Only one graduating engineer has joined Schafer,s staff after being trained in micro manufacturing at the collegiate level.
Unless the applicants come from within the industry, it is rare that Petta finds the person with the right skills to immediately do the job.Īt Schafer, the only thing rarer than finding that right skills person is finding that person coming right out of college. While these applicants are likely smart, capable people, odds are they do not have the requisite skills.
We do a range of challenging projects that changes all the time, and that seems to appeal and excite scientists and engineers, she said. Schafer’s Petta said that the company gets buried in resume’s when it has an opening. Most engineering students take manufacturing courses as part of their degree program, but it is rare that they get a great deal of exposure to micro manufacturing, said Burak Ozdoganlar, professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, one of the schools that offers micro manufacturing courses.įor the most part, these skills are learned on the job. engineering schools are incorporating micro manufacturing training into their curriculum, the process has been slow. And it appears these skills are not being taught to enough students to satisfy the demand for skilled labor. Also, skills that apply to macro part production including fixturing, design, inspection, machine set up, assembly and programming have unique requirements when applied to micro manufacturing. The skills that engineers need to design, engineer and manufacture micro parts can be vast, ranging from basic shop-floor skills to the physics of gravitational forces to plotting mathematical models. As a result, machines sit idle and cash flow slows. I am looking to fill a lot of jobs, including engineers and machinists, with salaries between $50,000 and $100,000, and I can’t find workers with the appropriate skill levels. Michael Fitzgerald, owner of Acero Precision, a Newtown Square, Pa., machine shop, said there is no question that the lack of skilled workers is hurting U.S. It is almost impossible for us to find the engineerswe need, with the micro experience we want, without having to train them. The precision manufacturer, with headquarters in Arlington, Va., supplies tight-tolerance products to national laboratories, universities and other facilities. It is a major challenge to find the right people for micro assignments, said Nicole Petta, division general manager of Schafer Corp.s Livermore (Calif.) laboratory. Those few with all the skills can jump from company to company and get bigger salaries.
There is definitely a skills gap in micro manufacturing, said Tom Medvic, a corporate recruiter specializing in finding engineers and machinists with micro manufacturing skills. That conclusion seems to be accurate, according to several manufacturers and academics interviewed by MICRO manufacturing.
If theres a lack of engineers and a skills gap in macro manufacturing, surely there must be a skills gap in micro manufacturing. President Obama calls for training 10,000 more engineers each year and establishes research centers to develop new manufacturing methods. media clamor about the growing importance of manufacturing and the need for more engineers while bemoaning the country’s skills gap in math and science. Manufacturers seek ‘micro-minded’ workers