What Can Manufacturing Organizations Do About the Skills Gap?

Is your organization having a hard time filling open technical jobs in Manufacturing? You are not alone. Robert Half International and CareerBuilder found that it takes between 4.5 and 14.4 weeks to fill jobs, depending on the complexity. Some companies are giving up, leaving jobs unfilled. Unfortunately, the people who trickle out of the vocational programs around the United States are being snapped up quickly, and there are not enough graduates to go around.

So if you cannot find great candidates on the outside, you will have to find them on the inside. Many companies depend on a temporary workforce, and low-level, non-skilled positions to do work, such as assembly, quality checks or material handlers. Some of these folks may be just itching for leaders to notice they are interested, energetic and level-headed. They may have the perfect aptitude for learning the more complex skills from the inside, and the attitude to work hard for new skills. The trick is to spot them and give them a chance through structured On the Job Training.

The main elements of a structured training program are a list of required training topics (starting with the easy tasks first), and sets of instructions, such as manuals and Standard Operating Procedures.  The next is to assign someone who has already acquired these skills and prepare them to be effective trainers. Then bite the bullet and allow the time for training, so that the new person can have a chance to prove themselves. You can set up a pay structure that allows them an “apprentice” rate while they are receiving On the Job Training. When they are through with the training period, Voila, you have a freshly minted skilled worker, one that comes with enthusiasm, experience, and loyalty for having been given a career out of a temp or low skilled job. Better still, you have other low-skilled employees who are hoping to prove themselves in the same way.

Some apprenticeship programs are paid for by government programs, or you may find you can be reimbursed for the training costs and time to upskill employees. Check out what is possible in your state!

Meanwhile, try not to lose your experienced Subject Matter Experts! They are too difficult to replace. Rewards and recognition programs, an internal promotion plan, and regular performance reviews and development plans are all retention tools that help skilled workers know they are appreciated. Check out this Train the Trainer course to get started building skills in your organization!!

 Does Your Organization Need a Shrink?

Author, Speaker, Instructor and Organizational Psychologist, Katy Caselli has over 20 years of experience solving complex organizational problems, including setting up Structured On the Job Training Programs.