AMCC Recruitment Workgroup

AMCC Recruitment Workgroup

Recruitment Workgroup Goals:

Key Issue: How to recruit more candidates to manufacturing

  • Assist local manufacturers in finding talent to fill open positions
  • Identify ways to overcome the stigma associated with manufacturing
  • Promote and create excitement about the career and employment opportunities available now and in the future by leveraging social media, local advertising, branding, and relationship building

Key Focal Points:

Broad Community - Including the unemployed market

  • Attract to "advanced manufacturing" positions in the area
  • Include those unemployed now to fill current positions - production, assembly, technical, maintenance, etc.
  • Hold an "advanced manufacturing" focused job fair at Kalamazoo Valley Community College

College Solution - Technical training, competency-based, skills certification model

  • Provide a technical training academy (ie. training group's focus)
  • Leverage on-campus services already in place (job boards, fairs, interview days onsite, etc.)
  • Target for future job fairs, provide and promote internships, etc.

High School Solutions - Attract early on... manufacturing is cool!

  • Focus on the school guidance counselors first. Educate them!
  • Attract and educate students early about what advanced manufacturing entails and the career opportunities available
  • Develop a two-minute video attracting students to these types of career paths
  • Show parents the career path available with local manufacturing employers

Branding & Advertising - Career marketing campaign in Southwest Michigan

  • Member companies should be able to articulate why they are an employer of choice
  • Member companies can develop a company video promoting their culture and what it is really like to work there
  • Use social media to attract attention (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
  • Develop a local media campaign to tell the advanced manufacturing story in West Michigan
  • Create a tag line (POP!) to draw attention..."We are on the grow"! Place on billboards and social media sites
  • Use characteristics of a great employee. Define (or make light of) what manufacturers are NOT looking for in an employee
  • Utilize the Kalamazoo Gazette/M-Live to highlight different companies who are currently hiring and need qualified candidates