Bob Trebilcock

Reading, writing and materials handling
March 13, 2008

In the summer of 2006, an article in The Wall Street Journal caught my eye. The thrust of the piece was that the biggest challenge facing American industry wasn’t a lack of jobs. It was finding enough workers with the right combination of book smarts and skills for today’s automated, computerized and quality-focused plants, especially in the South where more and more factories are relocating.

As I started talking to materials handling equipment manufacturers, their customers, and educators, I discovered a new reality cutting across manufacturing: Gone are the days when a kid who knew how to turn a wrench could walk out of high school and into the factory down the block. Today, that same kid needs to understand PLCs, lean principles and continuous improvement. At the same time, the number of skilled workers retiring from the workforce far exceeds the number of young workers with the skills to replace them.

According to Allan Howie, director of continuing education and professional development for the Material Handling Industry of America, that same phenomenon is at work in the distribution center, where a good man (and woman) is getting hard to find (my apologies to Flannery O’Connor). 

So what’s going on?

Howie tells me two phenomena are at work. First, all spectrums of the materials handling industry are evolving. “The OEMs tells us they need skilled personnel to design, manufacture and integrate their equipment,” says Howie. “And as systems become more complex and automated, the end users tell us they need employees who can operate and maintain the systems.”

Meanwhile, our industry has an image problem when it comes to attracting young people with that kind of know-how: Too many people think we’re still about back-breaking physical labor.

“We really need to make it clear to folks who are contemplating entering the industry that we’re about more than moving boxes and pallets manually,” says Howie. “If they’re adaptable and want to learn the business, there is a real career path here.”

For that reason, MHIA is working with business, guidance counselors and educators to develop the curriculum and talent the materials handling industry will need in the future.

One of the first programs to bear fruit is taking place in four high schools in the Chicago area. Launched three years ago with a sophomore class, the kids learn the reading, writing and arithmetic skills they’ll need to compete today. As they get closer to graduation, they move into a work-study environment, working on the job with a mentor who can show them the ropes.

“The student gets a chance to see what the industry is like on a day-to-day basis, and the employer providing the mentoring opportunity can see if these are students they want to hire after graduation,” says Howie

In addition to the schools in Chicago, MHIA is talking to high schools in Miami and Long Beach, California, about implementing programs.

Will it work?

Howie says we’ll soon see, as the first senior class is about to graduate in Chicago. He has high hopes, both for these kids and what they represent. “We want to provide skilled people to our members and the user public,” he says. “That’s our education mission.”

This is an issue, by the way, that I think is important and plan to explore each month through the rest of the year. So, help me out and let me know if your company running into a skill shortage on the job? If so, post a comment below and tell me how you’re coping with employment education issues.  

Posted by Bob Trebilcock on March 13, 2008 | Comments (0)