Skills development: are manufacturers shooting themselves in the foot?

A pertinent question as asked by the Manufacturing Executive blog. It aligns with one of our previous posts about the benefits of recruiting mature-aged workers. But in the long-term does this benefit the industry?

Will this practice of hiring mature-aged workers ultimately discourage Gen-Y and the long-term sustainability of the manufacturing industry?

Comment below or on the post at Manufacturing Executive.   

A global perspective on NextGen workforce

Manufacturing Executive poses some good question on its website regarding the features of the next generation workforce:

"Next-gen workers in the US and Western Europe, for example, have high - some say unrealistic - expectations of well-balanced home/work lives and work that has meaning beyond a pay check. But...the expectations of Millennials in Asia are significantly different. There it's all about rapid advancement and compensation. If such opportunities aren't readily available, next-geners in China will quickly bolt for greener pastures.."

What do you think? Comment below or at the Manufacturing Executive blog.

What Does the Next Generation Need to Know and Do in Manufacturing and Design?

Following is the address from Lawrence D Burns at The National Academy of Manufacturing's 2011 Design and Manufacturing Forum. It addresses some of the lessons to be learned about manufacturing by the next generation, such as:

Lesson 1:  Manufacturing is an Integrated System
Lesson 2: Manufacturers Must be Driven by Customer Experiences
Lesson 3: Manufactures Must Grow Better “Beans” in Addition to Counting Them
Lesson 4: Manufacturing Innovation Is Still Quite Young
Lesson 5: Engineers with Integrative Minds Will be the Leaders

Click here to read the full article.