PMI@Work Blog

The digital revolution is transforming manufacturing, causing changes similar to those that continue to disrupt media, consumer products, healthcare and many other sectors; the explosion in data and new computing capabilities – along with advances in other areas such as artificial intelligence, automation, robotics and human-machine interaction – are unleashing innovations that are changing the nature of manufacturing itself.

Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) members are innovating the ways in which they manufacture their products; not only are the products more technologically advanced than ever before, but so are the facilities and processes used make them, creating exciting career opportunities within the industry. For example, at the 2019 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), four PMI members were recognized with Best of KBIS Awards for their innovations.

Across the United States, we continue to experience relatively low unemployment rates overall. Job growth is strong in many industries, including manufacturing. Because the gap between available and needed skills is a persistent issue that poses a threat to the manufacturing industry, manufacturers have made it a priority to address the skills gap and find solutions to solve it. As a result, manufacturers have turned not only to people-based solutions, but to technology and software-based solutions as well.

Members of Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) understand that the strength of our industry lies within the hands and brains of the people on our production floors; we need critical thinkers and problem solvers more than ever before. But the world is much more fast-paced today, with aggregate human knowledge doubling every 13 months. Computerized solutions are required to keep pace.

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When hearing the words “plumber,” “electrician,” or “engineer,” the first image that comes to my mind, even as a woman, is a male professional. Historically, men have held the majority of jobs in manufacturing, but women are catching up. As gathered by a 2017 Deloitte/Manufacturing Institute study of women in manufacturing, women made up 29% of the manufacturing workforce in 2016 and nearly half (47%) of the working population.

It’s clear that women represent a large population of untapped manufacturing talent. Many are breaking the glass ceiling and rising into leadership roles within the field. The entire industry is coming together to encourage more women to join the ranks. Praising the women who break boundaries and excel in their fields is one great way to do so.

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America is focused on bolstering its manufacturing and working hard to put out more products with the words “Made in the USA” stamped on the tag. This is all fine and great, but have these words come true? Has American manufacturing truly been revitalized?

The shortage of workers – let alone those who are trained in the most up-to-date technological advancements – poses a threat to the industry. As a result, the manufacturing field has had to tackle its skills gap head-on. The field of manufacturing is growing and ever-changing; new technologies and innovations are always being discovered, thus expanding the industry. However, the stubborn problem of a lack of skilled workers remains, and what good is an expanding industry without those who can run it?

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It is no news to those working in the manufacturing field that there is a shortage of talent. To attract the next generation of workers needed to fill production-level jobs to the executive positions spearheading manufacturing companies, the word needs to be spread regarding the abundance of careers available in the manufacturing industry.

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