146: The Workforce Slugfest: A Live Panel on Training Programs, Immigration Policy, and Attracting the Next Generation

You just can’t find the people these days, right? 

Anyone in the manufacturing, engineering, or construction industries knows that the top challenge right now is finding talent. There’s a shortage of willing and able workers in the U.S. – and immigration policies make it difficult to bring in talent from overseas.  

In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, we head to Washington D.C. for a special live panel discussion from the Celebration of Construction on the National Mall. 

Marsia Geldert-Murphey, ASCE President-Elect, Thayer Long, President of the Association for Print Technologies and Steve Hall, Executive VP of ACEC, explore the reasons behind the talent shortage, how public policy could help, and how organizations are trying to attract the next generation of workers.  

In this episode, find out: 

• What employers can do to grow their applicant pool 
• How firms are trying to attract talent 
• Why you need to move people to the opportunities 
• How public policy could help  
• Why immigration rules need to be revisited  
• What drives young people  
• How organizations are reaching out to school and college-aged students  

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Tweetable Quotes: 

• “When you look at countries like Germany, Belarus, South Korea, UAE, 30% of their graduates are STEM graduates. In the United States, it's 19%. It's a math problem. We just do not have enough people. So we have got to improve our immigration program.” – Marsia 
• “There's a lot of drivers that motivate young people today, and I don't think they always think about engineering as a way of accomplishing those goals. So [we need] messaging like that to young people through STEM programs.” - Steve 
• “If the government put a quarter of the amount of effort into promoting an apprenticeship and a career in the construction trade as they do by subsidizing and supporting college education, it’d have a tremendous impact to bring more people into our field.” - Thayer 

Links & mentions: 

• Association for Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), an organization that’s advancing equipment manufacturers in the global marketplace. They're on a mission not only to help businesses succeed but to build a community so that the industry as a whole can make positive, lasting change. 
• American Society of Civil Engineers, the nation’s oldest engineering society that represents more than 150,000 members in 177 countries.  
• Independent Electrical Contractors, a national trade association for merit shop electrical and systems contractors. 
• American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the business voice of America’s engineering industry, representing nearly 6,000 firms to advocate for policies at federal, state and local levels. 

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.