The quickest way to solve hiring, retention, and training problems in the skilled trades: livable wages
During the pandemic and immediately afterward, workers in the U.S. started quitting their jobs en masse. Whether motivated by pay, lifestyle, changed perspectives, new opportunities, or other factors, the outcome was the same: Workers decided to take their time elsewhere.
This great resignation was in some ways business as usual for manufacturers. Fabricators have been concerned about hiring and retaining skilled labor for decades, with labor shortages becoming more and more acute as workers favor high-tech or service jobs over less glamorous trades like metal fabrication. The problem is significant enough that it dominates conversation about growth and operation. Shops scale back growth because they can’t hire fast enough to meet demand, engage in community outreach to create a talent pipeline, and create internal employee development programs to try to make the job more attractive.
Outreach and training are great, but they are Band-Aid solutions to a much bigger problem: Workers in metal fabrication don’t make enough money. The problem boils down to pay versus cost of living, something particularly relevant in today’s inflationary environment.
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