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News
Combatting the Skills Gap with Manufacturing Day
As many of you in the manufacturing industry may be experiencing, there is a significant skills gap that needs to be addressed. Attracting, recruiting, and retaining quality employees will be a challenge, but is critical to ensuring the future of manufacturing.
In 2018, prior to the pandemic, there were 500,000 open manufacturing jobs in the U.S. And according to a Deloitte Study, it was estimated that there could be 2.4 million positions unfilled by 2028 as new jobs are created and employees retire.
Like nearly every other industry, the number of manufacturing jobs fell significantly once the pandemic began. However, since May, the manufacturing sector has seen consistent job growth, and as of June, there were 336,000 manufacturing jobs open, and we should expect this to grow as the economy rebounds.
One reason for the skills gap is that many don’t realize what modern manufacturing actually entails or how lucrative a career it can be. Which is why the Vinyl Institute is excited to celebrate Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) again on Oct. 2! Created in 2012 by the Founding Partner Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, MFG Day is now hosted by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and occurs on the first Friday of October.
This day is all about showing the realities of modern manufacturing. It empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.
Like nearly every other event this year, MFG Day is going to look a bit different as companies continue to push social distancing and remote work to prevent further spread of coronavirus. But there are still ways to participate.
- Host a virtual plant tour—whether through a 3D video mapping service or a live video, this is one way to give students a feel for what a manufacturing plant is like.
- Participate in a virtual job fair.
- Create a video or go live to show the process of manufacturing one of your products.
For more ideas on how to host a virtual event, you can watch this NAM webinar. We hope you’ll participate in this year’s MFG Day, and if you plan to, please email VI’s Sara Goodwin so that she can help amplify your efforts.