Major Tool & Machine was recently featured in the Indianapolis Recorder, with an interview given by our own Gene Davis and Kendra O’Brien discussing changes they’ve experienced in the manufacturing industry and the current labor shortage.
Read the article here: http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/business/article_b1bc3406-ca5b-11e9-bed3-f3478525aa2a.html
The article goes on to discuss the impact of manufacturing in Indiana and some of the skills required for the industry.
Just as when Davis started his career 52 years ago, manufacturing is a bedrock of the Indiana economy. According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), the state has 541,846 manufacturing jobs, equaling 17% of all employment in Indiana. The Indianapolis metropolitan area has over 88,000 manufacturing jobs, equaling 10% of the area’s jobs.
Manufacturing requires new skills, but Berger said due to the labor shortage employers often are willing to teach those skills. For example, Major Tool and Machine has a six-month machinist training program that builds upon lessons from certification courses, teaching blueprint reading, math, safety procedures and how to operate machines. Berger said companies also often offer competitive salaries to encourage people to take these courses and start a career in manufacturing. According to the DWD, the average salary for mechanical engineers and industrial engineers, two common jobs in manufacturing, are both around $75,000.
“I love my job, and I love the people I work with,” Davis said. “… I have good memories here. It hasn’t been all ice cream and cake, but it hasn’t been all bad either.”
“I’ve spoken to many different employers in the last few years, and everybody is looking for a way to fill open positions,” O’Brien said. “… In the younger generation the number of people is simply not there, so how do we try to get people interested in those careers? If the schools are not doing it, then employers will start to fill in some of those gaps.”