Identifying skill gaps in your manufacturing workforce can be challenging. Uncovering the mismatch between your employees’ skills and your current and future business needs requires time, critical thinking, and planning.
Many factors can contribute to your manufacturing workforce’s skill gasps:
- Aging workforce
- Poor manufacturing industry perception
- Lack of manufacturing career interest from younger generations
- Misaligned education and training programs
- Need for new skill sets to keep pace with technological advancements
As a result, you must take steps to identify and fill the skill gaps in your manufacturing workforce. These methods can help.
Implement these tips to identify and fill skill gaps in your manufacturing workforce.
Prioritize Knowledge Transfer Throughout Your Manufacturing Workforce
All baby boomers will reach retirement age by 2030. This generation makes up a significant part of the manufacturing workforce. As a result, you should encourage longer-tenured employees to share their knowledge, skills, and experience with shorter-tenured employees.
Ongoing company and industry knowledge transfer helps retain institutional knowledge within your manufacturing firm. For instance, you might ask longer-tenured employees to mentor and coach shorter-tenured employees. Or, you could use documentation software, videos, and other digital tools to share cross-generational information.
Conduct a Manufacturing Skills Gap Analysis
Managers, HR professionals, and company leaders can conduct a skills gap analysis to determine whether your manufacturing workforce has the necessary skills to work on future projects. Then, the team can create plans to find and develop the necessary skills in current and future employees.
You can choose among these methods to measure employee skill levels:
- Surveys
- Employee interviews
- Performance review feedback
- Skill assessment tests
- Skill management software such as Skills DB Pro
Provide Paid Training
Offer on-the-job training for your manufacturing workforce. Providing paid training opportunities helps increase employee attraction, morale, and retention.
For instance, you can encourage candidates looking for their first job or a career change to take on paid internships or apprenticeships. Then, you can screen, interview, hire, and begin training these candidates based on their transferrable skills and potential for success.
Offer Upskilling and Reskilling Opportunities
Upskilling helps employees develop the skills needed to perform better within their current roles. Reskilling lets employees cross-train for other roles within your organization.
Offering upskilling and reskilling opportunities helps develop the skills needed to close the skill gaps within your manufacturing workforce. These opportunities help keep your firm competitive.
Work with a Manufacturing Staffing Agency
A local staffing agency that specializes in manufacturing can provide you with qualified temporary and direct-hire employees to help fill the skill gaps in your workforce. You gain access to candidates with specialized skills to help complete more projects. You also can save time and money on hiring and training.
Would You Like Help to Fill the Skill Gaps in Your Manufacturing Workforce?
Connectology can provide you with skilled candidates to help fill the skill gaps in your manufacturing workforce. Contact us to find out more today.
