• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile

  • CORONAVIRUS
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • THINK TANK
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » To Grow, Manufacturers Must Address Ticking 'Biological Clock' in Talent Recruitment, Study Says

To Grow, Manufacturers Must Address Ticking 'Biological Clock' in Talent Recruitment, Study Says

September 26, 2013
ThomasNet

The annual survey of more than 1,200 American manufacturers paints a picture of an industry that is thriving and reinventing itself every day, but is in danger of slowing down if it doesn't replenish its talent pool. Most of these respondents are from small and mid-sized manufacturing companies, representative of their sector. Currently, the future is bright for these companies: More than half (55 percent) grew in 2012, and nearly two-thirds (63 percent) expect to grow this year. They credit their people, brands, technology and innovation as the assets that are helping them to compete. In fact, nearly seven out of 10 (67 percent) will introduce new or innovative products/services this year.

But a closer look at the findings reveals a "disconnect" between the growth of these manufacturers, and their lack of urgency when it comes to bringing in fresh talent to carry them forward. The survey respondents mirror today's manufacturing workforce, which is heavily populated by employees who are 45 and older. With Generation Y projected to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, manufacturers need a collective "succession plan" to maintain their momentum. Yet, eight out of 10 respondents report that this generation represents a small fraction of their employee base, and most don't see that changing soon. In short, despite more opportunity ahead, manufacturing's biological clock is silently ticking away.

"As a foundation of our economy, the manufacturing sector remains vibrant, but cracks are coming to the surface. Changes in the workforce demographics and old attitudes about manufacturing as a career threaten the industry's expansion. It's time for those who love American manufacturing to double their efforts to engage the next generation," said Eileen Markowitz, president, ThomasNet.

Technology Improving Opportunities

From the back office to the factory floor, technologies are making manufacturing a hotbed of innovation, improving companies' operations, and increasing their growth. For example, manufacturers are:

"¢ Boosting productivity with more advanced CAD (computer-aided design) software, CNC (computer numerical control) equipment, and cloud computing.

"¢ Making custom products through additive manufacturing.

"¢ Relying on "visual boards" for top-line views of their plants.

"¢ Using smartphones and tablets to monitor inventory for stocking and pricing.

Companies are also giving special attention to technology to improve sales, and more than half (62 percent) say their websites are their most effective business-building tactic. "Our company is doing exceptionally well, and with our website as our primary marketing tool, we have doubled our online sales," said Karen Norheim, vice president of marketing and information technology with American Crane and Equipment Corporation in greater Philadelphia.

Negative Perceptions Deter New Generations

The opportunity to harness these technologies, and to create and innovate, is what makes manufacturing so rewarding, according to the respondents. They believe that the positive attributes of manufacturing are lost to the public at large - including the satisfaction of developing new products, the environment of change, pride in "Made in America" quality, and the ability to improve people's lives around the globe. Moreover, three out of four respondents (73 percent) believe that negative perceptions about manufacturing careers are deterring young people from joining forces with them.

Calling on High Schools to Do More

Many manufacturers have developed creative partnerships with schools to engage their "best and brightest," and they consider educators the ray of hope for their future. They are calling on high schools to offer more skills training, and to increase their emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They hope their potential successors will see, as one respondent says, that manufacturing is "a job that changes every day, but can last a lifetime."

Click here to download a complimentary report on the findings.

Source: ThomasNet

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Business Strategy Alignment Global Supply Chain Management HR & Labor Management Quality & Metrics Industrial Manufacturing North America
KEYWORDS Business Strategy Alignment Global Supply Chain Management HR & Labor Management Industrial Manufacturing manufacturing employment manufacturing jobs North America Quality & Metrics Supply Chain Analysis & Consulting supply chain jobs Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management: Industrial Manufacturing Supply chain talent Thomasnet
  • Related Articles

    New Oil Alternatives Needed to Address Vegetable Oil Challenges, Study Says

    Many Manufacturers Still Wedded to Manual Processes, Study Says

    As Supply Chains Grow More Complex, Finding the Right Talent Becomes More Difficult, Cisco Exec Says

ThomasNet

ThomasNet Issues Free Purchasing Tools in Partnership With Source One

More from this author

Wake up to Coronavirus Updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • Coronavirus-watch-Armada

    Virus Update: Biden Unveils National Strategy; Pfizer Says It’s Willing to Sell Vaccine to States

    Coronavirus
  • Car Industry

    A Year of Poor Planning Led to Carmakers’ Massive Chip Shortage

    Technology
  • Can Employers Require Employees to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine? Part 1

    Watch: Can Employers Require Employees to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine? Part 1

    Coronavirus
  • U.S. Vaccine Rollout Hindered by Faulty Coordination, Messaging

    WHO Fumes at Western Drugmakers As China Fills Vaccine Void

    Coronavirus
  • COVID-19 Vaccine

    Vaccine Disparities Raise Alarm as COVID-19 Variants Multiply

    Coronavirus

Digital Edition

Scb home issue 27

2020 Supply Chain Innovator of the Year

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • LSP Saves Customer $1.5 Million a Year With MPO Global Inbound Management

  • Auto Supplier Wows Key Client Using riskmethods Supply Chain Savvy

  • Integrating Shipping and Compliance Saves Conglomerate Millions

  • How a Consumer Goods Giant Upped Its On-Time Delivery Performance

  • LSP Wows Global Client, Quickly Advances to Become End-to-End Provider

Visit Our Sponsors

6 River Systems ArcBest Armada
aThingz BluJay Burris Logistics
DSC Logistics DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association) DHL Resilience360
Genpact GEP Honeywell Intelligrated
Infor Logility Magnitude Software
MPO Old Dominion Oliver Wight
OpenSky Ports America Purolator
QAD Precision Red Classic Riskmethods
TGW Systems Transportation Insights Watson Land Company
Westfalia Technologies Workjam Yang Ming
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright © 2016 - 2018 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing