Opinion

Shining a Spotlight on Manufacturing

Editorial

For many of the young people now becoming a force within this region’s business community, the area’s manufacturing sector is generally something to be talked about, and heard about, using the past tense.

This is what is required when referencing some of the companies that were the backbone of the region’s economy for decades and a source of countless stories from fathers, but now, mostly grandfathers and great uncles: the Springfield Armory, American Bosch, Uniroyal, Diamond Match, Chapman Valve, Westinghouse, General Electric, and countless others.

Yes, were. Most all of those companies are gone now, and their names come up far more in reference to what’s happening with the land and facilities where they once operated. That’s especially true of the last two companies on that list.

But while the manufacturing sector is certainly much smaller than it once was, it is still an important part of the region’s economy, and one that has considerable growth potential moving forward.

This is one of the points that organizers of the Western Mass. Business Expo will attempt to drive home during its day-long slate of programming (see story on page 13).

Indeed, while attention will be focused on the region’s ongoing efforts to promote entrepreneurship and mentor startups, as well as specific trends and issues facing today’s businesses — from Big Data to social media to using drones in one’s marketing efforts — manufacturing will also be in a bright spotlight.

Specifically, the Expo will focus on the companies currently generating stories within the manufacturing field, but especially on the issues facing this sector, including the huge issues of replacing retiring Baby Boomers and closing an almost-frightening skills gap staring at this industry.

And this is an important focus because, as we said above, this sector has enormous potential (CRRC’s selection of Springfield as the site for its subway-car-assembly plant is direct evidence of this), but only if the region can show it is capable of providing a large, talented, and reliable workforce for decades to come.

For this to happen, young people must not only be made aware that manufacturing is still a viable, attractive career option (many of those aforementioned grandfathers and great uncles have probably advised them otherwise because of what they’ve seen happen in their lifetime), but they must also be properly educated and trained for jobs in this profession.

Expo organizers, who have long made education a primary focus of the day-long event, will accomplish this through a number of initiatives. They include displays and demonstrations involving area technical schools and robotics programs aimed at people of all ages; exhibits featuring agencies and institutions committed to promoting economic development, and, specifically, the region’s manufacturing sector; and seminars on issues ranging from recruiting and retaining top talent to coping with multiple generations in the workplace.

The goal behind all these initiatives is to generate momentum to move many of these initiatives forward, and to drive home the point that the region’s manufacturing sector cannot and should not be relegated to the past tense.

Instead, the discussion should be about the present and especially the future, and how we can make that future as robust as possible given the intense, truly global competition for manufacturing jobs.

If the Expo can accomplish just some of this, then the time and energy spent to deliver the message will be well worth those investments.