Worcester Business Journal

36 Worcester Business Journal | November 4, 2019 | wbjournal.com I N D U S T R I E S M A N U F A C T U R I N G BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal W hether a medical device maker in the Northeast part of the state, a plastic manufacturer in Central Massachusetts, a textile compa- ny in the Southeast or an electronic, dig- ital or assembly company along Route 128 or I-495, the state's manufacturing industry is working to fill positions and build skills, holding its own. Efforts to ramp up skills are a work in progress. Meanwhile, like the rest of the country, the state is said to be behind its international counterparts in cybersecurity but has an edge over other states via a program fostering innovation partnerships. Long-term process John Killam, president of the Mas- sachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership describes skills shortage as not getting worse. ere are certainly programs to help, via certifications, apprenticeships, internships and other initiatives, but effects aren't immediate. "We're making headway with teach- ers and parents," Killam said. "Kids are coming out of school more aware of the opportunities." e goal is to empower manu- facturers to invest in, or skill up, their people, he said, noting find- ing competent, quality people is an expensive undertaking. Bigger compa- nies with more employees and revenue tend to have better retention programs, said Killam. So, with about 80% of Massachusetts manufacturers having 20 or fewer employees – skilling up easily gets off track. "ey have a hard time finding resources, money, time and qualified people to do it," he said. "When you are a small shop, you struggle to retain and develop people. Everybody is in the same boat." Cyber piece When it comes to cybersecurity, Kil- lam said Massachusetts and the nation lag compared with places like the Mid- dle East. However, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) making parts for the U.S. Department of Defense have cybersecurity in place in accordance with the National Institute of Standards Manufacturing looks to leverage skill development, partnerships and Technology. ere will be a trickledown of this knowledge through their supply chains – which are smaller companies, he said – with procedures in place to send docu- ments and designs in a secure fashion by the end of 2020. Bay State advantage Collaborative institutes within the Manufacturing USA network, like the Mass. Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), give the state an edge, said Ira Moscowitz, director of M2I2's advanced manufacturing programs. Moscowitz – hired to ramp up M2I2 John Killam, president, MassMEP $10,000 $20000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 Average annual salary Worcester County U.S. $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Average annual salary in manufacturing A worker at Franklin nanotechnology manufacturer Carpe Diem Technologies demonstrates the firm's equipment. PHOTO/CARPE DIEM TECHNOLOGIES

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