By Frank Bowman, CEO, Niche Electronics
“Collaboration between businesses, educators, and policymakers will be essential to creating an environment that supports workforce growth” – Manufacturing Today
In our talks with OEMs with revenues under $50 million a year, one issue stands out. They struggle to find skilled workers to run machines, program equipment, solder, and assemble products. The demand for these roles outpaces the supply. Circuit board manufacturing faces labor shortages due to an aging workforce retiring faster than new entrants, regional disparities, and a cultural perception that devalues manufacturing jobs. A contract manufacturer can help by taking on workforce development, sparing you the hunt for hard-to-find talent.
At Niche, we see a skilled workforce as the heart of our operations. Unlike OEMs who might not have the time or resources to build a talent pipeline, we make it part of our business. We know production goes up and down with demand. To stay ready, Niche is actively working with local schools, colleges, chambers of commerce, and trade groups. This helps us create a steady flow of workers, from entry-level to degreed or trade school graduates. When demand rises, we have people ready.
In next month’s local Manufacturing Council Meeting we’ll be moving discussions from emails to the boardroom, exploring public-private partnerships for training for roles like soldering and programming machines. One of the school leaders we talked to noted, “This is the type of collaboration and participation we welcome with local industry.” This highlights the potential of these ties and the work CM’s do to improve the local workforce environment.
For OEMs, this lifts a heavy burden. Building a team from scratch costs time and resources you may lack while CMs are already keeping their teams updated with the latest tech, training and certifications. We’re prepping talent for 2026 with schools and local associations, so you don’t have to. Focus on innovation while your CM stays prepared.
Partner with us, and you get a team ready to build your products while you focus on growth.
