It’s no secret that a shortage of skilled labor is already an issue for the manufacturing industries, and the problem is expected to get worse.
According to a recent survey released by Advanced Technology Services Inc. (ATS), a Peoria, Ill.-based manufacturing services provider, senior manufacturing executives believe that the shortfall of skilled labor in the United States will cost their companies $50 million, on average, during the next five years. And nearly half of survey respondents at companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenues put the figure at more than $100 million.
Various organizations have launched programs to boost training and education for the next generation of factory workers, and to polish the image of manufacturing as a career choice. Now, some industry trade associations are turning to the Internet as a way to bring qualified applicants and potential employers together.
New job sites
Both the Measurement, Control & Automation Association (MCAA), based in Williamsburg, Va., and the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), based in Ann Arbor, Mich., have recently launched Web-based interactive job boards aimed at their respective industry segments.
Called the MCAA Career Center and the Robotics Online Career Center, respectively, both sites were developed in partnership with Boxwood Technology Inc., a Herndon, Va.-based provider of career center services for the association industry. And both offer similar features for the two organizations’ respective audiences.
“The Robotics Online Career Center is an excellent opportunity for any employer trying to fill a robotics industry position to reach out to professionals of the highest caliber,” said Donald A. Vincent, RIA executive vice president. Likewise, MCAA President Cynthia Esher called the MCAA Career Center “an excellent opportunity for employers and job seekers to come together to match available top level positions with those professionals seeking exciting careers in the measurement, control and automation industry.”
Both organizations listed various advantages to employers using the Career Centers, including targeted advertising exposure for their job listings; easy online management of job listings; resume search capabilities for companies with paid job listings; the ability to build company awareness among qualified professionals through information posting and Web site links; as well as competitive pricing for job listings.
Pricing
The RIA did not specify pricing for job listings in its press release announcing its Career Center. But the MCAA said that member companies using its Career Center site will pay $200 for a single 30-day posting, $550 for three postings and $1,750 for 10 postings, while non-MCAA member company rates are $250, $700 and $2,000 respectively.
There is no charge for individual job seekers using the sites. Industry professionals can search for jobs easily in industry specific listings. Job seekers can submit resumes electronically to prospective employers, and may also post resumes on the site, while keeping their identities confidential; participants will receive e-mails from interested companies so they can decide which companies to contact. Individuals can also save their job search criteria and be notified by e-mail of new listings that match their specifications, then be linked to the jobs and apply online.
The MCAA Career Center can be found atwww.measure.org/Career/Launchpage.htm, while the Robotics Online Career Center can be reached by visiting the RIA home page atwww.roboticsonline.com.
