Commentary: Integrating Millennials into the Workforce

Research from the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte predicts as many as 2 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2025, up from initial estimates of 600,000. Add to that a whopping 77 million members of the Millennial generation entering the labor force, and what do you get?

Scott Stone, Director of Marketing for Cisco-Eagle, Inc., posed this question in a column he wrote at manufacturing.net.

His response: an opportunity to revitalize the manufacturing sector with a renewed emphasis on technology, innovation, and digitization.

Millennials, ages 18–32, are expected to take over 75% of work over the next decade. This shifting demographics will alter the manufacturing landscape, he wrote, and he offers these tips to prepare.

1. Address Public Perception, Education

As noted in a Republic 3.0 post on Millennials in manufacturing, the focus needs to be on the public perception of manufacturing as well as the educational pipeline. Today’s Millennial workers, the article suggests, view factory work as “dirty, dangerous, and offering little job security.” To make manufacturing more attractive to younger workers, manufacturers should start by educating the general public about the industry as it is today.

But it goes deeper than that. True talent development begins with a focus on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math) at both the high-school and post-secondary level. The opportunities are there—but it’s up to manufacturers to get the word out about where and how students can use their background (in technology, computing, etc.) to make an impact in the industry.

2. Offer Internships, Training Programs

While perceptions about manufacturing work may cause many Millennials to look elsewhere for employment, manufacturers can combat the problem by offering internships or apprenticeships to younger workers interested in learning more.

For Millennials who have already been hired into manufacturing, the same idea applies. Depending on the type of work the employee has been hired to do, companies can pair younger workers with tenured employees.

3. Go the Way of Technology

Manufacturing has seen a shift in recent years when it comes to management of industrial operations. Companies are embracing new technology faster, which bodes well for younger workers who grew up in the interconnected internet/information economy.

With innovations like next-generation robotics and additive manufacturing already on the horizon, manufacturers have an opportunity to engage Millennial workers with an interest and educational background in technology.

Stone concludes his commentary with this: “Let’s face it, Millennials aren’t kids anymore. As they grow up, graduate from college, and enter the workforce, they will increasingly replace Baby Boomers looking to retire. The question then becomes not ‘Are you incorporating Millennial workers into the labor force?’ but ‘How are you incorporating Millennial workers into the labor force?’

To read Stone’s commentary in its entirety, go to FarmEquip.org/millennials. S