By Bill May
Can the US labor force meet manufacturing staffing needs in the next decade? This is especially pertinent when significant expansion in the US Manufacturing Sector has been predicted and major obstacles must be overcome to maximize correlated economic growth.
To rise to the challenge at hand requires acknowledgement of a growing knowledge gap in the existing manufacturing workforce, followed by intentional investment and training to build the manufacturing knowledge required to advance the industry trajectory.
Industry thought leaders and economists predict significant growth in the US manufacturing sector by 2030. There are already countless job openings at manufacturing companies across the country. Yet, there is a shrinking pool of experienced manufacturing and engineering talent, which was prompted decades ago by a decline in manufacturing job opportunities and, therefore, less demand for industrial and technical training. Meanwhile, much of the most experienced manufacturing workforce has aged and retired. The reduction in demand coupled with retirements have created the current knowledge gap within manufacturing.
If the manufacturing sector expands as anticipated, signaled by several economic indicators, who will fill the new manufacturing jobs that are created?
Today’s Solution: Experienced Retirees & Highly Skilled Labor Resources
Given the unfilled manufacturing positions in plants across the country and low availability of highly experienced professionals, High Value Manufacturing offers a solution. HVM has assembled a team of retirees, semi-retirees, and seasoned professionals who are ready to roll up their sleeves in client facilities on a contract basis. Each of our knowledgeable project managers and skilled labor resources are equipped with more than 25 years of hands-on industry experience and training.
These highly skilled manufacturing and engineering labor resources provide a “stop-gap” for companies that are struggling to identify knowledgeable candidates or in the process of training new hires for specialized positions. HVM labor resources can be deployed on a short-term or part-time basis, while maintaining scheduling flexibility for both the manufacturer and individual resource.
There are a variety of specialized positions for which HVM labor resources are qualified:
- Industrial/Process Engineer
- Maintenance Reliability Engineer
- Controls Engineer
- Die Casting Engineer
- Manufacturing/Project Management
- Compliance & Certification Readiness
- Materials Management
- Quality Systems Management & Engineering
- Mechanical/Plant Engineer
- Systems & Feasibility Studies
- Plant Layout Assessment
- Capacity Planning
- Launch Readiness & Training
Highly skilled, highly experienced labor resources are available for immediate placement and require little or no learning curve to meet client-defined objectives. HVM labor resources are hands-on and well-versed in industry best practices, having repeatedly implemented and improved upon those practices during their lengthy careers. The benefits to manufacturers are immediate, sustained value and results.
HVM leaders set the stage for the company’s client-focused mission, and all team members are committed to the evolving and growing US Manufacturing Sector.
Tomorrow’s Opportunity: Leveraged Mentoring
In addition to providing labor resources to meet immediate staffing challenges, HVM is committed to building the knowledge and skills among newer manufacturing professionals through experience-share opportunities.
HVM regularly provides mentoring and guidance to existing quality management teams with our “Traveling Expert” approach in client facilities. HVM implements 11+1 Quality Management Strategies with short-term tasks that create immediate quality results. This cost-efficient approach is modeled after a Home-Health Care model of providing needed professional medical services, but not on a full-time, round-the-clock basis. These quick response solutions mean less out-of-pocket consulting fees, netting high value manufacturing results. In every engagement we focus on:
- Producing the highest quality products
- Creating improved throughput
- Maintaining cost effective operations
With these objectives in mind, HVM supports a “Leveraged Mentoring” approach to experience-share that strengthens the manufacturing workforce. We must provide inexperienced but well-trained individuals with personal mentoring by highly experienced, highly skilled senior level employees or contractors. The term “leveraged” refers to delivering this mentoring opportunity to dozens of individuals simultaneously, rather than to one or a few per a traditional mentoring model. Today’s technologies provide us the ability to conduct a variety of training and mentoring tasks to a larger group while retaining the interactivity and effectiveness of traditional in-person mentoring models.
Fight the Knowledge Gap with HVM
HVM is continually adding to our network of highly experienced and skilled manufacturing and engineering talent for short-term, supplemental client projects and mentoring opportunities. Seasoned manufacturing professionals who want to continue to apply hard-earned skills and earn money on a flexible schedule, we may have an opportunity for you. Contact us HERE or upload a resume HERE to learn more.
At High Value Manufacturing, we realize manufacturing companies today struggle with several planning, operational, and resource challenges. As a world class manufacturing consulting firm, our goal is to help our Aerospace, Automotive, Defense and other manufacturing clients assess current operational issues, plan for future needs, provide concrete recommendations, and provide the skilled resources required for sustainable growth. HVM provides the combination of highly skilled and highly experienced resources to deliver the necessary technical support to achieve even your company’s most aggressive growth (On-Shoring, Near-Shoring, Reshoring, Deglobalization, De-coupling) strategies.
Did you enjoy this blog? Search our blog library for other topics of interest: https://highvaluemanufacturingconsulting.com/blog/