Working with the workforce

The members of the PIE commission also conducted a survey of approximately 1,000 manufacturers, community colleges, high schools, and labor market programs as part of their work to investigate the issues of worker training and job skills.

Only 20% of businesses, or roughly 5% of core production jobs, reported long-term vacancies they were unable to fill.Only 7% of respondents believed that the required skills had significantly increased over the past five years.Paul Osterman, a member of the PIE commission and a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, stated, “You do need skills, but they are within reach of most Americans.

“In addition, according to Osterman, manufacturers have a widespread requirement for production workers who are able to effectively translate instructions into action and comprehend memos of one page.