Report: Manufacturers are embracing military-affiliated talent
The Manufacturing Institute (MI) has just released its latest report, “Transitioning Military-Affiliated Talent into Manufacturing.” Created in partnership with Colonial Life, the report showcases research conducted from September to November 2023. The purpose of the study was to investigate how manufacturers have successfully transitioned military-affiliated personnel into the industry. According to MI, military-affiliated talent is an untapped resource for many manufacturers. These workers offer a unique perspective, as well as positively affecting company culture.
In addition, the researchers examined the effectiveness of MI’s Heroes MAKE America (HMA) initiative, which has been in place since 2018. The program is designed to prepare military-affiliated talent for a career in manufacturing, in addition to connecting companies with qualified workers.
In an excerpt from the report’s executive summary, authors Chad Moutray and Anjana Gigi Radhakrishnan write: “As labor shortages continue, underpinned by structural demographic shifts, manufacturers can gain a competitive edge by incorporating talent from the greater military community (for example, transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard, reservists and military spouses) into their recruitment pipelines. The military-affiliated talent pool is large. There were 8.6 million veterans employed in 2022, with 12% in manufacturing. More importantly, research suggests that veterans remain with their initial company 8.3% longer than nonveterans and are 39% more likely to be promoted earlier than nonveterans. Beyond individuals who served in the military, military spouses are a significantly under-tapped segment of the military-affiliated community, with an unemployment rate of 22%.”
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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