US supplier body OESA is urging much more be done to promote the auto sector as a career as the industry engages in a “war” for available talent.
The American industry is looking far more rosy than its struggling counterparts in Europe, but is a situation that appears to bring its own headache in terms of recruitment.
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“There is a war for talent in our industry,” OESA president and CEO Neil De Koker said at this year’s Automotive News World Congress in Detroit. “I struggle with that. There are massive opportunities for design engineers across skilled trades.
“This is a vibrant industry, but many see it as dull. We need to do a much better job. It is not just in the US but in every country where automobiles are sold and manufactured. We need to show the next generation this is the industry of career progress and we need to start now.”
De Koker emphasised that his members would “continue to speak out” about the opportunities the auto sector offered.
The OESA chief added innovation and collaboration would also help sustain the American auto industry as it bounced back from the twin catastrophes of the earthquake in Japan and severe floods in Thailand.
“We thought we had experienced it all,” he said. “Nobody predicted 2011 would be another year of crisis – maybe not in economic terms – I am talking about natural disasters – turmoil from Japan to Thailand that gave the industry another jolt.
“Our industry just kept fighting – do you want to talk about a stress test? I will hold the auto chain up against any in the world. OEMS and suppliers speak to the heart of what will sustain our industry – innovation, sustainability and collaboration.”
