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Employer Quotes

The quotes below are from employers in this industry: Manufacturing

They are talking about this topic: Experience & Credentials

 

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The quotes below are about this issue:
Most employers say they look for entry-level hires that have some post-secondary education. Minimally, this means a certificate, but a two-year degree is preferred. Most employers state that a high school degree or GED is generally inadequate for various positions; nonetheless, many have had to hire at this level due to the labor shortage.

Employer Quote Region
"Thirty years ago, we could hire high school graduates to work on machines because the differential between what they could do and what they had to know—that step was relatively small and we could get them up that step—technological advancements that step is now very big. So, you have to have the educational background or we don't hire you. Period." Central
"Our company is not any bigger than most around this table. Seventy percent of our jobs require a technical college background. Eighteen percent require university training. There are only 12 jobs out of 100 for which a high school diploma is enough. And you fill those jobs, and those people never ever leave. And if they lose that job, they're screwed because what are they going to do next? So, the differential between the haves and the have-nots is an educational background. And it's all about motivation and having those kind of capabilities. And the technical colleges and lots of other universities that are tied to us, listen to us, because we have advisory committees. We're not shy about telling them what we look for. So, most of these things match up pretty well. But to hire off the street, we can't do that. They break things." Central
"The differential between two- and four-year educations—and between professionals and crafts—is blurred very much so. And that will continue, I think. That's the future." Central
"On the other end of the spectrum, we do have, I will say, more AA degree graduates than we've ever had. However, we also have an awful lot that—yes, it'd be really nice if they'd at least finish their certificate." Central
"In the end, it's only going to do us better by having somebody who continues their formal education." Central
"There's not a specific program that trains them exactly in what they need to do. They have to have really good industrial electronics training, and then the mechanical aptitude." Metro
"When you start working in the workforce is when we start helping you develop some of those skills. I occasionally will see a difference between someone who got a full AAS Degree versus someone who didn't actually get a diploma. Because there are courses required—a lot more writing and speech required—for the diploma." Metro
"What we've seen is in production technology. We don't have very many jobs that a person can walk in with a high school diploma and go to work. You have to have some technical training or a really good mechanical background." Metro
"We don't talk about manufacturing, as an industry, and we don't have the training that points to those manufacturing jobs—those high-powered production jobs, the quality that goes into it. I think that, because manufacturing now is more precise, more articulate maybe, that it could be something that's taught at a tech school level." Metro
"Historically, our company has taken production operators that are advanced, and then transitioned them into maintenance mechanics. We're just now, I think, seeing the trend that we're having to go outside because there aren't enough interested production people. And we're raising the bar a little bit. Now, we're going to be getting into some of these one-year, two-year type of prerequisite skills that you do need to be a mechanic in our operation." Northeast
"I agree that they need some type of certificate, rather than just a high school education." Northeast
"One of the things that I've noticed is that we're talking about production workers and the requirement is supposedly that they just need a high school diploma to be able to perform many of those tasks. But that's lower than what we expect of our employees coming in. Technology has increased so much. There's so much that they have to learn, and we're requiring more than a high school diploma. We're looking for two years of military service, two years of a manufacturing background, and/or at least two years of post-secondary education." Northeast
"Employer 1: Our high school has a great welding program, at least the kids that I know that go through it. I'm just curious if they're getting the skill set that employers need? Or do they have to go on to the college level? Because, wow, our high school has a great welding program.

Employer 2: I can't say that I've hired a high school welding program person."		 Northwest
"I noticed that the data shows that welders need high school equivalency, but that doesn't really work for us. We need them to have more than that." Northwest
"For welding and fabrication, a certificate would be nice. But, in a way, it's tough. Sometimes, you've got welders you see who have the equipment background. Sometimes, you feel that your industry is kind of a niche for fabrication. They have building blocks there. They have a starting point. But you still have to teach them your method of doing that particular job, whether it's a fast-paced environment where, at one point, you're welding heavy, thick plates, and now you're welding automotive steels where it is high volume and high velocity. It is a tough one to say yea or nay on sometimes." Northwest
"Employer 1: Our company normally won't even look at somebody unless they have the degree. Normally, we'll put a requirement of a two-year degree or a certificate—either one. They've got to have the degree from going to school and then, normally, we'll include a minimum of two or five years of working experience. So, if they don't have those credentials we won't even look at them.

Employer 2: That's for manual machining?

Employer 1: We have manual and CNC."		 Northwest
"Question: So, will you look for people with the 11-month certificate?

Employer: Yes. Absolutely."		 Northwest
"We're looking to hire an intern for machine technology. It used to be a two-year program; now, it's an 11-month program. I think it was smart to condense it and speed it up. I think they probably got more students by doing that and that's what we're looking for. We're looking for those graduates with a certificate in machine trades.

Question: So, with the shorter amount of time, are they as qualified?

Employer: I think they are. They had to leave something out, but I think it was a good move on their part. I think other two-year schools in the state were doing it sooner. I met with another respondent last week, and there was talk about adding a second class because enrollment is up. And, boy, it's been a long time since we heard talk like that. Years ago, I think they had nine instructors and I think they got down to one or two."		 Northwest
"We're all fighting for the top fruit. Twelve kids came out of the program—and that's just a certificate program. That's the pool for those of us that are looking for more than just a high school diploma. And then there's certificate training. We need substantially more than that for them to be CNC machine operators." Southeast
"Employer 1: Definitely not looking at the associate's pool for welders.

Question: So, you're looking for people with a two-year degree in welding?

Employer 1: Not looking.

Employer 2: No.

Question: High school graduates?

Employer 2: High school graduates."		 Southeast
"Looking at the machine technology area, the data says it requires a high school diploma. Well, since when? Thirty years ago, it required a CNC Machining Degree from a two-year technical program. So, now, according to this data somebody needs a high school education and that's it? That's not going to cut it." Southeast
"Question: Are these typically people that have a high school degree? Is it that level?

Employer: For the most part, yes. Some do not even have that."		 Southwest