219: How Skillwork Is Like Travel Nursing for Manufacturing Talent Featuring Brett Elliott and Tim Raglin of Skillwork

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 14 Jan 2025 · 1h 06m

What this episode covers

Brett Elliott and Tim Raglin, co-founders of Skillwork, explain how their company addresses the manufacturing skills gap by applying the travel nursing model to skilled trades. They discuss Skillwork's 'four-legged stool' strategy, which combines travel staffing, direct hiring, upskilling, and education, supported by a rigorous eight-gate vetting process that reviews 1,000 resumes weekly. The founders highlight the importance of rebranding manufacturing jobs to move beyond the '3 Ds' (dark, dangerous, dirty) and creating lifestyle options for workers, such as travel opportunities for empty nesters.

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