SkillsUSA an Option for Filling Manufacturing Jobs

American manufacturing companies cannot fill as many as 600,000 skilled positions – even as unemployment numbers hover at historic levels, according to a recent survey from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. The survey, “Boiling Point? The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing,” polled a nationally representative sample of 1,123 executives at manufacturing companies and revealed that 5 percent of current manufacturing jobs are unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates.

“The survey shows that 67 percent of manufacturers have a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers,” said Craig Giffi of Deloitte LLP. “Moreover, 56 percent anticipate the shortage to increase in the next three to five years.”

These unfilled jobs are mainly in the skilled production category – positions such as machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors and technicians,” said Emily DeRocco of The Manufacturing Institute. “Unfortunately, these jobs require the most training and are traditionally among the hardest manufacturing jobs to find existing talents to fill.

The inability to find workers is taking its toll on manufacturers’ competitive readiness: 64 percent of respondents report that workforce shortages or skills deficiencies in production roles are having a significant impact on their ability to expand operations or improve productivity. Survey respondents said the same old approaches are not enough to close the skills gap. Specifically, manufacturers should pursue more creative approaches.

The Arkansas State Chamber/AIA is working to fill the skills gap through its partnership with SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.

Formerly known as VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), SkillsUSA’s mission is to help its members become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. SkillsUSA is an applied method of instruction for preparing America’s high-performance workers in public career and technical programs. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communication skills. It emphasizes total quality at work – high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education, and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free-enterprise system and involvement in community service.

In 2011, more than 1,100 business, industry and labor sponsors actively supported SkillsUSA at the national level through financial aid, in-kind contributions, and involvement of their people in SkillsUSA activities. Our own Leadership Arkansas class members and alumni have taken a very active role in this program over the past three years.

For more information on SkillsUSA Arkansas and how your company can support this program, visit www.skillsusa-arkansas.org. To access the What Is Skills USA video, click here.

If you or your company are interested in learning more about or participating in SkillsUSa, click to view the Business and Industry Presentation PowerPoint here, the SkillsUSA Flier here, the SkillsUSA Brochure here or the Skills USA Partner Guide here.