I have given a lot of thought recently to the reasons why finding skilled labor has been so difficult for the food and beverage industry. Each year when Food Engineering asks its readers to name the top issues they face in improving productivity, the answers are pretty much the same. Readers tell us they require equipment upgrades, they want to improve maintenance operations, and they need to improve the skills training of line supervisors and operators.
Most companies have used equipment upgrades and enhanced maintenance management systems to improve throughput. But, based on our yearly survey results, it seems too few food and beverage manufacturers are making headway when it comes to improving workforce skills. Recently, industry associations have created new and specialized employee engagement and training programs to address this deficit. This is a definite step in the right direction, but I think fixing the problem may be more complex than that.