Executives reveal their top concern isn’t tariffs, but the struggle to retain a qualified manufacturing workforce.

A recent industry event included a session on managing through disruptive times. Toward the end of the session, a panel of industry leaders addressed audience questions, one of which was, “Of all the disruptive issues currently taking place, which keeps you up at night?” Surprisingly, the panel was unanimous in its response, and it was not tariffs, new technology or geopolitical events. What keeps these executives awake at night is far more basic: finding qualified employees.

The catchphrase used when discussing the challenges of locating, hiring and retaining qualified employees is “workforce development,” and the operative word is “development!”

Over the past four decades, for a variety of reasons, much of electronics manufacturing has migrated from North America and Europe to Asia. As this migration has taken place, many Western pundits have slurred manufacturing as synonymous with dirty facilities, claiming a position in manufacturing was a “job,” not a career. While these assertions are far from the truth, the soundbites have regrettably stuck, and today many Westerners starting their journey in the workforce do not consider the manufacturing sector.

Concurrently, as societal perspectives have changed, so too have worker expectations. While 50 years ago most workers sought a stable career with a five-day work week, today’s youth have a gig mentality. By “gig,” I mean driving for Uber or Lyft, where one can set their own hours and work only when they want to. While the social aspects of, say working in a mall retail store, appeal to many, these jobs rarely result in long-term security or income high enough to create wealth.

The problem is real, and if manufacturing is to ever reshore, available qualified workers are needed as a catalyst. But how, and more importantly, how long might that take?

The “how” involves – and requires – all of us. The first step – one we can take today – is to take every opportunity to talk up the manufacturing career path. Current and future generations need to hear about the exciting things design and manufacturing companies are doing. They need to hear about the complexities, challenges and, yes, opportunities involved in making everything from chips to electronics to automobiles, as well as the printed circuit boards and assemblies that form the chasses for product innovation. Talk to family, friends and, critically, to students, whether they be in public or technical schools, community colleges or universities.

The second thing we can do right now is engage with teachers, instructors and professors at all levels – from high school through graduate – to explain the types of courses and skills required in a manufacturing environment. Not just STEM courses, but also interpersonal “soft” skills, such as communicating with coworkers, the importance of being on time, every time as part of a functioning team, and what a good friend of mine aptly calls training for “GAS” skills, which is shorthand for “give a sh*t.” Success, in life as well as in manufacturing, requires the ability to engage with fellow workers and supervisors, as well as care to do the best they can each day, every day, all the time.

If everyone consistently promotes manufacturing, over time a positive image of the industry will take hold. Don’t hold your breath, however. Changing a perception takes time – a lot of time, in fact – even if a majority of industry leaders try to change incorrect or old perceptions. That means that, while doing all the above, the industry needs to learn to be patient with the current workforce and commit effort, funds and time to train promising candidates who are interested in a “job” but may be light on the skills desired in manufacturing. If a new employee has the right attitude and shows commitment to learning and improving, every effort should be made to develop them.

The price we must pay to attain the workforce to replace retiring employees, expand capacity and eventually reshore much of what has migrated to Asia means taking the time, now, to continually and consistently talk up manufacturing, and have the patience to recruit, train and develop those who will ultimately be the future workforce. With proper effort and patience, manufacturing executives will have fewer sleepless nights worrying over a lack of qualified employees. They can instead focus on the business of manufacturing outstanding technology.

Peter Bigelow has more than 30 years’ experience as a PCB executive, most recently as president of FTG Circuits Haverhill; peterbigelow@msn.com.