As new generations of students are increasingly told that obtaining a 4-year college degree is the only path to a better life, the automotive industry in the US may suffer from a shortage of qualified candidates to work in manufacturing.
Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky is trying to change that, according to The Courier-Journal, with a new program which allows area high school graduates to try working at the facility for a summer. Participating teens worked 10-hour shifts two or three days a week, gaining real-world experience in a manufacturing position in the process, with the hope that after it was over, some of the recent graduates might want to return.
“We’re in a manufacturing crisis,” says Ford Workforce Development Coordinator Tami Hatfield. “Between now and 2025, there will be 2 million jobs that go unfilled just because we don’t have the necessary people to go into these jobs once they’re available.”
That’s despite manufacturing positions at Ford carrying a $15.78-per-hour starting wage, 401(k) plans, college tuition reimbursement up to $6,000 per year, and employer-provided health insurance after 90 days. “If we’re facing a problem with jobs making $15.78 an hour, what are all the other manufacturers in our area facing as well?” Hatfield added.
Comments
One more reason to look at Ford. With GM getting more in bed with importing Chinese made Buicks and Cadillacs, Ford is helping our Country, our youth, and our future. Good for you Ford.
You should let some retirees come back