Manufacturing and Jobs in the Garden State

There’s been a lot of talk about manufacturing jobs lately and boosting that dwindling industry has also been a talking point of both presidential candidates. According to the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, “New Jersey manufacturers employ nearly 338,200 people, plus 136,700 workers are employed by companies that supply and support manufacturers, nearly 13% of New Jersey’s private sector workforce.”

Last December I gave outplacement training to a manufacturing plant that was leaving the state after 57 years. Manufacturing is one of those industries that have become obsolete. A statistic from the Occupational Outlook handbook says that between now and 2018, manufacturing positions will decline 13%. It also states that as workers adapt to team-oriented production methods, those who can operate multiple machines will have the best opportunities for advancement and for gaining jobs with more long-term potential. In other words - the odds aren’t very good unless you sharpen your skill set. Gone are the days when someone with a limited education or a specialized skill can make a decent living running a machine or making a part. Should someone in the manufacturing area leave the field for something else? Are there any reskilling trainings available? Here is what I suggest someone in the manufacturing field do:

1. Set up a game plan with goals and dates.
2. Assess your career values, motives, skills and transferable job skills.
3. Take advantage of any free career assessments offered. There are many online assessments available.
4. Find and use grants or low cost training/retaining.
5. Network with one another and with other networking groups (such as the Jersey Jobs Clubs via the Unemployment Office). You can also network with the manufacturing groups on LinkedIn.

There are a number of workforce training grants available that provide skilled training, education and a wide range of support to workers and employers. This summer New Jersey’s pilot “Fabricated Metal Product Training” program graduated ten students from a 12-week course preparing them for work in NJ’s metal product manufacturing industry. Of the ten, all received offers for employment.  For information on the program, please visit the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development or talk to your local unemployment office.
There are a number of websites for manufacturing jobs.  Some good ones are Manufacturing Jobs USA http://www.manufacturingjobs.com/home/home.cfm?site_id=105 and ManufacturingJobs.Org: http://manufacturingjobs.org/ and Jobs4Jersey.
For additional information about manufacturing in New Jersey, please visit New Jersey Next Stop.

Jobs and Politics

A friend of mine posted an article on Facebook that explained how the Eastman Kodak Company has asked a bankruptcy court judge to allow it to end retiree medical benefits at the end of the year as part of its plan to restructure. I agreed with her that it is appalling that a company can do such a thing to the loyal staff.  I also mentioned that a public company can eliminate positions “at will" and that the number of people over the age of 50 whose positions are cut is enormous!  It’s especially nasty when the cut comes at a time when people are beginning to think about retirement.  It is very difficult for someone who is that age to find a comparable position with a comparable salary. She then asked my opinion about the Presidential race and how as a business executive, the "challenger" eliminated or outsourced positions and didn't really give a hoot about the repercussions.

This is my response:

 I am not a big political debater but here goes. As a job search instructor and resume writer I am constantly in the trenches with the unemployed and the underemployed and what I have seen these past 4 year is heartbreaking. I have seen people looking to take in boarders just to keep their homes, people dumbing down their resumes just to get an entry level job, people taking crappy jobs that pay minimum wage just to eat. I have seen and heard a killer story with every resume that I have written. I have a very hard time charging people to write their resumes because I know that they can’t afford it. I can’t tell you how many times I have given away my services for free.

I have also seen a ton of people who would rather live off unemployment than take a job making way less than what they were used to making. I don’t blame them - years ago that would bother me but now it doesn’t. It kills me to see the vacant buildings and closed up shops up and down the roads I travel. So, in answer to your question, it is absolutely awful now (and I coming from the private sector where nothing was ever guaranteed and a company can replace anyone without blinking an eye). As a small business owner, I would rather see a successful business person step in just this once. I am not a political animal but I am living it every day and when our current President makes speeches about accepting a mediocre existence, I have to disagree with him. 

What’s your take on the state of the economy and the employment situation?

June 2010 Jobless Numbers

Unemployment is 9.5%. It sounds a little bit better but is it really? What do you think?
Also, what do you think about extending unemployment benefits?