In a way, Southern California represents a micro-economy. With some of the most competitive universities just a stone’s throw away, massive OEMs like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin in close proximity, and more shops per square mile than anywhere else in the country, our region is the perfect place for manufacturing businesses to thrive. While the industry faces hiring challenges nationwide, we remain optimistic that the future is bright.
SoCal NTMA is committed to providing solutions to help manufacturing companies hire the right talent and train them to be the best workforce possible.
The Root Cause of Manufacturing’s Workforce Shortage
As the baby boomer generation is retiring, we’re seeing an issue: there aren’t enough young people pursuing manufacturing to fill these vacancies. Here are some of the reasons why:
De-Emphasis of Trades Training
A common trend we’ve heard is that not enough young people are being trained in the trades. Today, most high schools place a heavy emphasis on preparing students to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Many public high schools have little to no technical or vocational training courses. It’s not that young people don’t want to pursue these kinds of careers; it’s a matter of whether or not they know careers in the trades are an option.
Unfavorable (and Inaccurate) Public Perception of Manufacturing
In addition to the emphasis on a four-year college education, trade careers often take a back seat to other industries that are painted as more glamorous. Unfortunately, the public perception of manufacturing isn’t doing our field any favors. People outside our industry often think of manufacturing as dark and dingy, with outdated facilities and unsafe work environments – all of which couldn’t be farther from the truth for many organizations.
What Can Manufacturers Do?
Build Talent from the Ground Up
We often hear from our members that they’re having trouble finding skilled manufacturing professionals. But finding an experienced CNC machinist who’s looking for work is a rarity.
Rather than trying to hire limited, yet highly skilled machinists, we suggest hiring less experienced individuals willing to learn and grow. From there, be sure you set them up for success with thorough on-the-job training, mentorships, and apprenticeships to improve their skills. Our members who have taken this approach have had overwhelmingly positive results, with larger candidate pools and vacancies filled much more quickly.
As a bonus, you can train them your way with your own culture, prioritizing areas that need to be filled and skill gaps that exist in your manufacturing facilities.
Connect and Share
Precision machining companies should take responsibility for putting their names out there, marketing themselves to prospective applicants. Rather than waiting for candidates to come to them, it can be valuable to participate in outreach events like career fairs or apprenticeship programs. Sharing insights with young people and getting them excited about manufacturing career paths might show them how rewarding this industry can be.
Debunk Manufacturing Misconceptions
As manufacturers, it’s our duty to shift the public perception of our industry. Remind others how far manufacturing has come, how clean, safe, and high-tech it has become. In 2024, most of our organizations are a far cry from the “shops” of decades past.
How SoCal NTMA Can Help
With all the challenges involved with hiring and upskilling, your SoCal NTMA community is doing what it takes to connect in real time with educational institutions and organizations focused on finding and training talent.
When in doubt, leverage your Southern California manufacturing network by attending an event and meeting with peers who have been through the trials and tribulations you’re going through. Rather than going it alone, learn more about what others are doing and listen to what attempts are working and not working for fellow manufacturers.
Lean into SoCal NTMA’s workforce development resources to find talent and level up your current team members. And stay tuned – we’re in the process of building out a list of Southern California manufacturing programs that our members can work through.
If you haven’t already, contact SoCal NTMA to access knowledge and resources from your local manufacturing community.
