Manufacture Smarter Blog

4/14/2017 - BY: RUSS MASON
With its aging demographic, the U.S. manufacturing sector will have more than three million jobs available by 2025. According to Forbes, millennials are projected to make up 50% of the U.S. workforce by 2020. However, nearly two million of these positions will go unfilled—due to the existing skills gap and the prevailing perception about manufacturing careers.

7/8/2016 - THE CENTER
For years, the retirement of the baby boom generation has been a large topic of discussion and a looming economic threat. Now, that dreaded time is upon us. Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are retiring in droves – to the tune of about 10,000 a day!  

4/22/2016 - THE CENTER
Poor leadership when business is good can be hidden, but poor leadership in bad times is a recipe for disaster. No matter how qualified an individual is to hold a position, or how prominent that position may be, they are still human like everyone else and have flaws.

3/11/2016 - THE CENTER
After you’ve collected resumes, it’s time to successfully select and hire the right candidate for your business. With no crystal ball, managers must rely on a combination of structured hiring processes and instinct. Choosing the wrong candidate can be a costly mistake.

3/4/2016 - THE CENTER
Throughout the years, manufacturing jobs and technology have evolved. In order to be successful and sustain quality employees, recruiting efforts must also evolve with them. Manufacturing companies now require potential employees to have superior science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) capabilities.

1/22/2016 - THE CENTER
According to Deloitte Manufacturing Institute’s report, The Skills Gap in U.S.Manufacturing 2015 and Beyond, manufacturers for years have reported a sizeable gap between the talent they need to keep growing their businesses and the talent they can actually find.

1/15/2016 - THE CENTER
It isn’t uncommon for newly graduated and well-educated engineers to immediately begin their career in manufacturing. They sit down at a new desk, organize materials, and layout their “task” list provided by their new managers.

8/28/2015 - THE CENTER
In the next seven years, the U.S. Census Bureau is calling for a significant population change in the 55 and older segment. What does this mean? Business leaders and executives are committed to remaining in business longer. Because of an inability to envision leaving their business, older leaders delay conversations regarding succession planning.

6/26/2015 - THE CENTER
Workforce engagement can be interpreted as the execution of discretionary effort. It can be seen as a combination of commitment to the organization and its values, plus a willingness to help colleagues. It is important to note it is NOT the same as employee satisfaction. Thirty years of research tells us a satisfied employee is not necessarily a productive one.

12/31/2014 - THE CENTER
Manufacturing has been in the news frequently in the last few months and 2014 has seen intense scrutiny and support for the industry. The Manufacturing Innovation blog posted a Retrospective on U.S. Manufacturing today that highlighted key trends for this year.