| Benchmark | Current Status | 2020 Objective |
|---|---|---|
| • Manufacturing workforce under 45 years of age. | 64% of employees | 75% of employees |
| • Satisfaction levels with basic capabilities of employees. | 66% of manufacturers responding to CME’s Annual Management Survey | 95% of manufacturers responding to CME’s Annual Management Survey |
| • Ability to find skilled employees. | 77% of manufacturers responding to CME’s Annual Management Survey | 95% of manufacturers responding to CME’s Annual Management Survey |
| • Investment in formal and informal skills training. | 2.5% of payroll as reported in CME’s Annual Management Issues Survey | 5% of payroll as reported in CME’s Annual Management Issues Survey |
| • Ability to retain qualified personnel | 80% of manufacturers responding to CME’s Annual Management Survey | 95% of manufacturers responding to CME’s Annual Management Survey |
Workforce capabilities will be an even more important determinant of competitive success in a manufacturing world where knowledge and capital are the prime assets and business growth is driven by the continuous acquisition, deployment, protection, and funding of new knowledge.
Manufacturers find it difficult to define with any precision what the specific skills requirements of the industry – or even sub-sectors within the industry – are likely to be five years, let alone ten to fifteen years, in the future. Some predict that the complexity of innovation will require production and business processes centred on single competencies to give way to “multi-disciplinary” innovation and “multi-competence”. Others foresee a need for “laser-sharp focus on specialized skills”. But, all agree that the growing complexity of tasks and the pace of change with respect to technologies, organizations, and business objectives will mean that the core competencies of Canada’s manufacturing workforce in 2020 will be substantially different from those of today.
The reality is likely that manufacturers will continue to require both people with specialized skills and multi-skilled workers. In general terms, the future skills requirements identified by manufacturers include: