Mega tech companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Apple are expanding with new facilities and fabs investments on U.S. soil. However, alongside the growth, manufacturers of all sizes, including JST, face a big challenge. With the expansion of production and manufacturing, the need for more skilled workers who can repair and maintain complex machinery and robotics, as well as other technical roles also increases, but these positions can be hard to fill. In fact, by 2033, an estimated 3.8 million manufacturing jobs will be open, but 1.9 million of them are expected to be unfilled if more people are not encouraged/empowered to pursue modern manufacturing and engineering careers.
As manufacturers continue to face challenges in attracting and retaining skilled workers, we need to utilize creative ways to strengthen the talent pipeline so we can meet the growing demand for a skilled labor force. We’re sharing how JST is connecting with local organizations, focusing on internship and training programs, and highlighting employee recognition and engagement to stay ahead of the workforce pipeline trend with the hopes of inspiring and helping others in the industry.
Tap Your Local Community
It can be challenging to find experienced candidates to fill nuanced and niche roles within your organization. As a result, hiring managers may defer to bulk hiring, which can be a risky decision in the long term.
For JST, we start inside and strive to promote from a workforce bench we’re constantly developing in each department. After looking within JST, we look outside of JST to our local Treasure Valley area and then work out toward the rest of Idaho. We’ve found that partnering with and supporting local high schools, trade schools and post-secondary institutions—especially by engaging in their STEM training programs—has a positive impact on the quality of candidates we attract when we post positions externally.
For example, we recently engaged with students at Boise State University’s Spring Career Fair, sponsoring paid professional headshots to help college students with their job search. In March, we also hosted University of Idaho engineering students and took them on a tour of our facility. Those students are completing semiconductor certificates, an addition to their education made possible through a grant that JST supported. Our team’s emphasis on creating local partnerships spans from universities across the state to high schools as well.
Skills USA, a local workforce development organization, recently held a high school robotics competition. JST’s CEO, one of our engineers, and our human resources manager volunteered their time and talent to judge the competition. We also funded the prize packages for the winners, but we recognize that our bigger investment was creating the foundation for potential relationships.
Our human resources manager is also an active volunteer with the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) through the Idaho Workforce Development Council and Idaho Manufacturing Alliance, which aims to close skill gaps, match workers with careers, and change the local candidate pool by empowering women in manufacturing and semiconductors. Taking the time to identify and involve yourself with organizations like these in your own community is an investment that will pay off in building the foundation of a thriving industry — its people.
Initiate Internships and Training Programs
College internships are another opportunity for companies to recruit and vet local talent for essential and specific roles. At JST, we offer paid project-based, rather than time-based, internships that allow us to find and nurture local engineering and manufacturing talent, supporting them in their career pathways. These non-traditional internships allow JST the flexibility to align students with projects that fit their skill set and propel them toward their professional goals while filling a short term need for our lean manufacturing objectives. The interns we hire are treated like actual employees who report to a direct lead regarding their assignments, providing them with real, on-the-job experience. One mechanical engineering intern said this type of hands-on experience is invaluable, as he got to watch his designs come to life and become an integral part of our tools, an opportunity he wouldn’t have received with his education alone.
Internship programs are a great way to support the development of new talent, and if it’s a good fit, short-term interns could become more permanent employees. JST has had several interns return to the company, reprising their internships after time away or becoming full-time employees after graduation for both positions that require secondary degrees, but also positions that are more trade skill-based.
Training programs for current and new employees can be another solution for talent acquisition and retention. JST is in the process of implementing formalized training programs specific to each department and anticipates this method will decrease the amount of time we spend on training while still nurturing more developed skill sets.
Employees should feel confident that they are being properly trained to do their jobs and there should also be career pathways and opportunities between departments for upskilling the current workforce. Failing to establish formalized training programs and career pathways between departments leads to a higher turnover rate, so this is a crucial factor in retaining the talent you’ve spent so much time and energy attracting.
Give Employee Recognition
Fostering a positive company work culture is not a simple task or an overnight solution, but it is a valuable investment when striving toward talent retention. We are proud to recognize and show appreciation for our hardworking team members at various engagements throughout the year.
For example, we present team members across different departments who embody our cultural values of Teamwork, Customer Focus, Integrity and Innovation with awards at our annual holiday party. We also spotlight employees throughout the year as part of our “Not Your Average Employee” program. These recipients are nominated by their coworkers and managers, and we’re proud of the employee contribution we have in recognizing the efforts and success of each other, as it makes our workplace a better place.
Planning and hosting all-inclusive company-wide events is another way to show employee appreciation. Our team hosts fun foosball tournaments, summer barbecues, food truck visits, holiday parties with giveaways and more. Outside of the workplace, you can leverage community events like local sports games, festivals, and concerts to bring your team together, or you can support a cause through volunteering events and other philanthropic opportunities with local nonprofits.
One thing our employee recognition programs are not: employee engagement programs. Engaging your employees is fundamentally different from recognizing employees, and arguably the most important action JST takes to attract and retain our workforce is distinguishing between these two programs. At our company, engagement means more than just celebrating achievements; it’s about creating a culture where employees are deeply involved and expected to be in pursuit of driving continuous improvement. Our engagement programs are built on the idea that when team members have mastered our internal processes and procedures, they’re in the best position to identify waste, reduce rework and streamline workflows. This level of ownership not only fosters a sense of purpose, but directly supports our goal of improving efficiency and ensuring better on-time delivery for our customers.
Interested in beginning a career in the manufacturing industry? JST recruits and hires talent across various departments, including engineering, test line, field service, systems assembly, plumbing and more. Visit our careers page or contact us to learn about our career and internship opportunities.
