Filling Your Workforce Pipeline - Part 2 - Actions You Can Take

One of the commenters on part 1 of this post, The Optics Workforce Pipeline, suggests that the shortage isn't in technicians, it's in higher-level engineers. He points out that engineering is competing (and losing out) against medicine and law. True, and whether it's technicians, engineers, or both in your city, we need to keep more kids interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

There's a lot of emphasis on encouraging girls in STEM. This isn't my feminist platform--improving the early and alarming rate of girls dropping out of elective math and science courses would dramatically increase our supply of talent.

There's a lot of research, curriculum changes, STEM-focused games and programs in schools, and for parents to improve these rates. But as a business person with little time and a need for ROI, what can you do to increase the number of qualified high school and college grads to fill your 1-5 year workforce needs?

1. Sponsor or support programs like FIRST
FIRST is a national organization dedicated to inspiring young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology, and leadership skills.

These programs start in third grade, with Jr. FIRST Lego League, where third to fifth graders design and build a solution to a specific problem, using Legos and a motor. These kids are too young to improve our short-term needs, but I coached this year to:

a) spend more time with my third grader (volunteerism is seldom totally altruistic--if it fits your goals, it'll stick.)
b) work with kids at an important developmental turning point, before they're discouraged.

At the high school level, the FIRST robotics competition is fierce. With a growing fan base, the “nerdier pursuits” are getting the attention they deserve. Tech company volunteers work with the kids to build robots that compete in battles, basketball games and other challenges. These are college-track kids with loyalty to the tech companies who’ve sponsored and guided them.

2. Speak to the high school classes or offer a tour
Raise awareness of the opportunities you offer by getting in front of science and technology classes during their sophomore and junior years. Bring your most approachable young 20-something employee. Bonus points for tattoos or pink hair.

3. Create a shadowing and internship program
Between OSHA and ITAR, bringing in teenagers under 18 can be tricky but very effective. In shops like these, interns can help in roles like cleanup and front-office support.

In all of these, companies who make a impact on the quality of their candidates are selling on opportunity (like availability of training and tuition assistance), and culture (innovative, chance to do work that's cool and matters, fun).

What else are you finding to be effective recruiting tools?

Optics workforce pipeline

The changing face of the American economy and education present US optics companies with a major barrier to growth: Lack of trained workforce. Here in Rochester, a university town for sure and the only city in the world that offers an associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate in optics, lack of talent is still the single top challenge named by manufacturers.

Where's the gap?
A well-publicized engineering crisis threatens the US's ability to compete against Asia and Europe, but it's our shift to the knowledge worker that's creating today's biggest gap: The middle skills. In optics, the technician role is a middle-skill job that's in high demand. It's tough to attract candidates, and only one-tenth has the skills, particularly math, to make the cut. 

So what exactly is the problem here?
 
1. School system: NY school funding is tied to percent of students who progress to a four-year college program. Some local school boards even deny manufacturers the chance to speak to their classes--limiting kids' exposure to this career track. Those who might be good candidates for a technician training program lack the math skills. The knowledge gap is vast between those on the college track, and those who aren’t.
 
2. Shift in demand: Small high precision manufacturing companies have had limited success retraining laid off or retired workers from large corporations like Kodak. Skills and wage expectations are a miss-match. Change is hard, and many companies struggle to retrain successfully.
 
3. Misguided subsidies, funding, and competing governmental agencies: In short, too many cooks in the kitchen. Federal and state funding intended to stimulate hiring seems to have the opposite effect--it slows progress and changes the game from a simple demand-based hire. Available funding is for larger corporations, or to retrain in career "basics" like word processing, or is so cumbersome that it's impractical for business. 


Enough! There is lots of research and op-ed that suggests what some entity "ought to do." But let’s skip ahead to what you can do. As a manager or leader in optics, how do you create your own pipeline of technicians?

Here’s one successful program local leaders have started, with great payoffs: 


Summer Sizzler

When the local optics cluster and one high-energy science teacher team up, momentum snowballs. More companies want to get involved, more STEM teachers step in to help, State and Local government officials become champions, community college curriculum changes...
This one-week, hands-on camp introduces inner-city high school students to optics. Originally all volunteer-run, this camp is now hosted at the Monroe Community College, with 2 high schools participating, and more interested. It is designed to:
 
1. Expose students to the field of optics
2. Provide demand for a dual-credit optics course
3. Help students access scholarships and internships
4. Introduce them to businesses in need of workers

Many of these students will go straight to work at the organizing companies after graduation, and those companies will help fund the 2-year associates' program at MCC.
 
The students, even on their first week of summer vacation, are excited and engaged. Working with people like Josh Cobb, senior optical systems engineer at Corning Corporation and adjunct assistant professor at MCC, and Jim VanKowenberg of Optimax, students work on experiments like: 

•    Building an LCD projector from a lens and LCD digital photo key chain
•    Building an interferometer
•    Using fiber-optic cables as a light pipe to determine efficiency of light
•    Creating 3-D images

All this just goes to prove 2 key truths:
 
1. Teenagers will work hard for pizza and money.
2. A few action-oriented leaders can get things done and inspire action from the community.
 
Along with local and national optics companies, we'll be sponsoring this camp again in June--check back for photos and video of the students' work. If you’re interested in sponsorship, volunteering, or organizing your own, comment or contact me.

The next post will cover another way to get involved in helping kids get and stay interested in engineering: FIRST.