As the US economy is mid expansion and Manufacturing is very much expanding with it, concern is mounting for the skills shortage that is growing steadily as we near 2020.

A 2018 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute skills gap and future of work study predicts that the number of new jobs in manufacturing will grow by 1.96 million workers by 2028.  However with the expected retirement of more than 2.6 million baby boomers over the next ten years, you don’t need to be a math genius to see the shortfall.

Whilst it’s a worrying report, there is a view that counteracts the loss of human skills, and that is the rise of technology and how we can find a way to incorporate the human touch.The challenge set to face many manufacturers will be balancing the human workforce with the automated one – finding the right skilled people to work alongside machines and robots. Arguably a concern, innovation in manufacturing is key to ensuring that the industry stays fully populated be it with humans or machines – after all, there has to be room for both?