Focus on Manatee | Businesses focus on workforce recruitment, retention as re-openings continue
As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, an overriding concern of Manatee County businesses is recruiting and retaining their workforces.
That’s what we are hearing across diverse industries as our team at the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. works with established local businesses to provide the resources they need to succeed.
In May we hosted a virtual roundtable with executives from six Manatee County companies. The participants reported they have more than 140 job openings combined in a wide range of positions. That’s just for six companies, so we suspect there are many more jobs going begging in the region.
To boost employee recruitment and retention, businesses are analyzing their pay structures, raising wages for skilled jobs, and increasing pay for employees willing to work second shifts in the production environment. Employers are offering flexible holidays, with new employees accruing vacation time sooner.
The types of job openings are across the board, from welding to sales. Employers stressed that while experience is a plus, they are willing to train on the job for needed skills.
One example is Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corp. company and the leading North American manufacturer of custom fire apparatus with facilities in Wisconsin and Bradenton. The Bradenton location has over 500 employees and is heavily recruiting for 20 more.
“We have transitioned from looking for specific skill sets to looking for attitude and aptitude, then trying to train,” said Rachel Forsyth, plant general manager in Bradenton. “Welders and painters — we struggle to fill those positions. A market analysis on welder pay caused us to adjust to market rates and we increased our second-shift differential. We offer flexible holidays, with new hires accruing vacation time more quickly. We’d like candidates to have basic skills, like at least being able to read a tape measure. We’ll train for higher skills.”
We believe many people in the Bradenton area who are unemployed or under-employed aren’t aware of companies like Pierce Manufacturing that are in our region and the careers they offer. Likewise, job-seekers aren’t aware of the rapid certification training programs available through Manatee Technical College and State College of Florida. They don’t know that financial aid and grants are available for many programs that align with the needs of local businesses.
At the Bradenton Area EDC, we are helping to enhance communications and build awareness that connects Manatee County residents to career opportunities. Two excellent online resources are JobFocus.com, where local businesses post job openings, and CareerSourceSuncoast.com, which connects jobseekers to the state’s job database.
We also recommend a booklet titled “Where Are the Jobs?” that was produced by CareerEdge Funders Collaborative. The publication describes careers that are in demand in the Manatee-Sarasota region. It includes pay ranges and the education or training necessary to pursue those careers. You can download the pdf at www.careeredgefunders.org/publications.
As the pandemic recedes, businesses in the Bradenton area are flourishing and need good employees. Tuning in to local resources is key to connecting candidates and companies. For more on our take on this issue, please view our May 2021 Monthly Minute-ish video at BradentonAreaEDC.com/MonthlyMinute.
Sharon Hillstrom is president and chief executive officer of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. (BradentonAreaEDC.com). She may be contacted at info@bradentonareaedc.com or 803-9036.