Manufacturers urged to recruit workers with disabilities amid labor shortages
Experts in the manufacturing sector are encouraging companies to expand their recruitment strategies by including people with disabilities, particularly due to ongoing worker shortages. During a webinar on July 22 hosted by the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability, Jordan Morang of the Manufacturing Institute noted that job openings have remained high for over a decade, reaching 529,000 in May—a 32% increase compared to last year. The industry is shifting focus from rapid hiring toward recruitment strategies centered around retention, upskilling, and skills-based assessments. Ellice Switzer of Cornell University emphasized that this approach helps break down barriers for job seekers with disabilities who may be overlooked due to traditional education or experience requirements. Skills-based hiring allows employers to assess candidates based on their actual capabilities rather than conventional credentials. The Manufacturing Institute's Heroes Make America program, which prepares military veterans and spouses—many of whom have service-connected disabilities—for manufacturing careers, was highlighted as a successful model for skills-based recruitment in the sector.
Topics: disability inclusion manufacturing recruitment strategies worker retention