The second in the Makers Series by Alcoa Foundation and Hope Street Group, Making Makers: Rebuilding the Manufacturing Workforce Through Competencies and Credentials addresses the root cause of the issues within the manufacturing workforce. Focused on the demand side, Making Makers works to uncover how leading manufacturers are already coping with and even overcoming hiring and training obstacles to secure future talent.

The report identifies current stumbling blocks in manufacturing that lead to the often referenced “skills gap”: the unknown requirements for viable manufacturing jobs, the need for improved signals from employers, the inability of preparation to keep pace with changing requirements and lack of transparency about what it takes for success. MakingMakers is directly informed by Hope Street Group’s national Sync Our Signals (SOS) initiative, working to re-engineer America’s job market.

Making Makers goes on to offer key recommendations for action in the year ahead to advance the findings and efficiently rebuild the manufacturing workforce, and proposes an innovative model for a fully integrated manufacturing ecosystem.

Click to read the report and learn more about the Makers Series.