BlueCollarAndProudOFIt.com recently asked John Werling, director of Industrial Growth Works at Duquesne University’s Institute for Economic Transformation, to share his thoughts about skilled labor in the manufacturing sector.

Industrial Growth Works (IGW) is a community manufacturing initiative of Duquesne University’s Institute for Economic Transformation (IET). A team of business consultants explore regional manufacturers and work with growth-oriented companies that offer full-service consulting in “vision and strategy development, world class manufacturing practices and sales and marketing management. IGW specializes in growing its clients' sales, profits and cash flow,” says Werling.

Werling has worked with IGW since 1988, where he is responsible for facilitating dozens of process improvement projects impacting quality and productivity. Prior to joining IGW, John served as Associate Director of Operations for a large commercial real estate development and property management firm, where he was charged with leading several improvement efforts in addition to his duties managing day-to-day operations. He also served as an Operations Analyst for a large national retailer providing analysis and recommendations for policies and procedures and implementing various improvement projects.

Werling holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majoring in Operations Management and Decision Sciences (OM/DS) from Robert Morris University. He is a member of several organizations including the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences (InfORMS).

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: What are your thoughts on the need today for skilled labor in the manufacturing sector?

JW: That is a complicated question. The short answer is that the survival of the manufacturing sector is of the utmost importance for the entire U.S. economy. In this heightened competitiveness of the global environment, skilled labor along with advanced technology and innovation are the most important factors for the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing.

The more complicated response is that we are now questioning the conventional definitions of “manufacturing” as well as that of “skilled labor.” In today’s fast paced economy traditional boundaries are constantly blurred. As the U.S. economy evolves, the distinction between manufacturing and value added services, between operator and manager, between machinist and engineer, between architect and carpenter, are increasingly fuzzy. The challenging part is that any static set of technical skills will, like any “commodity,” soon become obsolete. The ability to continually learn technical skills and deal with an accelerated pace of change will have to be the defining characteristic of today’s American worker, whether they design software, machine metals, or perform financial analysis.

This will bring profound change to traditional manners of work, training and education. Rigid structures of the past will necessarily fade away. The notion that young men and women will choose a single career path at a young age, begin with 2 to 6 years of education and follow with a hierarchical progression of success is already obsolete. People will choose opportunities to match their skills and interests with what the market demands and move forward one opportunity at a time. Education must be a lifelong parallel or more certainly intermingled path to work. I am not sure if our economy will wait for a four-year full time training program in the future. The good news is that it makes the problem of an aging skilled workforce a non-issue, because the skills they hold are becoming rapidly obsolete.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: What kinds of training programs are currently available?

JW: It varies. Usually two year technical or trade (vocational) schools along with Union and trade group apprenticeship programs. But many alternative programs are being developed in response to critical skill gaps. Often these are government and foundation funded programs run by local economic development agencies.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: What kinds of job opportunities exist for someone who has completed one of these programs? Do they become apprentices?

JW: It varies greatly and usually depends on the individual. If someone is smart, committed and genuinely excited by an opportunity then good jobs will come their way, and great opportunities for advancement will eventually follow. If they are lukewarm about a job because it doesn’t quite pay what they hoped and as a result show no initiative, they will get stuck.

Typically the initial job offers will be for under $10/hour, at least in Pittsburgh. But within three to four years one can usually progress to the mid-teens. It is worth noting that this will place someone at about the same level as a management trainee, who would have spent four or five years in college and typically accrued plenty of debt in that time. If someone develops specialized knowledge than they can become a supervisor or work on problem solving teams for a company their career can really start rolling.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: Do you think high school grads are being “encouraged” – by parents, guidance counselors or peers - to attend college even though it may not be the place for them?

JW: Yes. Not because I don’t think college is valuable for everyone because I think it can be. We can’t limit education to vocational and job skills training. College is important is because it broadens horizons and challenges people to think about a variety of different topics from a variety of different angles. It is beneficial in times of global turmoil for people to be educated on worldly issues. And that is important for every U.S. citizen.

But it doesn’t always have to happen in a traditional college setting when people are 18-22 years-old. College can wait. Or education can take on different forms over a longer period. Some people may benefit from learning about work first and the world later. Or they can be exposed to civic life through trade association leadership programs or any number of ways.

What we need to stress to young people is that there are an unlimited number of paths in life. No decision is final, no choice irreversible. My experience was that parents and high-school guidance counselors made the impression that you had to decide at the tender age of seventeen what you would do with the rest of your life. Obviously that is not true. In today’s world, most of us will change careers, let alone jobs, several times before we retire.

All paths will present opportunities for learning, advancement and progression in personal satisfaction. I know many machinists with college degrees and many more managers, engineers and entrepreneurs who did not go to college. So if you do not feel that college is right for you right now, and you like to work with your hands, pursue it! That choice in no way pigeonholes you into a life on the assembly line. It never did, but less so today than ever.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: How do today’s opportunities compare to those of 25 years ago?

JW: I think they are much better. Twenty-five years ago if you wanted a really good blue-collar job you had better know someone who could get you in, particularly if it was a union job. Sure you could start out at a higher pay rate than today, but you were pegged to remain on the shop floor for mostly cost of living raises for your entire career. Of course if we are talking 25 years ago your entire career was probably less than ten before you were laid off.

The rigid structure that existed then was part of the problem. Today, there are very few large factories that employ thousands of workers. Smaller companies need to be nimble and the economy has demanded that all companies be more flexible. More often than not, the best rise to the top, no matter where they started.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: What do you see as far as future job potential (in terms of jobs as well as career advancement opportunities)?

JW: One term I hear emerging is the machinist-technologist. The reality is that all jobs are becoming high-tech. While many people don’t think of manufacturing as high-tech, in reality, because of competition and automation, manufacturing might be one of the most high-tech sectors. Shop-floor workers are becoming technicians. As the technology changes, we may need fewer of them, but they will need to be very good. They need to communicate regularly with the engineer and even the customer.

We will have fewer overall “blue-collar” jobs. But because the majority of blue-collar workers are over 40, we will have demand. And the demand will be for highly skilled, highly technical workers who can solve problems and think on their feet. Advancement I guess is a relative term. It could be that they climb the promotion ladder. Or it could be that they remain in the same key role and share in their company’s growth and advancement as they take on new opportunities and challenges. Not every company is viewing their workforce this way. But the most advanced ones, the ones who stand the best chance of survival do.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: What’s the profile of a “typical” student in a training program?

JW: Well, the ideal profile is…Mechanically oriented, likes to take things apart and figure them out; likes to deal with new challenges, but can approach them with a structured methodology and a certain degree of standardization; has good spatial abilities and decent math comprehension; communicates well. Can learn and adapt to change quickly and can function in a fast-paced environment.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: Why do these programs exist?

JW: I guess because there is demand. I will say that manufacturers seem to be particularly poor at doing their own recruiting and selling themselves as exciting places to work. Also, small companies are not always the most patient when it comes to introductory training. Often older workers in blue-collar fields have a weeding out or “sink-or-swim” mentality to new workers rather than one of nurturing and developing them. I guess independent training programs increase their chances of swimming once they get hired.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: What specific skills are required?

JW: Number one is work ethic and responsibility. Showing up for work everyday is the first important skill. Number two, care about your job and your career, and take pride! After that, you need basic math skills, good spatial and mechanical abilities. They will teach you the rest.

BlueCollarAndProudOfIt: What would you say to someone who is contemplating this path?

JW: Don’t believe the rhetoric! Shop floor jobs are not boring jobs done in dark and dirty places. Office jobs are certainly no more glamorous. Professionals don’t sit around brainstorming clever advertising slogans and drawing up fancy charts and then head to happy hour. There are many career paths and all of them can get you where you want to go if you are smart and patient. If you know college isn’t right for you, and you don’t want to deliver pizzas, trade programs and careers are a great alternative.

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More info on Industrial Growth Works http://www.iet.duq.edu/igw/index.html