“(The industry) took a 10- to 15-year respite from hiring,” Brett said. “We all need to expedite (recruitment and hiring). We’re starting too late, but you can’t bury your head in the sand. You really have to catch up.”

Brett’s comments came during the Town Hall Forum at AIST’s annual conference and exposition, AISTech. The conference wrapped up its final session Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn., USA.

Brett was joined on the panel by Barbara Smith, president and chief operating officer of Commercial Metals Company; Theodore Lyon, managing director, metals, of Hatch Associates; Randy Skagen, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc.; and James Dudek, vice president of asset revitalization and manufacturing excellence at United States Steel Corporation.

The five touched on a variety of topics, but said workforce development remains of critical importance.

“People often ask me, ‘Is there anything that keeps you up at night?’ It’s this topic,” Brett said.
 

Skagen told attendees that Nucor is set lose approximately 2,500 people – about 100,000 man-years worth of experience – to retirements over the next several years.  

He said that although Nucor has been successful in transferring operating knowledge from one generation to the next – the company has been hiring as people have retired –the company has struggled in recruiting professionals.

The problem, he said, is that married recruits more often than not have a spouse who has a career, and that often stops a couple from moving. As a result, he said Nucor may have to look to revamp telecommuting policies or offer more flexible vacation time to make a position more attractive.

However, Smith said the industry’s best recruitment tool might be the industry itself.

“If we’re successful, success will attract, despite (outmoded perceptions),” she said.