Manufacturing Matters! Conference Update: The Skills Gap: Is it Real?

Manufacturing Matters! Conference Update: The Skills Gap: Is it Real?

The Manufacturing Matters! Conference was held at the Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee on Thursday, February 27, 2014.  The conference was sponsored by the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP), which focuses on delivering unmatched opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration.

For 17 years, the conference has raised public awareness of the vitality, strength and contributions of the manufacturing sector, and promoted the well-being of manufacturing as essential for a healthy, vibrant economy in Wisconsin.

One of the conference’s breakout sessions was a spirited debate concerning the skills gap.  The room was packed full to hear an exchange between Professor Marc V. Levine, Founding Director of the Center of Economic Development of University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Mike Reader, President of China Instrument Parts, and Eric Isbister, CEO and co-owner of GenMet Corporation. WMEP President Buckley Brinkman moderated the panel discussion.

The subject being debated was the existence–or absence thereof–of a manufacturing skills gap in Wisconsin, and the program was headlined as “The Skills Gap: It is Real?”  The controversy stemmed from a 2013 study conducted by Levine, who proposed the manufacturing skills gap to be just a myth.

Levine’s arguments were based on statistical data of national averages in a job creation crisis scenario. Isbister and Reader contradicted Levine’s findings, by suggesting that the crisis was with skills, not job creation.

A summary of their views:

Job Crisis Creating too few good jobs Economic numbers don’t support crisis Well educated workforce Skills just one piece of the puzzle Employers aren’t effective “finders”

Skills Crisis Too few qualified workers to fill jobs 82% of all manufacturers cite problems Unskilled workforce Skills are a critical need Engaging more channels than ever

According to an article in BizTimes.com by Dan Shafer, “Isbister called the study itself ‘detrimental’ to the future of manufacturing,” alleging that it discourages people from pursuing high-skilled careers in this field.  Mary Baer, Director of Member Development a Waukesha County Business Alliance, said there was a “disconnect between educators like Levine and the business community.”  Both Reader and Isbister extended Levine an invitation to visit their particular facilities, and observe the skill gap first hand.

At the end of the debate, Brinkman gave Levine credit for “appearing in front of a group of passionate manufacturers who all dispute the findings.” Levine mentioned that he it was not his intent to harm the industry, and that he considers “manufacturing…the heart of innovation.”