Covid exposed manufacturing’s painful lack of a robust supply chain, putting the issue front and center throughout the country in early 2020. When it comes to the shortage of labor, however, that pain had been felt many years prior—COVID merely intensified the problem. How do we as an industry establish a robust supply chain, and stabilize it to resist outside influences and pressures?
Now, more than ever, manufacturers need to collaborate with each other and regional community partners to establish a sustainable technical workforce. A robust labor supply chain should have a low barrier of entry and align with a succession plan for every position in the company. To attract younger generations to manufacturing, illustrating a clear roadmap, from an entry-level assembler to high-skilled careers such as manufacturing engineer, is crucial.
Synbyo has developed a model that illustrates that path in stages: community outreach, onboarding/assessment, training, entry-level job placement, job retention, individual career plan, gap training and career program. The model is designed to adapt to an individual’s point in their career, as well as address demographic or systemic barriers.
Any pathway would include a transition through middle-skilled occupations such as CNC machinist, quality technician, automation technician and certified welding inspector. It was once said to me, “The best engineers are the ones who were machinists.”
During training and gap training, Tooling U-SME is a great resource to leverage supplemental material to complement hands-on training. For the career program stage, the preferred tactic is an apprenticeship model in which on-the-job training is conducted by an employer, while classroom learning is conducted by a local community college and university.
For this model to be scalable, custom software technology is under development to simulate a specific career path based on experience, skills and goals. The software generates a custom roadmap, utilizing local training providers and community resources. This ultimately helps optimize a region’s technical labor supply chain by streamlining the communication between a program participant and the complex network of programs and partners included in the roadmap.
Working with the California Mobility Center, a non-profit with a mission to integrate clean mobility technology, services and labor into the marketplace with as little time and cost as possible, we were able to pilot and refine a program called Gateway Careers. The intent is to establish modular training courses that provide a bridge for underrepresented communities to enter manufacturing industries, as well as illustrate a path for upskilling incumbent employees into higher-wage careers.
A key component of the program was the creation of an “Introduction to Assembler” course, which is designed to teach foundational technical skills, highlight various career options, identify a person’s ability to learn technical content in a short amount of time, and vet interest or aptitude in such careers.
Although there are no eligibility requirements to register for the course itself, two common barriers are transportation and childcare. Reducing such barriers is critical to managing a robust and sustainable workforce.
The introductory program touches on a variety of equipment and principles, including hand tools, blueprint reading, critical thinking, attention to detail, soldering and machine operation. A 3D printer is strategically used, given the technology’s low-price point, accessibility and alignment to automation. One of the tasks associated with operating a 3D printer is to calibrate and level the bed. This approach sets the tone early on the importance of machine-tool maintenance.
After the initial training, eligible participants transition to a short-term, paid internship to continue the learning process. Project-based learning allows participants to experience real-world scenarios in a learning environment. Two projects leveraged were to create custom STEM kits and eBike retrofits.
The STEM kit project taught participants how to use CAD software to create custom components that were 3D printed and cut on a CNC laser cutter. The eBike retrofit project taught participants how to troubleshoot for basic mechanical systems, such as chains and brakes. An example of the program’s success was an single mother who, with no high school diploma or GED, was able to learn how to use manufacturing tools to produce her own phone holder.
As new talent enters the workforce and current workers desire career mobility, employers must have a framework in place to illustrate career paths and track effectiveness of on-the-job training. The critical task for every manufacturer interested in setting up and sustaining a robust labor supply is to manage relationships with education institutions, local government agencies, community-based groups, labor organizations and fellow manufacturers.
Manufacturing management starts with maintaining relationships. Engaging with local SME chapters and SME Membership’s virtual networking events is a great way to get started.
SME is launching a new partnership, the Manufacturing Imperative–Workforce Pipeline Challenge (MI-WPC), with community and technical colleges across the United States. Such schools enroll more than 40% of all undergraduate students in higher education nationwide and engage hundreds of thousands of adult learners in non-traditional programs.
Starting as a three-year pilot program, MI-WPC aims to engage 1,000 individuals annually at each of the initial 25 participating colleges, resulting in 75,000 or more qualified workers in pursuit of manufacturing careers. The potential economic impact of the initiative is estimated at $6 billion.
“We appreciate SME’s leadership and willingness to bring together the national voice of manufacturers alongside our nation’s community and technical colleges to address local and regional labor market needs and support efforts to invest in America and prepare youth and adults for good jobs,” U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary Amy Loyd said in a statement.
“Manufacturing is a cornerstone of our economy and national security, spanning across various sectors,” added Jeannine Kunz, SME’s chief workforce development officer. “We recognize the urgency of fostering a diverse and highly skilled talent pool to uphold the strength of our industrial base for generations to come.”
The partnership will leverage SME’s strong alliance with the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC). “NCATC is inspired to be a partner on the SME Manufacturing Imperative–Workforce Pipeline Challenge,” said Craig McAtee, NCATC’s executive director, adding that the program will be “top-notch and impactful for education, students and employers across America.”
Among the initial group of 25 participating institutions are Wallace State and Calhoun Community Colleges (Ala.), Daley College from the City Colleges of Chicago (Illinois), WSU Tech (Kan.), Grand Rapids and Schoolcraft Community Colleges (Mich.), Wake Tech Community College (N.C.), Columbus State and Lorain Community Colleges (Ohio), Tulsa Community College (Okla.), Greenville Technical College (S.C.), Pellissippi State Community College (Tenn.), Lone Star Community College (Texas) and Patrick & Henry Community College (Vt).
“Our goal is not just to enhance the workforce and its system, but to truly understand and uplift the unique strengths of each institution,” noted Timothy Wilson, SME’s research lead for the program. “By identifying, refining and disseminating best practices, we hope to address a pressing national imperative: to cultivate and sustain a resilient manufacturing workforce.”
Connect With Us
