Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1522641
40 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2024 Our white paper traces this dearth of qual- ified workers to issues affecting four essential factors: talent pipeline, onboarding, career pathways, and upskilling. Each of these fac- tors are interrelated and therefore must be addressed in a holistic manner. For example, a successful talent pipeline will bring new work- ers into the industry, but many of those work- ers will leave if they do not have career path- ways to guide their professional growth. How do the "post-pandemic workforce shifts" cited in the paper inform what we do today, and how that breaks tradition? at is a complex question. One of the signif- icant shis in the workforce is the increasing desire of employees to work from home. Many companies in sectors such as soware tech- nology provide the flexibility of working from home or a combination of both remote and in- office work. is is much less common in man- ufacturing, where staff members work with a variety of large machines, materials, and pro- cesses. It is also difficult for most manufactur- ers to compete with companies like Google and Facebook in terms of salaries. However, we can counter this by empha- sizing our industry's competitiveness and the potential for rapid career growth. In contrast to technology companies, where progression may be slow, the manufacturing sector offers the potential for significant career advance- ment and improved benefits. Although start- ing salaries and benefits may not be as attrac- tive initially, the likelihood of progressing to higher salaries and better benefits is consider- ably higher in the manufacturing industry. Educating potential employees about these opportunities raises awareness about reward- ing careers in our industry and reduces the appeal of employers in other sectors. I know that was a consideration for me as I started to work in this industry. It's an important part of addressing our long- term workforce challenges, and it applies to operators as well as engineers. Simply offering the same job and a 10% salary increase five years from now will never solve the workforce prob- lem. However, bringing in workers at a com- petitive rate and providing them with neces- sary training and credentials to advance within the company drastically improves retention as well as quality and productivity. Why is the standardizing of training and cre- dentials essential to solving the workforce cri- sis in our industry? at's not an easy to answer; it gets compli- cated. An organization builds a training pro- gram or a curriculum pathway for its people because it's to their competitive advantage or because when the people are trained, the employers benefit from operators with those skills. But how much of that training is trans- ferable if the employee leaves? is triggers a couple of situations. Let's say an employee started as an operator, became a technician over a seven-year period, and then needed to relocate their family and find another job. Does the new employer recognize their experience? What if they don't have any cre- dentials and their new employer doesn't know if they can do what they say they can? Mean- while, the old company is le with an opening David Hernandez