Personnel

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.

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.

Why do so few women pursue careers in engineering? A new study from a Rice University researcher will seek to find out by examining their everyday work experiences in the profession.

The struggle among manufacturers to fill open jobs is likely to continue because of the shrinking labor pool and growing need for workers with high-tech skills. Those are conclusions in a report from the National Association of Manufacturers, a trade group for manufacturers, including thousands of small businesses. In a survey in March, manufacturers said their inability to attract and retain talent was their biggest concern as it was for the previous two-and-a-half years. A quarter of those surveyed said they’ve had to turn down business opportunities because they didn’t have the staffers needed to fulfill contracts.