Manufacturing is one of the most essential industries across the globe and contributes approximately $2.17 trillion to the U.S. economy. For centuries, this sector has been filled with hardworking men and women who are responsible for everything from the automobile industry to residential heating and cooling. Unfortunately, today’s younger workforce have much different career paths than in the past — and millennials aren’t breaking into the manufacturing sector as much as their older counterparts did years ago.
There are nearly 12.5 million manufacturing workers in the U.S., accounting for 8.5% of the workforce. Americans still rank manufacturing as vital to the domestic economy. Yet only 30% of the public would encourage their children to pursue a career in manufacturing. And millennials currently rank the industry as their least preferred career destination.
Their least preferred career destination.
Roughly 89% of manufacturers are leaving jobs unfilled because they can’t find qualified applicants, according to a 2018 Deloitte Institute report. The skills gap could leave 2.4 million vacant between 2018 and 2028, subsequently costing the industry $454 billion in 2028.
Something needs to change.
“This data screams change from within as well as growth opportunity in new directions,” said Leah Friberg, former global head of communications for cloud SaaS and hardware at Fluke Corp.; currently senior strategist at Destrier Communications. “The tension between what is being asked of these professionals vs. what they want and expect is high. What’s trickier is the younger generations dissatisfaction with corporate culture; corporate structures are slow to change. I feel the existing manufacturing sector is made vulnerable by the number of Millennials poised to leave, and I am curious about whether new-form manufacturing can be ready soon enough to take advantage of them.”
According to the Washington Business Journal, in recent years, manufacturing has moved offshore and has gained a reputation as being a “dying” industry in the U.S. — at least in terms of job opportunity and growth. Young Americans breaking into the job force are looking for more creative jobs and awarded the manufacturing industry a stigma of not a “cool place” to work.
The first thing the millennial jobseeker does when searching for a new job is Google “Top companies to work for in 2019.” In a recent survey, 86% of respondents said they would not apply for or continue to work for a company that has a bad reputation with the general public.
That’s where branding comes into play.
There is some hope, however. As long as manufacturing businesses are adapting and changing their branding and marketing strategies, they will likely entice today’s younger generation into applying for jobs, starting careers, and changing the world for the better. Here are some great tips for both attracting and training the millennial workforce:
- Start rebranding right away — The blue-collar approach might have worked in the past — but something needs to be done to revamp the industry’s image. Companies should look at their website and logos and update accordingly to appease this younger generation. Additionally, if there are any negative reviews online they need to be addressed as soon as possible. Young people love reviews.
- Actively engage on social media and search engines — Social media platforms are taking over job searches nowadays. Search and email are the top two Internet activities and up to 93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine. Manufacturing organizations need to start regularly posting on these platforms and engage with younger jobseekers whenever possible. If a company still doesn’t have a social media presence — in 2019 — they might as well be a dinosaur factory.
- Find some awards to win — It might seem like a novelty approach, but novelty works in some instances. Everyone wants to be associated with a winning team. Manufacturing companies need to start applying for awards like “Best Place to Work” in order to raise their profile and image.
This isn’t going to change overnight — but as long as the entire manufacturing sector starts addressing this issue and changes its recruiting strategy, this crucial industry will likely employ plenty of hardworking and skilled professionals for years to come.