The EMS Skills Gap Epidemic

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Brain Drain

There is no question that America has an aging workforce; and this is neither unique to contract manufacturing, nor a new phenomenon. However, in my humble opinion, the talent issue facing EMS leaders today is the most challenging I have seen over my 40-year career. In fact, I had this very discussion recently with John, an old friend that happens to be a senior executive with a midsize contract manufacturer on the east coast. As we spent some time catching up and talking about business, I asked John what kept him up at night.

He said, “Steve, that’s easy, people. We have a difficult time not only finding engineering talent, but also assembly, high-temp soldering and basic manufacturing people.” We continued our discussion comparing notes on the lack of “minimum required skills” that the average job applicant walks through the door with. As I tend to routinely talk to a lot of industry leaders, unfortunately, this is not a one-off. This got me thinking, and again, comparing notes with the hiring managers in our industry, on what exactly are those “minimum required skills” that contract manufacturers are looking for.

To read the full version of this article, which appeared in the August 2017 issue of SMT Magazine, click here.

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