6 Ways We Can Mind the Industry Skills Gap

18 Jun 6 Ways We Can Mind the Industry Skills Gap

Tips from some of the industry leaders who are working to solve this problem.

Employers often complain about the skills gap, particularly in manufacturing. As the narrative goes, there are plenty of open jobs, but not enough workers out there with the right skill set to fill them.

Here at the Alliance for American Manufacturing, we’ve been a tad skeptical about that narrative — we think the issue a little more complex than its typically presented. Employers and policymakers need to work together to come up with solutions instead of shifting the blame to workers.

That’s why it was encouraging this week to see the House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development hold a hearing on the issue, featuring testimony from industry leaders on ways to encourage apprenticeships and other training programs.

Here are six takeaways from the hearing, for employers, workers, and policymakers alike.

1. Spend some time on Netflix: No, not watching “The Office.” The 50-minute documentary Hot Commodity, which is set to be released on the streaming channel this year, demonstrates that quality incomes and career advancement is possible in the HVACR wholesale industry — that’s Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, for those of you not up on the lingo. The documentary is set to be a resource for employers and others looking to promote jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree, showing the benefits of careers in the industry while also combating negative biases towards vocational programs. “This bias towards college and away from trades has led to a lack of awareness of the industry and is preventing students from entering HVACR. Without changing the bias away from trades, there will be no way to prevent the growing skills gap,” said Talbot Gee of HARDI, which produced the film.
2. Check out community college programs: Joshua Broder, the CEO of Tilson, an IT service management company, described what his company is doing to recruit new workers via the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program, or TIRAP. Tilson is hiring 35 new employees every month across 23 offices nationwide to keep up with demand. Broder has found success recruiting workers by partnering with Maine Community College to create a web-based program that trains workers to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the workforce. If you don’t reside near Maine, don’t worry! This program is accessible to anyone, regardless of location.
3. Don’t discount pre-apprenticeship programs: We’ve written about pre-apprenticeship programs before, and they deserve a lot more attention. Pre-apprenticeships offer a great way for individuals to improve their skills and prepare for a vocational training program. Usually run by a community-based organization or a local community or technical college, these eight to 12 week programs provide the basic, hands-on skill sets — think things like working with tools and machinery — needed for more intense programs later on. Pre-apprenticeships also help participants with financial and career planning, job assistance and networking. “Pre-apprenticeship programs help attract workers to high-demand fields and provide them with a strong foundation of the skills needed to succeed,” said Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa).  Learn more about pre-apprenticeships via the Department of Labor.
4. Make apprenticeship licenses transferable by state: This is a tip for policymakers — making the U.S. apprenticeship system more uniform is vital to its long-term success. Having a streamlined apprenticeship registration system would mitigate some of the difficulties associated with participating in vocational training programs. “Companies that operate regionally and/or nationally have rightfully identified that local (i.e. – state) licensing requirements, which differ from state-to-state, introduce a degree of uncertainty and additional administrative burden to operating registered apprenticeships across their regional and/or national footprints,” said Ronald Marlow, vice president for workforce development at the National Urban League.
5. For those interested in IT work, look at CyberSeek: Interested in a career in cybersecurity, but don’t where to start? CyberSeek provides employers, job seekers, and legislators with information about the various pathways within the cybersecurity landscape. CyberSeek maps out careers in cybersecurity ranging from entry level positions, like IT auditor, to advanced level positions, such as cybersecurity engineer. This is a great tool for all stakeholders to keep up with the everchanging cybersecurity job market.
6. Work on those soft skills: Soft skills are often harder to put your finger on, but they contribute to the widening “skills gap” just as much as technical skills. Industry leaders have noted that soft skills, like critical thinking and project management, tend to be lacking with job applicants. “While the notion of a skills gap is a seemingly straightforward concept, below the surface, there are many nuances to the story,” said Tim Herbert, the senior vice president of CompTIA. “Skills gap may be unintentionally used to describe gaps in soft skills, location-labor mismatches, market pay rate disconnects, awareness gaps, confidence gaps, and even generational work style gaps.”