The manufacturing industry has been around for a long time and contrary to popular belief, the need for skilled workers is going to increase dramatically over the next seven years. Manufacturing firms are now becoming increasingly aware that they need to attract young talent, namely millennials. And to do this you have to look for ways to entice them into the industry.

A Deloitte report stated that by 2025 there will be a huge shortage of manufacturing workers as the baby boomers retire. In fact, It’s estimated that 2.7 million jobs will need to be filled, and most of these jobs can only be done by people because they involve things like strategic planning, finding the best source materials at the right price, building those all-important partner supply chains, and more.

Companies should invest in technology because they need to attract millennials into these manufacturing roles. And since this generation likes modernization, having them on the shop floor is a real advantage because they embrace change and adapt quickly to new and current technologies like real-time data and analytics which improves job performance.

Industry experts also understand that to attract millennials, they must look at embracing mobile connectivity because they ”live” on their phones and have become accustomed to the benefits of instant communication with the tap of a few buttons.

So, if you want to appeal to the younger generation, you must invest in IT infrastructure and make smartphones or tablets a primary tool for the job. Also, training on social platforms is likely to appeal to millennials because they typically spend much of their time communicating through social media.

Another major consideration is the industry image. A lot of people think of production assembly lines when they hear the word manufacturing, but there is so much more to it than that. If you want to attract millennials, show them that the technology that they use day-to-day plays a significant role in completing many of the tasks involved in the production process and demonstrate this on social networking sites.

And finally, take a good look at your website because it represents your firm. Would it appeal to those looking for jobs? Is it mobile responsive? Is the job application mobile accessible? These things give an impression about your firm from the outset, so it’s paramount that your online presence puts your firm in a good light.