In a recent article posted on www.defenseone.com, several defense manufacturers discussed their hiring plans. The aerospace industry has been hit hard as passenger travel is down 96%; however, the defense industry is going strong with deadlines to be met. Many of the contractors are moving employees from the commercial side to the defense side of their business, and all are hiring.
Workforce challenges will remain for manufacturing long after the virus is gone. In a recent webinar hosted by CCAT, Jill Mayer, CEO at Bead Industries mentioned that they just hired a Director of Operations in the throes of this pandemic. She reminded us that “only a couple months ago we were in a ‘talent war’. Once everything settles down, we’ll be in the same position. Now is an opportune time to make sure you’re prepared to move forward.” With furloughs and layoffs, it’s an ideal time to pick up some talent that might not be available otherwise.
At CTmrg, we will continue to support manufacturers in their workforce efforts. At this time our Manufacturers Only Workforce Summit is still planned for October 16th and we will have local manufacturers offer their solutions to the workforce challenge. The event will include two presentations – one on the second chance program and the other on alternative workforce. There will also be a panel discussion with a range of manufacturers. We will discuss best practices when it comes to recruitment and retention.
As always, if you have a specific workforce question or challenge, reach out to CTmrg and we will help find a solution.