Personnel

It’s hard to believe that the phrase “war for talent” was coined more than 20 years ago. Today, the fight to attract and retain talented employees rages on in virtually every industry — and manufacturing is no exception.

Colin Cooper, Connecticut's first chief manufacturing officer, will be involved with regulations, hiring and training. The new position comes after manufacturing companies in the state said they would like to hire more local workers but struggle to find candidates.

Welders, machinists and other blue-collar workers may not have the jobs that are talked about most on the Space Coast, but recruiters say those employees are the ones needed most. Although they compete with each other for job candidates in the Brevard County job market, local companies agree that it's very hard to hire manufacturing workers in the area.

In the rise of esports, or professional gaming, some see a new generation of athletes. I see our next-generation workforce. I see natural leaders in digital manufacturing and the future coders of smart cities. But we can’t expect a generation of digital natives who never experienced an analog workplace to want to go back in time. They will join us if their provided workspaces and tools clearly represent the future.

(Birmingham, U.K.) A European photochemical etching specialist, Precision Micro, has appointed Chris Carter as Key Account Manager to service the growing German market for precision photo-etched metal components.

Michigan is taking steps to build on a tradition of innovation by investing in the workers, thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. This effort was on display last month at Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow's Learning Lab summer bridge program, which allowed University Prep Science & Math High School students from Detroit to tour the building and meet manufacturers and educators.

A third of Generation Z — adults ages 18 to 22 — have had manufacturing suggested as a career option compared with 18% of millennials and 13% of the general adult population, according to a new study. Gen Z is 7% more likely to consider working in the manufacturing industry and 12% less likely to view it as in decline compared with the general population.

A new publication, "Training the Next Revolution in American Manufacturing," addresses narrowing the skills gap in advanced manufacturing. The project will be followed by a separate one that examines the information gap in manufacturing job placement: how to better match job seekers with available positions. Both studies grew out of what rapidly has become a cliche — that manufacturing is changing.