Christopher Welch: Veterans' role in U.S. economic rebound

With the dawn of a new year comes a fresh start. This is especially true for the servicemen and women returning from active duty. Approximately 2,500 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have returned home. These veterans will be returning to a country that looks very different than the one they left. They return home to a country struggling to contain the covid-19 pandemic, a suffering economy and high unemployment.

The U.S. manufacturing sector has established itself as the backbone of economic stability and renewal amid times of crisis or downturn. An economic recovery, such as the one we face today, is reliant on a durable manufacturing industry.

A recent National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) survey found 66% of manufacturing companies are optimistic about their own company’s outlook, expecting sales, employment, production growth rate, wages and more to increase at varying levels over the next year. But while the future of manufacturing looks bright in spite of the business disruptions caused by the covid-19 pandemic, the workforce gap continues to expand.

Manufacturers will need to hire 4.6 million workers by 2028. About 2.4 million of those jobs could go unfilled if appropriate steps aren’t taken now to prepare more workers for the next generation of jobs, according to Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute. An expanded and diversified pipeline of talent is critical to filling the workforce gap and ultimately the manufacturing industry’s success.

However, an unprecedented number of college students are taking a gap year due to the pandemic, with first-year student enrollment dropping 13.1% overall and 21% at community colleges, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Community colleges have long filled the manufacturing pipeline with two-year advanced manufacturing and process technology programs.

So how will manufacturers fill this pipeline? Veterans could help to solve this challenge.

Every year, 200,000 men and women transition out of the military back to civilian life, which oftentimes is challenging. This year, they’re facing record unemployment and a suffering economy. In fact, veterans’ unemployment rate in November 2020 was 6.3%, up significantly from 2019’s average unemployment rate of approximately 3%.

Access to quality employment should not be one of those challenges, as veterans are proven to have the skills and technical expertise needed for high-tech manufacturing roles. Their leadership experience allows them to work toward larger goals and remain calm under pressure. Their background often includes experience in advanced technology, and they understand and are dedicated to safety and compliance. They are poised to be natural leaders, and they are ideal candidates for manufacturing careers. The current influx of veterans returning home from service abroad provides companies with an available pool of trained candidates to add to their workforce.

Hiring veterans also supports larger diversity, equity and inclusion progress in the workplace. A 2020 McKinsey report notes that “diverse teams are more innovative — stronger at anticipating shifts in consumer needs and consumption patterns that make new products and services possible … generating a competitive edge.”

Manufacturers know the importance of fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive (DE&I) workplace with employees from wide-ranging nationalities, cultures, religions and ethnic, professional and educational backgrounds. Their diversity enables companies to meet challenges and customers’ needs quickly, creatively and effectively.

PPG looks to veterans to bring their unique background and skillset to further complement its workforce. In an effort to tap into the expertise of qualified veterans, PPG partners with RecruitMilitary, an organization that connects companies with veteran job seekers. We also have high expectations of our partners. For example, manufacturers like PPG actively seek suppliers that are small businesses and businesses owned by veterans, minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities and women who provide quality products and services at competitive prices.

Manufacturers must not only consider strengthening their recruiting efforts to hire more veterans, but they also have an important opportunity to strengthen their focus on DE&I, and improve hiring and recruitment practices and programs that help to increase and diversify the talent pipeline needed to sustain the evolving manufacturing landscape.

As our country is faced with high unemployment and a continuing need to fill the manufacturing employment gap, we must not forget our veterans who have served our country in many times of need. Let’s honor those who have given us so much. Let’s make a commitment to them, one that will never match the commitment they’ve made to our great nation, but one that will help them transition to a career after their service. One that will help the manufacturing industry springboard our economy forward. Thank you for your service, and welcome home.

Christopher Welch, a former Army officer, is PPG’s director of Canada sales and global business development, protective and marine coatings.