{"id":31195,"date":"2021-07-20T17:43:13","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T17:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dvirc.org\/insights\/workplace-development-is-the-new-workforce-development\/"},"modified":"2023-03-08T14:01:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T14:01:29","slug":"workplace-development-is-the-new-workforce-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dvirc.org\/insights\/workplace-development-is-the-new-workforce-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Workplace Development is the New Workforce Development"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written By:\u00a0Matt Fieldman<\/em><\/p>\n

This blog is the fourth in a monthly series brought to you by the America Works initiative. As a part of the MEP National Network\u2019s goal of supporting the growth of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies, this series focuses on innovative approaches, and uncovering the latest trends in manufacturing workforce development.<\/em><\/p>\n

Growing up, my parents used to always joke that we needed a money tree to provide endless funding for my many expensive tastes.<\/p>\n

Today, American manufacturers joke that they need a \u201cskilled workers tree,\u201d where they can endlessly grow qualified workers to fill their open advanced manufacturing roles. We know from a\u00a0recent Deloitte study\u00a0<\/a>that American manufacturers will need 2.1 million qualified workers by 2030. And this shortage will only grow worse, as\u00a069% of manufacturers<\/a>\u00a0are looking to re-shore production to North America.<\/p>\n

Given that we can\u2019t manufacture smart, motivated workers \u2013 at least, not yet! \u2013 how can America\u2019s small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) fill their open positions?<\/p>\n

Cultivating Workers<\/h2>\n

In lieu of some genetic wizardry that magically develops that elusive \u201cskilled workers tree,\u201d one answer is to redirect our efforts away from workforce development to instead focus on workplace development. In addition to a focus on attraction and recruitment, American manufacturers must also focus on keeping and cultivating the workers they already have. There is an urgent need to improve our people development systems to a point where our efforts to attract, train, and retain people create an environment that values people for their personalities and qualities, not just their productivity.<\/p>\n

In the workforce world, we would typically call this becoming an \u201cemployer of choice.\u201d Accomplishing this lofty goal has always been the result of a deliberate and holistic strategy that ensures your current workers feel a sense of belonging and purpose. In today\u2019s environment, these are fast becoming the expectation of high-quality talent. A business will know they have reached that legendary \u201cemployer of choice\u201d status when they see improved metrics related directly to their people, such as increased productivity, reduced waste, and lower absenteeism and turnover. You\u2019ll see it in your teams too. This type of environment will also help to unleash the whole team\u2019s creativity and problem-solving capabilities, improving the organization\u2019s overall competitiveness. At companies like these, not only do employees think twice before quitting, but they become active ambassadors and recruiters for their employer.<\/p>\n

MEP Centers Help Turn Cultures into a Competitive Advantage<\/h2>\n

Currently,\u00a0MEP Centers\u00a0<\/a>nationwide offer a wide range of consulting and hands-on assistance to help manufacturers turn their cultures into a competitive advantage. America Works, with its\u00a0four goals<\/a>\u00a0designed to strengthen the\u00a0MEP National Network\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0workforce development efforts, will launch an internal discussion node this fall devoted to sharing best practices in this exact area. Across the Network, MEP Centers are actively working with SMMs to strengthen all aspects of their internal environments, including:<\/p>\n