Creating pathways for tomorrow’s workforce today

Many manufacturers still struggle to fill critical jobs, and companies should continue to find ways to broaden the talent pipeline, foster inclusive cultures, and create ongoing upskilling programs for the digital future of manufacturing.

The ongoing challenges most manufacturers face in attracting, retaining, and upskilling their workforce are likely to persist without a concerted, industrywide effort. While many of the recommendations above are designed to help address specific pain points, the broader reality is that the industry as a whole should continue to come together to help with the perception of work and introduce flexibility in manufacturing for a new generation of workers, standardize on the most-needed credentials, and build additional on-ramps to talent programs that can expand and diversify the pipeline entering the industry.

Public-private talent ecosystems, such as those highlighted above, can be a powerful method of filling the gaps that persist. Manufacturers should continue to provide opportunities to underrepresented groups to on-ramp them into the manufacturing industry, and then create programs that engage, involve, and evolve these employees, unlocking the future potential of tomorrow’s manufacturing workforce. Ecosystem conveners like The Manufacturing Institute are leading many of these efforts and can help to amplify the impacts many manufacturers are making. The simple demographic arithmetic demands that organizations cannot have a robust talent strategy without a robust DEI strategy. None of this is easy, and it won’t happen overnight, but every manufacturer can take steps today to build a better workforce that is capable of delivering manufacturing excellence.

Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/manufacturing/manufacturing-industry-diversity.html/#pathways-to