Client Resource Center

Navigating the Manufacturing Skills Gap

By Jonathan Trout

Today's manufacturing companies are facing a "perfect storm" -- but not of weather phenomena (such as the nor'easter that took down the fishing vessel Andrea Gail in 1991 and made "perfect storm" part of the vernacular). Instead, it's issues such as "an aging workforce," "a compromised educational system," and "the lack of technical apprenticeships"1 that threaten the industry's survival.

According to the 2021 Plant Services Workforce Survey, "finding and recruiting skilled workers to fill open positions" is employers' most pressing issue, followed by "retraining/upskilling workers due to evolving roles and responsibilities" and "planning to meet future hiring needs."2 Thanks to a mix of Baby Boomer retirements and ever-changing roles (such as the ability to use advanced technological tools on the job), there's a substantial gap between supply and demand for manufacturing jobs. This gap could leave 2.1 million manufacturing jobs unfilled by 2030 and significantly affect the U.S. economy.3

To address this skills gap, the manufacturing industry is tackling two of its biggest contributing factors: problems with the education system and the lack of technical apprenticeships. Realizing the importance of staying on top of new skills and technological trends, younger workers are looking for jobs where employers provide a decent paycheck as well as continuing education in their field. A recent workforce survey reveals that nearly 66 percent of workers have "participated in or taken advantage of any career development programs/assistance [their] employer offers," and nearly 44 percent say they are "very likely" to "engage with a mentor/coach, if [their] company provided the opportunity."4

Given this realization and the current national discussions about supporting trade schools and manufacturing training programs at community colleges, many employers are partnering with educational programs for outreach efforts. Not only are many organizations working directly with two- or four-year universities to find new talent, but they are also turning to adult education or retraining organizations to develop current employees' skills or to ensure that potential candidates from high schools have the necessary skills to work in manufacturing. Working directly with technical colleges and adult education organizations not only helps manufacturers guarantee that the appropriate skills and training are being taught, but it also allows for opportunities -- such as apprenticeship programs -- in which students can learn precise skills through on-the-job training.

Lastly, it's important to consider employee retention as another factor contributing to the building perfect storm on the horizon. Although 81.8 percent of the surveyed employees say they'd be happy to "remain with their current job over the next two years," many employees also say they could be lured away by "better pay or benefits" (76 percent), "new or more attractive job responsibilities" (37 percent), or "better career advancement potential" (32.5 percent).5

Workplace culture plays a major role in recruitment and retention. When asked about this three years ago, 80 percent of Millennials said "dissatisfaction with the corporate culture would be a top factor affecting their stay-or-go decisions" in the next two years, whereas only 51 percent of Baby Boomers felt that way.6This difference could be attributed to a shift in leadership styles as more Millennials become managers who lead in more collaborative and inclusive ways than their predecessors have.

Despite their wariness of corporate culture, Millennials have a much more positive outlook than Baby Boomers on the use of technology to make their jobs easier. Technology, such as condition monitoring and asset management, are improving their teams' efficiency and simplifying daily tasks. With this outlook comes an eagerness to keep learning new skills in order to remain valuable in the industry.

Education and training can help the manufacturing industry replace its aging workforce. The manufacturing industry is experiencing a rapid onset of technology with advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, and the Internet of things. This technology is changing the entire industry, including job skills and current roles. Many fear that these shifts will result in some positions being eliminated, but helping employees reskill and develop "a portfolio of skills that are applicable across an evolving set of jobs across an organization" can mitigate some of those changes.7

Of the millions of jobs potentially going unfulfilled over the next decade, those positions dealing with digital talent, operational management, and skilled production are likely to continue to be difficult to fill over the next few years. In fact, a 2019 survey found that lack of personnel with the ability to interact with integrated technology was the biggest concern among maintenance managers when it comes to performing predictive maintenance tasks.8

To avoid hitting 2.1 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2030, the industry needs to consistently invest in training by developing a positive relationship between workforce development and highly skilled employees. It's important for manufacturing companies to ask themselves where they stand in terms of attracting and training the up-and-coming workforce. According to manufacturing employees, the biggest trends they see in their plants revolve around expanding digital and soft skills, leveraging the digital toolbox, and keeping humans in the loop while working alongside technology.

The good news is that the manufacturing industry knows what it needs to do to weather the perfect storm on the horizon. The better news is that current and potential workers are willing and even eager to develop and continually advance their skill sets in the manufacturing industry.


1Terry Wireman. 2009. Training Programs for Maintenance Organizations. Industrial Press, Inc.: South Norwalk, Conn., p. 23.

2Thomas Wilk. 2021. "Plant Services 2021 Workforce Survey: Is the Grass Always Greener?" Plant Services website, September 22, www.plantservices.com/articles/2021/plant-services-2021-workforce-survey-is-the-grass-always-greener.

3Paul Wellener et al. 2021. "Creating pathways for tomorrow's workforce today Beyond reskilling in manufacturing." Deloitte website, May 4, www.plantservices.com/articles/2021/plant-services-2021-workforce-survey-is-the-grass-always-greener.

4Wilk. 2021.

5Wilk. 2021.

6Christine LeFave Grace. 2019. "Plant Services 2019 Workforce Survey: What Have You Done for Me Lately?"

7Wellener et al. 2021.

8Jonathan Trout. Undated. "While Predictive/Preventive Maintenance Is Still King, Maintenance Personnel Are Reluctant to Use Internet-based Maintenance." Reliable Plant website,www.reliableplant.com/Read/31707/predictive-maintenance-survey-2019.

About the author:

Jonathan Trout was formerly a technical writer at Noria Corporation. For more than 20 years, Noria has changed how organizations manage and monitor lubricants for maintaining optimum reliability and safety.