workforce mobility and adaptability to evolving technologies.
Beyond training, companies are integrating comprehensive talent development programs that align with organizational goals and evolving workforce needs. These programs leverage hybrid work, mentoring, leadership development, and personalized career pathing to foster innovation and employee retention.
The jobs returning in the manufacturing sector look very different, encompassing semiconductors, sensors, software, and precision tools. These roles require technical skill, critical thinking, and the ability to work across systems and teams. As a result, managers are being trained to take ownership and backed with the tools and authority to act. Middle managers are expected to transition from gathering and summarizing information to analysis, judgment, and leadership.
The labor shortage for skilled workers is particularly evident in regions where new advanced manufacturing facilities are being built. This is not just an HR issue, but a business issue, and for some, a survival issue. Companies that recognize the changes brought by AI and reshoring, and act on them, will stay ahead. Agility, the ability to shift and adapt the workforce quickly, is becoming a crucial operational capability.
These advanced manufacturing projects are underway in cities such as Phoenix, Columbus, Ohio, and Syracuse, New York. Education will have to adjust, with more learning happening on the job and a closer connection between schools and employers. Training has to track with transformation, and new approaches like internal academies or apprenticeship-style programs are being adopted.
Over the next three years, business leaders face a challenge to prepare their companies and people for the work that's already arriving. The United States is showing potential to expand its production of medium- and high-tech manufactured goods even more, but only if the workforce is ready to meet the demand. The future of high-tech manufacturing depends on a resilient and agile workforce, and these multifaceted approaches are central to building one.
[1] The Manufacturing Institute. (2021). [Website] Available at: https://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/ [2] NIICA. (2021). [Website] Available at: https://www.niica.org/ [3] FAME. (2021). [Website] Available at: https://www.fame-us.org/ [4] Deloitte Insights. (2020). [Website] Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/manufacturing/advanced-manufacturing-skills-gap.html
- Celebrating the success of the FAME program, a collaboration between the Manufacturing Institute and Toyota, technology companies are facilitating apprenticeship and earn-and-learn programs for education and self-development, offering hands-on training to address the gap in the workforce readiness for advanced manufacturing jobs.
- Recognizing the necessity of a skilled workforce to meet the growing demand for medium- and high-tech manufactured goods, industry coalitions like NIICA are partnering with employers and technical colleges for education-and-self-development, focusing on experiential training in critical sectors like quantum computing and biomanufacturing.
