Turn the “skills gap” into your competitive advantage

The job skills gap has been an ongoing subject of controversy. The problem is that while unemployment is high, many jobs remain unfilled because workers don’t have the skills to fill them.

I am convinced that if we keep blaming things on external circumstances, we’ll prevent ourselves from creating the change we want and need.

The conversations around the skills gap are astounding to me, in that very rarely do I hear anybody putting a positive spin on this much-publicized challenge. Most companies clearly know what they don’t want, don’t have, and don’t like, and unfortunately this is also where their main focus and attention goes. But what would you think if I told you that this gap actually presents you with an excellent opportunity to stay ahead of your competition?

Some companies are already refusing to accept the status quo. The companies that really get it have stopped blaming, moaning, and whining. And by doing something about it, they’re leaving their competitors in the dust.

An example that works

If you’re looking for a shining example of what’s possible when you put your mind to it — set right here in Canada, no less — here it is. The “Earn While You  Learn” training program of Windsor, Ont.-based Valiant Machine & Tool Inc. is certainly unique in its own right.

It all started about five years ago with Valiant having a vast need for skilled workers. However, instead of complaining about it, they took action. With an aging workforce looking to retire and not enough young people to fill the gaps, they knew that they had to do something to overcome this tremendous challenge.

This 46-week paid program provides students with a first class learning environment that combines theoretical knowledge and practical applications. The Valiant Training and Development Centre’s success is based on relevant industry experience, very much like the well-established apprenticeship programs in Europe.

The really admirable thing about this is that Valiant is challenging the status quo by educating young people in the shortest possible time to bring skill, talent, and value to their organization.

Times have changed, our young people are different, and we have to meet current needs. We have to make learning the skilled trades — dare I say it — “sexy” for our next generation. A shorter program with greater quality is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

The man behind the scenes at Valiant who makes it all happen and who has contributed tremendously to this success story is training coordinator Mike Ouellette. With over 35 years of experience in the industry, Mike knows what it takes to make a quality product to the highest possible standards. As soon as I met Mike two years ago, I recognized something special in him — he’s not only a “people person”, but one who actually appreciates young people (compared to others who have nothing but negative things to say).

Can you see how much perception matters? Mike makes sure that his students don’t only learn technical skills, but also basic life skills along the way, and he certainly leads by example. Young people have to understand the value of showing commitment, being responsible, and taking initiative.

Great communication skills and a good attitude will help them to go wherever they want. Mike isn’t shy about expressing his belief that our youth are the future in North America, and that, if we believe in these young people, they won’t disappoint us.

The energy, time, kindness, and patience that Mike invests in his students on a daily basis guarantee a payback as soon as they enter the work environment. Since the initial launch, 140 students have gone through this training program and 120 of these students were placed within Valiant.

Valiant invests approximately $50,000 per student for the first year without any kind of contract. How amazing is that?

In other words, they are free to go and work somewhere else if they want to. Valiant is demonstrating that they do their part to develop new talent for the benefit of making our industry strong again. Now that Valiant has fulfilled their own immediate needs, they are exploring next steps on how to help other companies — yes, even their competitors — to train students for them in the Valiant Training and Development Centre.

They have just opened their doors to a second such centre in Windsor. And with more than 2,000 inquiries, it definitely won’t lack new applicants. The next challenge is to introduce a provincial standard curriculum to the government, so that the students can receive the proper accreditation for their accomplishments.

So what’s the difference between your shop and Valiant?

Nothing, really — you are only one decision away from taking the bull by the horns, as Valiant has done.

Old "solutions" won't cut it 

Recently, I’ve heard conversations again about importing skills from overseas to address what one individual called “a more immediate solution”. Brilliant — and while we’re at it, we might as well just travel back in time to the 1950’s and 60’s. We’ve done this before, in other words, and it hasn’t solved the problem in the long run. Importing talent and skill is obviously an easy way out that doesn’t require any creative and innovative thought.

Ask yourself these questions:

Can we really afford to ignore our high unemployment rate?

Would importing talent and skill help the population in North America to increase their standard of living?

Does this encourage our organizations to take a bigger step towards social responsibility?

How can we just stand by and do nothing while a global message is being conveyed that North America doesn’t have the talent, skill, and creativity within its own borders to succeed?

I grew up in Austria and — like many immigrants — have always looked at Canada and the U.S. as places of endless possibilities. There was something magical about these countries: people were able to make things happen  as long as they put their hearts and minds to it. Have we really lost the magic?

Just recently a business owner said to me, “I’m not in the business of training people, I’m in the business of making money.”

In his own way, he’s right. Making money is his reality — the lens through which he sees the world. But it’s unfortunate that he cannot see that there is a tremendous need for companies to provide on-the-job training and education if they want to stay relevant. In the wider sense, it is indeed in his interest to see that young people are being trained in the skilled trades. How else can he — and we — keep up with a constantly changing world?

There is no shortage of data suggesting that although many companies continue to complain about the so-called skills gap, few are taking steps to fix it. The CareerBuilder survey of 1,648 U.S. hiring managers and human resources professionals, released in November 2013, found that nearly 80 per cent of managers are at least somewhat concerned about the skills gap, but only about 40 per cent are doing anything to alleviate the problem.

According to a recent Adecco telephone survey of 00 top executives, 92 per cent said there’s a job skills gap. And of that overwhelming majority, nearly half believed the gap was in “soft skills” — communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.

Some companies may be hurting because they can’t find the right technical help, but I’m certain that a lot more will suffer if they can’t find people with basic communication skills.

Can it be that our organizations don’t spend  enough on productivity and infrastructure? I believe that they want to replace the lack of skill and education with process improvements.

In Germany, companies incur the costs of their apprentices before they reap the benefits, and that’s exactly what Valiant has done.

We need more companies in North America that are willing to invest in their current and future employees.

Many times I have noticed that employers don’t want to pay appropriate wages to recruit people with needed skills. If this is the case, we shouldn’t define it as a skills gap — it’s actually a mindset gap.

In the end, a business must know what it stands for, and so must the employees who work there.

Every day we each have countless opportunities, all dictated by the choices we make. Many times, the smallest shift in thinking or doing can create the biggest opportunity.

What could this mean for you?

These days, it’s essential to challenge your beliefs about what you can and can’t do; to shift your focus and energy from complaining to taking action; to spot and attract talent and skill, no matter what it takes; and to get into the heads of our Millennials

As someone once put it, “Some will hear, but not listen. Some will listen, but not understand. And some will understand, but not act. But the ones who hear, listen, and act will go places.”

It’s something to think about. MT&D

Karin Lindner is a business college graduate from Austria, and the author of the book “How Can We Make Manufacturing Sexy? A Mindset of Passion and Purpose from the Production Floor to the Executive Suite”.

After moving to Canada in 2003, she worked for auto parts maker Magna International Inc. Since founding Karico Performance Solutions, a Richmond Hill, Ont.-based employee engagement and motivation consulting company, she works as a trainer, facilitator, coach, and inspirational speaker. She is also an instructor at the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology at Sheridan College.