Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1508599
32 PalletCentral • September-October 2023 palletcentral.com 32 PalletCentral • September-October 2023 palletcentral.com 32 PalletCentral • September-October 2023 palletcentral.com offer benefits like 401(k) plans with vesting schedules to incentivize employees to stay for the long term. Recommendations from the Manufacturing Institute e Manufacturing Institute's Center for Manufacturing Research (MI) recommends that NWPCA take a three-pronged approach to provide solutions that are scalable in the future, positioning the organization as a platform and convener for companies to find answers to their workforce questions: 1. Second Chance Hiring – NWPCA could coordinate a region- specific pilot program to demonstrate how to recruit and retain individuals with criminal records successfully. 2. Talent Acquisition and Retention Series – NWPCA could host quarterly in-person workshops for HR, talent acquisition, and operations staff to hear about creative approaches to recruitment and retention, learn from each other, and crowdsource solutions. 3. Workforce Webcasts – NWPCA could create a monthly webcast series where NWPCA staff interview individuals who have tackled recruitment and retention challenges and highlight their successes. Beyond these three immediate recommendations, the MI sponsors several activities in which NWPCA or its member companies could participate. ese include the following: • Military-to-manufacturing programs • Apprenticeship and other training models • Increasing and supporting women in the industry • Student outreach programs e research was conducted from March to May 2023, and encompassed an online survey and in-depth interviews with NWPCA industry leaders. NWPCA is committed to ongoing research alongside the Manufacturing Institute and the adoption of recommendations that draw attention and innovative solutions to this critical workforce issue. "is study offered a crucial opportunity to gain deeper insights into the workforce challenges faced by the wood pallet industry and the manufacturing sector, directly from our member companies. We anticipate further discussions stemming from this study's insights," added Ortega. e full report is available to NWPCA Members-only via the Member portal at palletcentral.com from the home page or through the Resources tab (Industry & Marketing >> Data & Research).