Engaged Employees Can Tell Success Stories

Written by Paul J. Ward

Since January 2010, the manufacturing industry has added almost 600,000 well-paying, highly skilled manufacturing jobs to the economy. In fact, if the U.S. manufacturing sector were its own country, it would rank as the 10th-largest world economy, according to the Manufacturing Institute, an industry organization dedicated to improving and expanding manufacturing in the United States.

But despite this growth and prosperity, a national poll commissioned by Kennametal in 2011 revealed that just 9 percent of Americans see manufacturing as a bright spot in the economy. In addition, only 11 percent believe manufacturing is growing; just 17 percent think manufacturing has a positive outlook in the future; and 68 percent feel the perceived lack of manufacturing jobs is more significant than the lack of training required to fill those jobs.

Two-thirds of manufacturers report a shortage of available, qualified workers. Even more concerning is the fact that 2.7 million manufacturing workers will be retiring in the next 10 years.
The demand for skilled technicians in manufacturing will increase, but many jobs could go unfilled because workers lack necessary skills for these positions.

The first step in solving this conundrum is to change perceptions of manufacturing for the better. The persistent myth of manufacturing as laborious “dirty work” departs far from today’s reality. Modern production facilities rely on advanced, computer-driven machinery operated by highly skilled technicians. More people —especially high school students, their parents and guidance counselors— need to see the new image of manufacturing to appreciate it as a viable, rewarding path to education and career success.

Who better to advocate for and educate on behalf of the manufacturing industry than the very employees engaged in successfully elevating it as a leader of the U.S. economy?

Kennametal’s nearly 14,000 employees in 60 countries around the globe have helped us become a worldwide manufacturing leader in tooling solutions, engineered components and advanced materials. We work hard to attract, engage, develop, and retain the best people and provide a great place to work that is inclusive and provides opportunities for continuous learning. That is a primary reason why the Ethisphere has named Kennametal as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies two years in a row, a recognition in which Kennametal takes great pride.

Although we don’t manufacture end consumer products, we do make products and provide services that enable the production of virtually all types of goods. Our products and innovative custom and standard wear resistant solutions help increase our customers’ productivity across a wide range of market segments.

Our ability to manufacture such sophisticated products on a global scale is largely attributable to our culture of engaged employees. Building on our company’s culture of engagement, we value every employee and the perspectives each brings. The more diverse we are in our thinking, the more capable and creative we are to think differently about our customers’ needs, to innovate and advance our industry.

Kennametal employees not only care about our customers, but they also care about our company’s and the industry’s future. Nothing better illustrates that point than the astonishing 91 percent participation rate we achieved in this year’s Voice of the Employee survey, our annual employee engagement survey.

Our consistent record participation by Kennametal employees ranks us among the best of all companies that measure engagement. We conduct these surveys because employees comprise Kennametal’s greatest competitive advantage. Their insights drive our ability to attract, develop, recognize and retain the best people, so we can grow stronger.

At Kennametal, our employees are helping us do several things to address the skills gap in manufacturing, thereby strengthening the industry.

In 2011, the Kennametal Foundation, which provides grants for educational opportunities, volunteerism and community related issues to qualified organizations around the world in or near communities in which Kennametal facilities are located, established The Young Engineers Program to help attract high school students to engineering and manufacturing careers.

Selected students participate in a 15week curriculum that includes a combination of classroom discussions, hands-on projects and mentoring led by Kennametal’s world-class research, development and engineering team.

Members of a select group of nearly 30 talented Kennametal employees, identified as Innovators, provide program input and teach classes in their areas of expertise.

Kennametal’s internship, co-operative and apprenticeship programs serve as year-round recruiting tools to identify and develop potential talent. Kennametal strives to enhance relationships with target university partners to identify the most sought-after student talent. These pipeline programs are not only a great way to accurately assess candidates for potential positions, but also provide students valuable workplace experience and a chance to develop their abilities.

In 2012, 87 students participated in the internship program, 17 of which we hired fulltime, meaning 20 percent of interns were offered and accepted fulltime positions. We also recruited 127 apprentices globally, 90 of which we hired fulltime.

Additionally, through partnerships with community colleges and technical schools, scholarship and tuition assistance programs, a veterans hiring initiative and the Kenna- metal Knowledge Center, which provides expert instruction to professionals in metal- cutting operations, we are working hard to close the manufacturing skills gap and keep our current employees highly engaged.

In 2012, Kennametal took a first, big step in a focused, long-term effort to “deliver the promise of manufacturing” by increasing awareness of the possibilities and opportunities in the industry.

But we cannot tell this story by ourselves. Our fellow manufacturers must join us in delivering the promise of manufacturing by sharing their success stories and innovative solutions for building the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow.

Together, we have the power to drive solutions, dispel misperceptions about manufacturing and rebuild confidence in the industry.