The skills crisis isn't good, but is it all bad?

摘要

During the last day of FABTECHZ~R 2019, two young welding engineering students stood and asked a good question of a panel discussing the skilled labor problem: "As young people entering the workforce, what can we do to prevent us from having this same panel discussion in 20 years?" The panelists gave some good answers, mainly about being able to collaborate with the right combination of confidence, respect, and humility. But admittedly, it's a hard question to answer, because it can all seem overwhelming. What can one person really do? Yes, the country needs a far better pipeline for technical manufacturing talent. A network of technical schools offeringstackable, portable credentials could do a world of good, perhaps filling the void left by all the abandoned vocational programs at high schools and the underfunded ones at community colleges.