For years, we’ve heard about the shortage of labor in advanced manufacturing, with technological skills now the must-have labor asset for any company that makes things.
Case in point: Among medium- and large-sized employers, “talent” was the No. 1 concern in a needs survey conducted by Polaris MEP – a division of the University of Rhode Island Research Foundation – at its inaugural manufacturing B2B event, RIMFGB2B, last year.
The demand for highly skilled, advanced-manufacturing employees is very real, which begs the question: Aren’t robots the solution to the advanced-manufacturing skills gap?
Can robots alone help manufacturers keep up with demand? If only it were that easy, say local companies.
In some ways, robots help, but the same advancements that propel robotics forward complicate an already challenging workforce shortage by creating a need for constant training.
Yushin America Inc. in Cranston manufactures robotics equipment for companies that manufacture plastics; it uses robots to build robots.
“Robots are doing tasks we can’t find people for,” said Mike Greenhalgh, Yushin director of operations.
But at the same time, finding engineers to work with this technology has proven problematic, to the point where Yushin has set up its own internal apprenticeship program to train people to work on the equipment.
“It’s just the way it is, and we are used to it. We’d like to see more from the government and states,” in terms of robotics education and workforce preparedness, Greenhalgh said.
While it holds its own in terms of training, the company has stepped up to represent the industry and its needs. Human Resources Manager Karen L. Paolucci works with manufacturing associations to be a voice for the industry and an advocate. She is also a member of the Governor’s Workforce Board and a collaborator on the state’s computer numerically controlled, or CNC, apprenticeship program.
But for now, Greenhalgh says, the company makes clear to new employees when they are hired that they will train and work with other technicians to operate some of this advanced machinery.
“This is the only way to get people,” Greenhalgh said.
Yushin is not alone in taking the training for this technology into its own hands.
Wholesale fabricator The Beck Cos. just purchased a five-axis CNC saw. Though the makers of such equipment provide training for a few weeks, it’s not enough.
“It’s the bare tip of the iceberg,” said company co-owner Tracey Beck.
Beck, like Greenhalgh, said it is up to the existing workforce to get up to speed on its own, for the most part. But after limited vendor training, calibration, tooling and support, that may not be such a bad thing, said Beck, as employees can take ownership of their own development.
“They will pick it up quicker,” she said of workers at the company’s Smithfield location, especially if they are excited about the technology. “A good operator learns from mistakes and doesn’t repeat them, gets a feel for the machine, knows what gives it hiccups, plays with different speeds. A good operator will ensure both sides are running and maximize capacity,” she said, but it takes time.
‘Robots are doing tasks we can’t find people for.’
MIKE GREENHALGH, Yushin America director of operations
And it’s not just the machines’ operation that has to be learned but also their maintenance, noted Beck.
Evans Capacitor Co. in East Providence, which serves the aerospace and defense industry, sees robotics as a plus, especially for its specialty market. For tasks such as welding, says company sales and marketing manager Misha Pierre-Mike, it’s also better for the customer in terms of accuracy and quality.
“There may be manufacturing jobs that are threatened with advances in robotics in certain industries with repetitive tasks,” he said. “But for specialized projects like ours, it’s a tool that supplements.”
However, Pierre-Mike said those tools take internal, proactive investment in terms of training.
“Processes become more complex and it results in better product,” he said. “An engineer can design it. But you have to be able to assemble and put them together every single time.” Pierre-Mike said even while managing these constant educational efforts, the company saw 15 percent growth in its workforce in 2017.
Losing the “human side” of manufacturing is not a concern for Evans Capacitor, Beck Cos. and Yushin. These companies still need employees to collaborate at work, and additional technical training means advancement, said Dave Chenevert, executive director of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association.
“I don’t necessarily know if it would mean a loss of jobs as much as getting a different kind of job,” he said of robotics, adding that multitasking is also needed. “You would go broke if you had one person in front of one machine all day.”
Meanwhile, in order to ensure – amid high technology – that human contact with customers stays strong, Beck Cos. has started open houses, events where vendors and customers come in to learn about a new product, view the technology and meet employees. With or without robots, putting faces with names, says Beck, is still beneficial for everyone.
