WORKING WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF SKILLED WORKERS

Every manufacturing company in the USA is trying to find workers as the Baby Boomers are retiring from the workforce daily. It is a challenge for every firm and skilled trades in particular. While high tech can assist in getting information to the masses, they are not at the point of downloading the 30+ years of knowledge a skilled craftsperson has accumulated in their working life.

Training is not only important, it is also expensive. Companies are always looking for experienced workers who can be immediately productive.

This is why JADCO Manufacturing Inc., partnered with the Pittsburgh Technical College over five years ago.

To graduate from their Associate in Science, Welding Technologies program, the students must complete a three-month internship. This not only gives the students hands-on experience in our industry, but they also get to see what it is like working at JADCO.

JADCO’s blog post ‘Wear Plate Wednesday’ had an opportunity to talk with our most recent intern Alexy, who grew up less than 30 minutes from our factory.

WPW: What would you tell the next Welding Technologies class who might consider working at JADCO for their internship?

Alexy: “I’ll be honest. It is kind of rare that welding and metal shop people are always nice and I’m really appreciative of that. I’m happy that everyone here is really nice. It makes it a whole lot better for me to be more productive when you don’t have someone screaming at you while you are doing all the grunt work.”

WPW: That is a common observation of the welding industry, where older workers frequently don’t share their knowledge or secrets with the next generation of younger workers. How has your experience been working with the other fabricators at JADCO?

Alexy: Here I am paired with a mentor at JADCO where we work on projects together. Right now I am doing the finish welding while learning how a fitter assures all the components keep to the blueprints. I completed my internship last week and have accepted a full-time position with JADCO. I hope to be a fitter soon.

WPW: What else would you like someone to know about Alexy?

Alexy: I absolutely love welding. I’m an extremely hard worker and always get the job done. I also speak French fluently.

Are You Looking For A Change Or Are You Not Respected In Your Current Career?

As a leader in the wear-resistant steel industry, JADCO currently has openings in estimating/inside sales, and we are always looking for skilled fabricators. We are able to deliver better results to our customers by taking care of our employee-partners. We think differently by strictly focusing to improve the results of our customers and employees.

In business for over 40 years, JADCO is an equal opportunity employer offering competitive wages and excellent benefits.

Start the conversation for a new position by calling (724) 452-5252, or sending an email to info@jadcomfg.com with “Attn: HR” in your email Subject Line.

This might be the most important step you take today. We look forward to hearing from you.