Rebuilding the industrial base will take time and commitment.
There has been a lot of talk, chatter, posturing and proclamations by pundits and politicians alike about the soon-to-be American manufacturing renaissance. Usually, when so much hoopla surrounds a topic, the result resembles the famous Aesop warning: “After all is said and done, more is said than done!”
This time, however, any nation whose strong industrial base sells products to America is being villainized via tariffs that, if executed as currently outlined, will most certainly increase costs of produced goods in America. That, in effect, may motivate some companies to invest more in manufacturing in America, potentially sparking a renaissance in select industries and locations. But for a real industrial recovery to take shape, several critical ingredients will be necessary: time, treasure and talent.
Time is one of those ingredients that is widely underestimated or input differently. Some believe they can just work faster in order to reduce the time it takes to accomplish tasks. If someone were to fire a starting shot today, companies in every industry would race to build capacity, completing those facilities and bringing them online to produce products would take years. Building brick-and-mortar and installing capital equipment takes time – much more than anyone believes when commencing a project. In short, don’t hold your breath waiting for time.
Treasure accumulates much more quickly. Businesses can borrow and spend! The balance sheets of businesses across the globe, but especially in America, are strong enough to leverage prudently and make significant capital investments in both brick-and-mortar facilities and essential capital equipment to increase manufacturing capacity. The governments in many jurisdictions have indicated a willingness to contribute funds in specific and strategic industries to expand manufacturing capability and capacity. With that added capacity, manufacturers could potentially bring home or onshore the production of products currently made in other countries, although this would likely occur at significantly higher costs.
Talent, however, is a different animal. Developing the skills necessary to produce quality products in newly built or legacy facilities takes time and talent.
Let’s start by finding people who want to consider a career in manufacturing. This is no small task and is way harder than it might have been a generation ago. Industry is paying the price for decades of downplaying the importance of manufacturing, perpetuating the gloom-and-doom narrative of a dying and insecure career path, and painting a picture that manufacturing happens only in old, dilapidated factories in the Rust Belt. Industry also faces the reputational hit from relocating manufacturing abroad. Changing these perceptions takes time.
Once a new generation shows interest in manufacturing, equipping them with the proper schooling and skills is essential. Core language and communication skills are necessary. STEM education skills are necessary. Training for and developing “work ethic” is equally necessary. Manufacturing facilities only function when employees know how to communicate with each other and with supervisors. Manufacturing facilities can only produce quality products when the workforce is properly trained. Additionally, nothing happens unless employees understand the importance of showing up at work each day, every day and on time!
All the ingredients for a real renaissance take time. A generation only comes around every 20 years or so. Training the existing available people and the next generation demands investment measured in years. Changing the optics of a career in manufacturing to reflect its interesting, challenging and rewarding nature also takes time, possibly spanning decades. To attract and train current and future talent, we must make a substantial commitment.
For an American manufacturing renaissance to occur, we need to act quickly. While government and academia working in tandem with industry would be the optimal way to proceed, the path forward may instead require industries and businesses to bear the brunt of the necessary effort to bring manufacturing back.
The time is now for a concerted effort by industry to promote and become engaged in workforce development. We must work with high schools and community colleges to foster an understanding of the requisite skills and training as well as the communication skills required and work ethic necessary when working in a team environment.
Possibly the biggest challenge is changing the perception of manufacturing. Modern facilities, equipped with high-tech machinery and producing both basic and cutting-edge technologies, differ vastly from the obsolete factories of yesteryear that often symbolize Rust Belt manufacturing.
If we want to see an American manufacturing renaissance, everyone engaged in manufacturing needs to commit the time and treasure to attract and train the workforce needed to fuel this renewal. If this renaissance matters, we must engage now!
Peter Bigelow has more than 30 years’ experience as a PCB executive, most recently as president of FTG Circuits Haverhill; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
