How John Deere is working to attract the next generation of manufacturing workers
By Sarah Ritter for The Quad City Times
John Deere is opening its doors to students more often, according to Director of Labor Relations David Ottavianelli, hoping to attract a new generation of manufacturing workers. As the manufacturing sector grows and unemployment continues to drop, he said Deere is trying to be proactive to meet future hiring needs.
“This is not just a John Deere issue. There are a number of partners throughout our community that are in the same situation,” Ottavianelli said. “We know in the long-term with the increase in manufacturing jobs and retirement of baby boomers across the nation, there’s going to be an increased need for manufacturing roles.”
Advanced manufacturing is Iowa’s largest industry, employing over 213,000 people, representing around 14 percent of the workforce, according to the Iowa Economic Development Authority. In the Quad-Cities, the manufacturing sector makes up more than 17 percent of the local laborshed, according to a 2016 report by the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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