Workforce Development for Global Competitiveness

A widening skills gap threatens U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and consequently our economy. A talent pipeline with a sufficient supply of properly aligned skills is imperative to meet U.S. manufacturers’ needs for capacity, productivity and innovation. We expect 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will likely need to be filled over the next decade with a skills gap that is expected to leave in excess of 2 million of those jobs unfilled. The gap is a result of an overall shortfall of recruits, a mismatch between the skills needed by manufacturers and the skill sets of available workers, and a high rate of retirement. A surge in reshoring will increase that gap by millions more. The long-term skills gap has contributed to a loss of U.S. manufacturing over the last 40 years. Failure to overcome the gap now will limit the U.S.’ ability to ride the reshoring wave.