When a recent survey asked manufacturers to list their biggest challenges, 83 percent said "attracting and retaining a quality workforce." Only supply chain disruptions and rising material costs ranked higher. Indeed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, manufacturers had 858,000 unfilled jobs in November 2021. And the problem is only going to get worse. Baby Boomers represent 27 percent of the manufacturing workforce, and 10,000 retire daily. At the current pace, there could be 2.1 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2030.

Our guest on "Discovering Solutions to Manufacturing Workforce Challenges" has the daunting challenge of figuring out ways to reverse those statistics. In this episode, Assembly Audible welcomes Jeannine Kunz, who has just been appointed to the newly created position of chief workforce development officer at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, or SME. Her role includes leadership responsibility for Tooling U-SME, the learning, and development arm of SME. A recognized expert in learning and development, Jeannine is at the forefront of workforce management issues, providing forward-thinking learning and development solutions for companies, academia, and individuals.

Want to listen to the full interview? Check out the podcast on ASSEMBLY Audible.

Discovering Solutions to Manufacturing Workforce Challenges

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