Dive Brief:

• Wisconsin Oven, an industrial oven manufacturer, has launched a collaboration with Gateway Technical College to set up a talent pipeline for itself, the company announced. The company has opened Wisconsin Oven Universal Training Center, where students can receive training and a paycheck. Wisconsin Oven will pay students $10 an hour while they complete their training. Wisconsin Oven will also pick up the costs of trainees' first semester at Gateway.
• Wisconsin Oven aims to add staff to its payroll through this initiative. The company was looking for creative solutions to manage the skills gap that is currently forcing their current workforce to put in overtime to meet demand. "Our lack of skilled workers has impeded our growth," Wisconsin Oven President and CEO Dave Strand said in a press release.
• The paid training, which lasts a year, consists of two modules. Module 1 covers welding and mechanical assembly, while Module 2 focuses on electrical assembly. The program targets recent high school graduates, underemployed workers and the unemployed. Learners will receive a certificate of completion they can present to other employers, as well.

Dive Insight:

Businesses are finding they have to get creative and innovative when it comes to sourcing, training and acquiring talent. Partnerships with technical colleges are increasing as businesses look to train potential workers with the skill sets they need. In some cases, schools and business are working cooperatively to recruit students who will eventually become workers.

Schools across the country are looking to bridge the gap for skilled manufacturing careers, while businesses are reaching out to underserved communities to upskill workers as well as boost their diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Some employers are offering drug rehabilitation for potential workers. At least one manufacturer in Indiana pays for former addicts who have needed skills to complete a rehab program and guarantees a job when they've graduated a treatment program — speaking to the dire need for talent and the work that must be done to find the right workers.