“The bleeding will stop:” Big Three will hire skilled trades workers and more, starting next year

Filed under Skilled Trades Shortage, The Future of Trades

The number of buyouts, retirements and reduction of other costs will result in the Big Three carmakers recommencing hiring as early as this September says a report from the Center for Automotive Research, an Ann Arbor company. “The bleeding will stop,” says the report’s co-author, Kristin Dziczek.

Overall employment will drop but companies have been getting brisk response to buyout offers, opening up entry level positions for skilled and unskilled workers.

Liz Boyd, a spokeswoman fro Gov. Jennifer Granholm, says, “Our automakers are clearly making the tough decisions that will make them stronger in the days to come. That strength could result in thousands of area hires [although] it doesn’t detract from the need to diversify the state’s economy.”

Among the projected 46,000 hires, over 8,000 new employees will be skilled workers trained in engineering and technical trades and an additional 1200 skilled trades people. In fact, says the report, the auto companies are concerned “about the future pipeline of skilled workers” in Michigan.

The projected hiring is as follows:

· Total new hires through 2011 — 36,250;
through 2016 — 45,955

· Hourly production workers
through 2016 — 24,154

· Skilled trades
through 2016 — 1,205

· Salaried employees
through 2011 — 12,095;
through 2016 — 21,800

· Engineering/technical
through 2011 — 4,927;
through 2016 — 8,846
Source: Center for Automotive Research