According to the National Association of Manufacturers, approximately 2.1 million manufacturing jobs may be left unfilled by the year 2030. This could translate to a total of $1 trillion in lost revenue.
The reason that manufacturers are struggling to fill vacancies is because of the ongoing manufacturing skills gap. This gap has made employee training more important than ever before.
Manufacturing employers must offer training and upskilling opportunities to their staff. The most practical way to do this is to send them to technical certification courses.
What Is a Technical Certification?
A technical certification signifies that an employee has completed a highly specified training course and demonstrated proficiency using a new skill or set of skills. Technical certifications are ideal for the manufacturing industry because course content directly applies to the employee’s role within the organization. They can learn valuable skills and abilities in a relatively short time period.
Benefits of Offering Certification Classes to Staff
Offering technical training and certification classes can benefit both manufacturing employers and their staff. Technical training should be offered to new employees as well as existing staff members.
The advantages of investing in staff upskilling via technical training opportunities include the following:
Equipping Teams with Valuable Skills
When a manufacturer sends employees to certification classes, those individuals will return to work with valuable new skills. Highly trained employees can perform more complex manufacturing tasks and produce a better quality of work than their counterparts who have not received those opportunities.
Equipping employees with skills via technical training opportunities will also allow employers to develop the next generation of organizational leaders. They can prepare top performers to step into leadership roles and promote from within instead of turning to outside talent to fill important vacancies.
Improve Morale
Providing employees with the opportunity to earn technical certifications is an excellent morale booster. Employees appreciate it when their employers invest in them and their careers. Offering certification classes is an excellent way of doing just that.
Boost Productivity
Employees who have high morale and possess valuable skills will naturally be more productive. They will be motivated when they come to work each day and will want to demonstrate their gratitude towards employers by performing at their best.
Increasing employee productivity can benefit the company’s bottom line, which is why offering certification classes is a win-win proposition.
Nurture Feelings of Loyalty
Finally, manufacturers that allow employees to obtain technical certifications can nurture feelings of loyalty within their staff. In turn, this will lead to better employee retention rates and less turnover. Minimizing turnover has become particularly important as manufacturers contend with the ongoing worker shortage.
Technical certification classes are condensed training opportunities that can efficiently teach employees new manufacturing skills. For employers, certification classes are a great investment that yields a strong ROI. Manufacturers that are exploring ways to upskill their staff and protect business continuity should consider offering technical certification programs to their staff.