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Employer Quotes

The quotes below are from employers in this industry: Manufacturing

They are talking about this topic: Workforce Trends & Challenges

 

The quotes below are about this issue:
Overall, many employers find it difficult to attract quality entry-level applicants; this is particularly true in the areas of welding/fabrication, system automation technology, and machine technology.

Employer Quote Region
"We have employers who have already put up the white flag to surrender. That really bothers me. And they're right in this neighborhood, by the way, they're not so far away. There is a great company that provides us with parts, and we can count on them for quality, for delivery, and for cost. So, it's a beautiful relationship. And we get a letter from them saying that they have to cut back on a part that they supply to us because they can't find people to do it. And that the people they hired recently, broke their machines. So, basically, this company is telling us that they can't take our money anymore. They're saying, 'We have to give up this business.' That just scares us. And we say, 'Please, please, please, let's work together to find a way to continue to do this, because you're too good and important to us as a partner company. We want to give you money. Take our money. We want you to survive.' And they're saying, 'We have to let that go.' That bothers me." Central
"You would love to hire people with experience, but the companies that we're talking to are willing to—with CNC and with welding—are looking for people in school right now in the feeder programs. And would be more than happy to take people right out of school if they could get them." Central
"I have talked to smaller companies that have less than 50 employees. And, over the last year or year-and-a-half, they can't find anybody to hire—not temp-wise and not out of the school. There's also a lot of pond-jumping—moving from job to job. That's starting to happen. We're starting to see that with increased wages." Central
"Welding is what we need, too." Central
"Welding is one of our needs, very much." Central
"The problem is that we can't find as many people with an educational background. You don't know what to do. It's too big of a gap to cover. And there was an article about a company. The person interviewed said that they were looking for talented people and they reviewed over 500 applications, interviewed 100, hired 25, and then six months later there were only12 guys." Central
"In fabricating, it's really tough for us to find somebody that understands what they're doing. It's hard to even find an instructor that knows about it." Central
"We can't find anybody. We go through a temp agency and the skills are varied, but they are never very high. In 2008 and 2009, we were getting some good people as some places were laying-off. But, now, I've got people that you show them how to take something apart, and they will scrap a hundred parts before we end up going back and looking at them thinking that they just don't have the function, the abilities, the fundamentals, at all. The best we do is through word-of-mouth. And we see old friends from other companies, and they've got the same problem." Central
"And then there's the tool and die making, of course—that's one issue in the fabrication area. These are the actual set-up people, the operators. That's where we're having a little more issue finding qualified people—people that can come in and help us without getting quite a bit of further training, to train them on how to do their job." Metro
"We need CNC machinists." Metro
"In fabricating, we're finding a disconnect there, in the education that's available in that area. There are some programs for that, but they're not near our facility. And we're just having a hard time finding quality people in the fabricating area." Metro
"Employer 1: You mentioned other jobs that aren't listed in the discussion points—the finishing area, painting, color-coding, plating—that whole area. I think these areas need to be addressed, also. Especially at the chemistry level.

Question: I've seen virtual painting curriculum—I've seen all different kinds of things. Is that the type of thing you're using currently?

Employer 1: We're not yet, but I know other companies are.

Employer 2: I know for the whole chemical or plating-type finishing, there's all sorts of need there for, obviously, chemists and very technical people."
Metro
"We need equipment maintenance techs—same kind of skills—automation and robotics." Metro
"We need quality inspectors." Metro
"There are very, very few applicants with qualifications left on the planet, it appears. So, as a manufacturer, you're taking unqualified applicants and elevating them to the role that you need, which destroys a lot of your production and your creative components within the company. To me, it's a disaster. Right now, we're really in trouble." Northeast
"You've got projects coming online, such as us, and I think we're publicly saying, when we open, we're looking at adding a thousand people." Northeast
"There's been a national shortage of CNC programmers. Maybe it's because programmers come from the machinists and CNC operator tool and die makers. But regionally, statewide, and nationally businesses cannot find enough CNC programmers because they're not trained as a skill set. They're trained as part of a skill set, to be a machinist. As a result of the shortage, the Twin Cities area has developed quite a number of CNC programming consultant companies who are just doing programming. But I think we need to address the issue of supplying the skill set of CNC programmers. Because that's where business does its business mostly, on quoting work and being successful in setting up the machines to match what the quoting time was. And they have to be very productive and skilled. We've talked about this issue statewide and it keeps, I think, being caught up in a group of skill sets that doesn't get enough attention." Northeast
"We have a tremendous need for CNC operations and programming. We also need tool and die, mechanical design, and drafting technology. It's interesting, we've seen the programs pretty much disappear. We now go to southern Minnesota to find our mechanical drafting programs, to hire right out of college or two-year programs. A CNC program is no longer available anywhere near us. It's in those areas that we're reaching out to try to partner with both businesses and educators to see if we can't get some of those programs back up and running. I'm surprised that hasn't come up." Northeast
"We've got a lot of cross-over at the mines, which means a lot of those are millwrights do the welding and fabricating and vice versa. So, these are the people we target. So, that's a big category for us. And, within the next five years, 40 percent of our workforce is going to be retiring, and that equates to almost 500 people in this category." Northeast
"Speaking to your question about what's our immediate need—our programming people have moved on through the process. And I don't know of a single employer in our day-to-day contact that is not stressed for loss of critical-thinking, analytical-thinking, programming-type people. People that can apply that type of aptitude towards their own specifics." Northeast
"We've been going around talking to many of the smaller and midsize manufacturers. And what we're hearing from many businesses for welding and fabrication is that supply and demand are not equal for welding. There's more of a demand for welders—specifically entry-level welders. Maybe that shows the skew between folks getting a higher degree and certification, but what we're hearing from many of our businesses in the region is a bigger demand for the entry-level welders." Northeast
"I want to speak on behalf of our aerospace association specifically. The requirements are woefully low on our quality program. We do not have a state program out-putting technical skills for running our CMM equipment, for running all of the components within our quality department. So, unfortunately, we have to take the best people from the machinists trade and elevate them out of what they are trained for—because they are the closest fit.

It is the number one element in any of these organizations, ours included. I mean, that is the top of the food chain, and it's an area that you just don't have the skill sets. Again, I say that we're stealing from the trade that is being produced in order to fulfill that. That should be a stand-alone program, in my viewpoint, with specific skills trained for that. I honestly think it couldn't be covered in a single-year program, but you could do a very, very good job of bringing people along that have that element."
Northeast
"We're seeing some of the same, I guess, feeder program symptoms in our company as far as the mechanics are concerned. We'll train people for three or four years into specialized equipment maintenance and stuff like that, and we end up losing them to the bigger companies that are able to pay higher. We're at—and I'll ask other employers in the room to correct me if I'm wrong—we're at the beginning stages of requiring more of the entry-level than what we typically have. Our company has historically 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
"We do have a lack of skilled resources as far as our technical folks go—like hydraulic and pneumatic and high-speed rotating equipment—so precision maintenance is another thing that we're really focusing a lot of internal training on. But finding that outside—that's been a barrier for us. As far as our engineers—process, chemical, and electrical—we've found engineers. But, overall, we're finding that there are not enough skilled folks out there." Northeast
"We need system automation technology." Northeast
"And the demand expands into the electronic design and things, not only the operation of them, but the design of them and the building and maintenance of them, too. Not just the people that are operating them because, while they can do the basic maintenance, it is the higher level of program and maintenance that there seems to be a real void in also." Northwest
"There's a demand for welding and fabrication. We're all struggling to get welders. And we've recently gone through a training session ourselves with colleges, and it is really helpful. But there is definitely a high demand for those folks." Northwest
"Welding is one area that we have really struggled in as well in terms of finding and hiring. We've hired a lot direct off-the-street from some of the local colleges. But that is one thing we're really focusing on right now. Another respondent and I are working on a more defined training program—even to train our internals—because we've had a hard time finding externals to come in with the skills. So, we're kind of honing the skills that we have, and starting to do a more comprehensive training on-site. All of our hires right now seem to be—definitely more of a majority that we're pulling external. We've kind of saturated our market, but with orientations and stuff like that it seems that there are more and more from out of the area." Northwest
"Another thing that we're seeing that is going on is the welding fabrication. One company is big on this, and they're starting to move into the high schools to try and fill that demand." Northwest
"A lot of us are in very remote, rural areas. On a local level, we need people, and we can't fill these spots. So, I would say there's a greater demand here in the very rural areas." Northwest
"Right now—if you look at distribution work and where technology is going—the systems that we put in and use require system automation. They require industrial maintenance folks to do the skilled electronics environment, and control engineers, and maybe even the technicians. But the thing is, if you look at what is going on in the industry right now for distribution, we're fulfilling around the world. They actually take individuals, 20 to 25 individuals every year, and intern them for two to three years—and pay for them to learn this—because it is such a current skill. We're working right now to design a new building and new system, and we'll require probably 15 individuals that have some sort of technology certification or experience just to keep those systems running. Those are critical skills. But I don't know if the educational system can really help us get those skills. A lot of it is on-the-job experience, but it is a definite critical need for distribution and fulfillment more and more because it is becoming so automated for us." Northwest
"We hired probably a dozen electronic technicians from the outside, and we have six to twelve going through an internal full-scholarship program at [MnSCU college]. They get paid to go to class, and then—when they actually become electronic technicians—they earn about six more dollars an hour. So, electronics and maintenance is really our bread and butter. But automated systems would be our number one need though." Northwest
"Sheet technology and welding is what we need." Northwest
"It seems like automated controls and those types of things are in high demand." Northwest
"For us, sheet technology is what we need." Northwest
"And we're losing people to the west—to Dakota. They're looking for welding programs just to supply welders out west." Northwest
"Employer 1: There's a lot of competition for candidates in various areas.

Employer 2: We share back and forth.

Employer 1: We steal back and forth."
Northwest
"Production technology is the number one area that we're needing to fill right now." Northwest
"It seems like we need about two drafters a year and that could increase because they do tend to slide up more into the engineering. Like another employer mentioned, there's not a clearly defined line that 'this is what the engineer does' and 'this is what the drafters do.' They have to work in coordination." Northwest
"Your data suggests that the supply for welders is exceeding the demand at this point. In the last four weeks, we have made four tours—and 245 welders are needed or wanted." Northwest
"We went to a statewide competition. And one of the companies that was there wanted 200 welders. They were actually pulling people off the street saying, 'We will teach you how to weld. If you go through our program, we will pay you $9.50 an hour to learn this. And, if you pass, we will guarantee you a job.' So, they're really getting desperate in some of these areas." Northwest
"We, too, have a lot of applicants who are backyard welders. And sometimes it's difficult to tell them that, 'The way you're welding isn't the right way, follow the lead's example.' The response is, 'I know how to weld; I've been doing it for 20 years.'" Northwest
"Some of the things we see—we don't hire too many welders—but when we do, we rarely see a recent grad or someone who has a certificate. Most of the time, seven out of the ten that apply are backyard welders. They'll come in, and they don't pass the test." Northwest
"I recruited once for a manual machinist, and I did not get a single applicant. I had a lot of people come in and say, 'Well, I used to do manual machining, but I'm a CNC now.' But that's just a stepping stone back into the CNC department." Northwest
"Let's just say turnover is killing us. They need to come every day, on time. And the other piece that kills us is that they want to work, they need a job, but they haven't done mechanical work before. So, while they may be really hungry to work, some just don't have the mechanical aptitude to do the job even though they want to. It's got to be all the legs on that stool." Northwest
"The biggest issue we have is finding welders. We find most of the other positions take a little while to fill, but it's difficult to find welders. So, we're training and coaxing people to become welders." Southeast
"We're struggling with finding people with automation skills right now. We've got robotic welders, for example, and we've got to train more." Southeast
"We've hiring for a couple jobs. And I either get people from the retired community or people from the older generation that had a job, maybe in some other field, and got laid off. So, now they're looking for another job, but they don't really have the skills we need. And some are looking for very short-term employment because they don't want to work very long. Or we get people from the younger generation, and they don't really want to work. I mean, I offered two of them jobs last week, and both of them said they were going to have to think about if they really wanted to come to work." Southeast
"Question: Okay, so one of the things that we've heard is that people will apply for welding because they're a backyard welder—maybe they can weld a bumper on a car. Are you taking those kinds of individuals and training them? Or is that not what you need?

Employer 1: That's not what we need, but that's what we find. And, in some cases, we're taking them and training them, but a lot of times they wind up not making it. So, you get a person who says, 'Okay, I'm going to try it.' They're pretty desperate, and we have a high fall-out rate with those kinds of folks. The transitions are pretty dramatic to become the kind of welder that we need."
Southeast
"When I was interviewing the engineers that we're just bringing in—it was for a production job—the hardest thing for me was I felt I was trying to find that unicorn out there in the forest, which is somebody who has an engineering degree. Because it's the best feeder degree that I can find.

That's a willingness to say, 'I'm willing to be a production supervisor, and then work my way through operations because I know that I have a future here.' Most of the people that go into engineering want to be CAP engineering. They want to design plants. They want to design lines. They don't want to actually run the line; they don't want to run the plant. If I could get that two-year degree, you know funnel, then those would be my next operations supervisors and managers. Because that would be an excellent feeder for the critical thinking and just the general skill base that I would need."
Southwest
"Employer 1: We have positions open today that we've been looking to fill for some time. And it's like, I'll describe it as an associate degree level engineering assistant—an individual with enough mechanical and electrical experience to engineer solutions for the floor. That's a pretty universal perspective of things. Someone who can move easily through lots of different processes. That's the type of person we've been looking for. We need more general mechanical engineering problem-solving, maybe someone with a two-year engineering assistant degree.

Employer 2: I could use that, too.

Employer 1: We're trying to get one, and we could probably use half a dozen of them. Because the people on the line, can't do what you're saying. Our guys who do this today, they roll through the plant solving problems. They come up with solutions, and then we try to grow them with automation projects to get them involved in automation projects. So, they get a chance to grow their skills as well."
Southwest
"I need good machine operators, people that can run the machines with the PLCs. And I need maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. So, those two key focused areas. I'm taking people off the line that are my best assemblers, and trying to train them internally on how to run the machines. That's what I'm doing." Southwest
"We do a lot of welding and custom fabrication. And with the new plant that we're going to build, there will be an increased need for welding and fabrication skills as well." Southwest
"Maintenance is my number one problem area." Southwest
"My concern right now is seeing applicants that come to me with those skills, to fill the positions that I have for maintenance, for electronics, and for quality control technicians. Fortunately, if I see one of those, we have been fortunate in that they do come with those problem-solving skills, too. But the greater problem right now is seeing enough of those people, enough of those applicants to fill the positions that we have." Southwest
"It's quite a luxury to have somebody who can just sit and do drawings. You know, I'm being factious there, but..." Southwest
"Everything is going to become more automated, more connected, and more human/machine interaction. So, software engineering is huge, but the way we're handling that is our electrical engineers—we're sending them for software capabilities right now. And I can see that we're going to lose them to another company because they'll be fabulous." Southwest
"Employer 1: There's no feeder here for welders, and that's a major problem. And then also we have draftsmen, yet we're not hiring those as much as we're hiring welders. But there's no program for that at [MnSCU college].

Employer 2: So, there's demand for the jobs, but there's no program. And then MnSCU decided there was no program because no one enrolls."
Southwest
"CNC machinists, that's my biggest struggle. We're in Waseca, not a far drive for people in Mankato. We need experienced machinists, but we are willing to train an entry-level person, someone that just graduated from [MnSCU college] for example. We have two students from [MnSCU college's] Your Right Skills program; they started with us on Monday. And they won't be contributors necessarily as far as producing product—they've gone through, I think, a six-month basic machining program. The level of skill that we need is comparable to machinists who work in the medical device industry, but we can't compete with wages in the metro area. So, we're really looking for people that want to live somewhere around here, just to be within a commutable distance.

In our workforce, we either have people who have been with us less than five years or over 20. So, in about ten to fifteen years, we will have a number of people leaving. Those long-tenured employees were very mechanical, but not necessarily good programmers. So, we're really hurting for CNC machinists. We did go up to [MnSCU college]. Most of the students there are from that area so they don't know where Waseca is. Some don't even know where Mankato is. So, that's a challenge."
Southwest
"Over half of our customers are aerospace and military government. And so we've had a continuous need since I've been in the Waseca plant—for a little over two years. We've tried using staffing agencies. Part of their struggle is our location. But then just availability. I mean, I can go to a job board and look at the number of openings for CNC." Southwest
"We don't go out and physically approach people. These agencies that work for us place ads, and the people have to answer the ad. It's a real generic ad. Then they sort through the candidates, and they try to weed it out. But we talk with these people almost daily, and it's really hard to find good people. Most of them get kicked out right away." Southwest
"We currently use three different staffing agencies to hire machinists. And what we're looking for is skilled machinists who can do set-up and programming." Southwest
"Right now, we're all poaching each other's people, whether we know it or not." Southwest