Hardware Podcasts

How Large Organizations Can Help Close the Skills Gap with PPG's Divya Thadani

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 3 May 2022 · 33m

What this episode covers

Divya Thadani, who leads strategy and business development for PPG’s architectural coatings business in the US and Canada, discusses closing the manufacturing skills gap and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at large organizations. She shares how her entrepreneurial upbringing in India and her move to the US for college shaped her resilience, and explains how PPG is investing $20 million by 2025 in educational programming for underrepresented communities. Thadani details the impact of the pandemic on labor shortages and how digital transformation enables more flexible, inclusive hiring and work structures.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
PPG, A3, Nesby
Also
College of Wooster

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 58m

    Diversity in the Manufacturing Sector w/ Andrew Crowe and Justin Sherman

    Andrew Crowe, founder of the Elevate Institute of Advanced Manufacturing, and Justin Sherman, founder of Equity Machine Works, discuss how manufacturing companies can address the skilled labor gap by prioritizing diversity and inclusion. They argue that the industry's traditional, 'old school' culture and lack of representation are driving away younger and diverse talent, while also highlighting the financial benefits of diverse teams. The guests provide actionable advice for shop owners, such as offering housing assistance, modernizing digital presence, and adopting servant leadership to attract and retain workers.

    Hiring & workforceLeadership, teams & culture
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 21m

    The Learning Factory: Closing the Skill Gap Starts with Education w/ Mike Nager

    Mike Nager, Founding Member of the Solution Center at Festo Didactic, discusses closing the manufacturing skill gap through education and rebranding. He outlines three career paths into manufacturing—four-year degrees, two-year technical colleges, and direct plant floor entry—and highlights the role of 'Learning Factory' in providing safe, hands-on training with technologies from Siemens, Rockwell, and Universal Robots. Nager emphasizes that manufacturers must actively promote themselves via social media and open houses to compete for talent against healthcare and legal sectors, noting that cybersecurity and AI are now critical components of modern manufacturing curricula.

    Hiring & workforceCareers & education
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 31m

    The NFL Draft, The NBA Draft and... The Manufacturing Skills Draft? w/ Dr. Jason Scales

    Dr. Jason Scales, Business Manager of Education at Lincoln Electric, discusses the critical manufacturing skills gap and proposes a 'Skills Draft' to elevate the status of skilled trades. He explains how Lincoln Electric’s historic welding school has evolved to include technology like the Vertex simulator to boost student confidence and employability. Scales argues that manufacturers must actively partner with educational institutions and consider flexible work environments to recruit from alternative populations, including women and incarcerated individuals, to solve the talent shortage.

    Hiring & workforceCareers & education
    9 chapters

  • OnTrack · 33m

    The Critical Shift: Bridging the Generational Gap in PCB Design

    Cory Blaylock, Director of Workforce Partnerships at IPC, discusses the critical generational gap in the electronics manufacturing industry caused by the retirement of experienced workers who gained their skills before manufacturing moved offshore. He details IPC's new Department of Labor-approved national apprenticeship program, designed to provide a standardized 'plug-and-play' model for employers to upskill workers and attract new talent through high school and community college partnerships. Blaylock highlights the shift in perception of manufacturing from 'dirty jobs' to high-tech STEM careers and explains how stackable apprenticeships can lead to engineering roles or frontline leadership.

    Hiring & workforceCareers & education
    7 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 36m

    The Shared Responsibility of Upskilling the Workforce w/ Bill Berrien

    Bill Berrien, CEO of Pindal Global Precision and Liberty Precision Manufacturing, discusses upskilling the existing manufacturing workforce as a solution to labor shortages, drawing parallels between his Navy SEAL background and modern shop floor operations. He argues against the fallacy that education ends in the first 25 years of life, advocating for industry-led, continuous professional development modeled after the military's NCO corps structure. Berrien highlights specific success stories at his Wisconsin facility, such as material handlers becoming CNC operators, and proposes a 'shared economy' model for training to increase scalability.

    Hiring & workforceLeadership, teams & culture
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Manufacturing Happy Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.