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

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2025-01-14
- Length: 1h 06m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=0) Introduction and Company Overview
- [9:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=544) Founding Stories and Co-founder Dynamics
- [18:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=1129) The Manufacturing Skills Gap and Risks
- [21:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=1274) Short and Long-Term Solutions to the Talent Crisis
- [29:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=1776) Skillwork's Four-Legged Stool Strategy
- [41:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=2511) Recruitment Volume and Nationwide Reach
- [45:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=2757) The Travel Nursing Model for Tradespeople
- [49:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=2999) Lifestyle Benefits and Direct Hire Pathways
- [56:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret#t=3388) Cultural Fit and Impact on Client Sites

## Topics

- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Skillwork (company)
- Copa Cabana (other)
- Boy Scouts of America (other)
- Fortinet (company)

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- [The Critical Shift: Bridging the Generational Gap in PCB Design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-03-26-the-critical-shift-bridging-the-generational-gap-in-pcb-design) (OnTrack)
- [The Shared Responsibility of Upskilling the Workforce w/ Bill Berrien](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-03-14-the-shared-responsibility-of-upskilling-the-workforce-w-bill-berrien) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Forwardskilling: Technical Training for the Existing Workforce w/ Bill Berrien](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-01-21-forwardskilling-technical-training-for-the-existing-workforce-w-bill-berrien) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [A New Generation of Craftsmen with Character w/ Dave Hataj](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-07-16-a-new-generation-of-craftsmen-with-character-w-dave-hataj) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-01-14-219-how-skillwork-is-like-travel-nursing-for-manufacturing-talent-featuring-bret. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Manufacturing Happy Hour.