Why Manufacturers Can't Find Workers (And How Schools Can Help)

Tim Sullivan, Chairman of the Bucyrus Foundation

Decades ago, great monolithic companies ruled manufacturing - these were the household names, the brands where everyone knew someone who worked there. Tim Sullivan led such companies - ones like Bucyrus, the REV Group and Gardner Denver.

In 2021, the manufacturing sector looks much different. While some of these great companies are still around, more and more production work has moved to small-to-midsize businesses and tier one suppliers. And the challenge is, these SMBs can't find the workers they need.

Today, Tim Sullivan chairs the Bucyrus Foundation, where he carries out the legacy of Bucyrus International by investing in the economic development and workforce of South Milwaukee.

Tim joined us in a fascinating discussion on this evolution of manufacturing and how it's impacting the workforce today.

In this episode:

Why manufacturing operations and administration need to be headquartered together
How the manufacturing sector has seen massive shifts in the last few decades
The outlook of manufacturing in the U.S. in the next decade
The challenge (and solution) of finding and training manufacturing employees today
The Bucyrus Foundation's $10 million donation to the city of South Milwaukee
Where we went wrong with our definition of the American Dream - and what it really means
How to build data-driven partnerships between education and industry

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