In honor of Manufacturing Day 2023 (#MFGDay23) today, let’s celebrate manufacturing’s renaissance and examine why military Veterans are its ideal workforce.
Driven by evolving consumer demands and technological advancements, manufacturing is undergoing remarkable transformations. To succeed in this rapidly evolving environment, this sector requires a workforce with a distinct set of skills.
Industry leaders President/Exec. Dir. Carolyn Lee from the Manufacturing Institute, Chad Moutray, Cheif Economist from the National Association of Manufacturers and others from Ernst and Young, explain in the 2022 article “How adaptive skills can play a pivotal role in building the manufacturing sector of the future.”
Military service teaches adaptive skills. As a matter of fact, there is no better place to learn them.
Kathy Gallowitz, LtCol, USAF, Retired
If Veterans’ skills do not immediately match what manufacturers need, the unique skills and attributes learned during military service enables Veterans to quickly “come up to speed,” because they are:
* Resilient – The demands and sacrifices of military service requires members to be resilient.
In manufacturing where uncertainty and challenges prevail, Gwen Wilker, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Emerson Electric Company, suggests that those who are resilient and adaptable are the ones who will grow the most and the fastest.
* Adaptable – The military profession calls for members to adapt to the disciplined, structured way of life and their many occupations.
As reported in the referenced article above, 65% of manufacturers acknowledge that the skills required for evolving manufacturing jobs are surpassing the capabilities of the current workforce. This discrepancy highlights the urgency of hiring individuals with adaptive skills to bridge the gap between existing competencies and future demands.
* Continuous learners who easily up-skill – While serving in uniform, service members are required to adapt to the “needs of the military” and work where and when required. Because of this and the highly technical nature of most military occupations with multiple stages of technical training, the ongoing required and consistent expectation to advance in rank and frequent geographic relocations, military members are always learning, growing and striving to become better leaders and more proficient in their occupations.
Forward-thinking manufacturing hiring officials are now targeting dynamic individuals capable of continually learning and up-skilling as the demands of roles shift.
* Great workers – Other qualities strengthened by military service include mission-focus, a safety-mindset, operational discipline, team building, leadership, critical thinking, being calm under pressure, risk management and loyalty. These skills and attributes are exceptionally well-matched for manufacturing operations.
Manufacturers are facing considerable difficulties filling job vacancies due to the highly competitive labor market, shifting attitudes toward work and swift changes in required skills. Adaptive skills are no longer an option but a necessity for the survival and growth of manufacturing. Yet a staggering 65% of industry leaders admit that their organizations struggle to find suitable candidates.
Manufacturing industry leaders in the article above suggest that the answers to skill shortages “lie less in finding the exact experience and manufacturing skills to fill specific roles but more in adapting a flexible view of potential talent. Individuals who aren’t square pegs for square holes but bring transferrable skills from other industries, academic institutions and backgrounds as well as the aptitude to evolve and grow with their jobs.” Veterans offer this – and more – to manufacturing.
Source: Lee, Carolyn & Moutray, Chad. 2022. “How adaptive skills can play a pivotal role in building the manufacturing sector of the future.” Click, here.
Co-author Lionell Hardy, U.S. Army Retired & Lionell Hardy Entertainment
Need a Speaker? Questions? Contact Kathy@VanguardVeteran.com or 270-945-7286. Register for Vanguard Veteran’s monthly newsletter, here.
Leave a Reply