Creating Pathways to Careers in Precision Machining for Opportunity Youth

Although the manufacturing industry is experiencing a resurgence, employers within the sector are reporting that they face a skilled worker shortage. A strategy to improve the basic and technical skills of young workers could create real career pathways for opportunity youth and multiple benefits for employers, including: increased shareholder satisfaction and customer loyalty; increased diversity of the worker pipeline; increased worker engagement and retention as workers engage in on-the-job learning activities with opportunity youth and are inspired to model excellence within their professional fields. This report focuses on the strategies Michigan and Massachusetts are utilizing in order to address the gap between skilled worker demand and supply.