Skilled labor jobs in demand

June 21, 2011|Dustin Grove, WSBT News

CASSOPOLIS -- At K & M Machine Fabricating in Cassopolis, workers play a part in building some of the biggest mining and off-road construction equipment in the world. And the company's Chief Financial Officer says these days, business is good.

"Our business is going to be up about 50-percent in volume (this year) and we expect to add another 25-percent increase in 2012,” said CFO Gary Galeziewski.

The company has hired 30 workers since January and plans on adding another 30 by the end of the year to keep up with demand.

K and M isn't alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the manufacturing industry has added 243-thousand jobs since December of 2009. In April, there were 230-thousand job openings; up from 176-thousand the year before.

The challenge - employers say - is finding the people with skills for the job.

“We’ve cast a fairly broad net across the region to find anyone from CNC machinists to heavy plate welders and machine maintenance technicians,” said Galeziewski.

In March, Bipin Doshi, President of Schafer Gear Works in South Bend, told WSBT his company is routinely looking for skilled workers.

“I tell our Human Resources manager, if you find a skilled worker, whether or not we have an opening, hire them because we need them,” said Doshi.

Right now, a proposal is pending in Congress that would direct federal funding to the specific job training programs that manufacturing companies say they need.

“We’re targeting at those areas that are showing employment is available,” said Congressman Joe Donnelly, who represents Indiana’s second district and is a sponsor of the bill. “So it won’t be in places where nothing is growing, where northing is moving forward. It will go directly to where the jobs are being created.”

During a news conference in May, Donnelly said other programs include nanotechnology and orthopedics.

Galeziewski said skilled labor jobs pay anywhere from $15 to $20 per hour and his advice for those looking for a job is simple.

“I would recommend they engage with community colleges with skilled trade programs and then come talk to us.”

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