Education

Manpower's Annual 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill Survey: Engineers, machinists and skilled trades top list, Manpower, April 22, 2008

Milwaukee--Manpower announced the 10 hardest jobs to fill, as reported by U.S. employers for 2008, are: (1) Engineers, (2) Machinists/Machine Operators, (3) Skilled Trades, (4) Technicians, (5) Sales Representatives, (6) Accounting & Finance Staff, (7) Mechanics, (8) Laborers, (9) IT Staff, and (10) Production Operators. Read More

“To succeed in the contemporary world of work, employers must not only encourage current employees to re-skill and up-skill to ensure they meet workload demands, but also refine their recruitment and retention strategies for a new generation of workers ," said Melanie Holmes, Vice President, World of Work Solutions for Manpower North America.

The survey announcement coincides with the publication of the Manpower White Paper, Confronting the Talent Crunch: 2008. The white paper highlights talent issues around the world and what businesses, government and individuals should be doing to adapt their human resource strategies.

NAM Launches American Workforce Center, National Assn. of Manufacturers, April 16, 2008

Washington--The National Association of Manufacturers recently launched the National Center for the American Workforce as a core part of The Manufacturing Institute.

The Center will focus on creating an educated and prepared manufacturing workforce for the 21st century. It will advance public policies and public and private investments geared that develop a workforce that gives American manufacturers a competitive advantage in the 21st century global economy.

"Those of us involved in manufacturing believe a strong nation must have a strong manufacturing base to drive economic growth, innovation and productivity," said Ed Wolking, president of the Great Lakes Manufacturing Council. "This is particularly true in the Great Lakes region, which has been the core of U.S. and Canadian manufacturing."

Wanted: Workers with the skills for modern manufacturing, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2008
Cleveland—The Plain Dealer interviewed MAGNET's Director of Education and Training, Judith Crocker, for this feature on the region's skilled-labor crisis. Ron Rasmus, chief executive of Great Lakes Towing Co., and Gary Gibb, president of Wrayco Industries Inc., confirm MAGNET research showing a critical skills and training shortfall is holding back the growth of area manufacturers.
Image: Julius Stafford IV works on the ribs of a new tug at Great Lakes Towing. (Courtesy Marvin Fong/Cleveland Plain Dealer)