ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
by Greg Kishbaugh
Converters continually lament many
different areas of doing business, everything from competitive pricing to
keeping up with the latest technology, but one area remains at the top of their
list of primary concerns: that of finding and maintaining a qualified
workforce.
The truth is that attracting and
retaining solid candidates in the printing industries has always been a
challenge. Finding a strong candidate is formidable in and of itself, but after
training an individual on the many specific skills needed to operate in the
printing industry, keeping them on board is every bit as challenging.
Manufacturers have spoken for
years about the “skills gap”, which is an unfortunate reality that is actually
forcing many companies to change their growth plans for the future as they
simply don’t have enough qualified people on staff to make the plans
materialize.
Hoping to find out exactly how the
“skills gap” is effecting the graphic communications industry, The Graphic Arts
Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) recently produced a survey called Skilled
Worker Shortage: Myth or Reality? The
survey was distributed to the memberships of the Printing Industries of America
and the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL).
The survey posited the following
statement: “While the national unemployment rate hovers above 8 percent,
hundreds of thousands of jobs go unfilled because employers cannot identify
candidates with the required knowledge and skill set.” Nearly 74 percent of
respondents felt this statement to be true. In other words, the jobs exist
(certainly in the graphic arts sector) but applicants simply do not have the
proper skills set.
When respondents were asked how
they typically find new employees, 63 percent said they use job boards, 25
percent use headhunters, almost 58 percent found referrals from colleagues to
be the most successful, while 41 percent use local schools as a resource and 36
percent use a temporary agency.
When asked if they would prefer to
train a new employee themselves or hire someone already trained for the
specific job position, 76 percent said they would prefer to hire trained
personnel.
The survey concluded with an
invitation to provide additional comments from respondents:
• The challenge we have faced is
finding managers and sales professionals who can understand and apply the
capabilities of the new more digital and faster technologies. It requires more
creative problem solving and management of an accelerated workflow.
• Finding someone with working
knowledge of the latest social technologies is difficult.
• Machine operator positions
require already trained operators, who are fewer in number due to
aging of the industry and a lack of new talent coming in.
• It is very difficult to find
people who have a good work ethic.
• Because most companies are
running so lean, the positions that are vacant demand an experienced worker
over a newly trained one.
• Employers in our area are in
dire need of skilled technicians in all production areas with press and
finishing being the largest need.
• Finding print-experienced
personnel is tough. We can find designers, but no designers with printing
experience.
• It is harder and harder to
find quality people these days. Companies need to treat loyal, talented employees
like assets and invest in their growth.
No question this challenge will
remain for the foreseeable future, yet it remains an area that forward-thinking
printers can turn to their advantage. For the flexo printer who successfully
unlocks the key to attracting and retaining high-quality employees will have a
huge, nearly insurmountable, competitive advantage.
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