Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/484021
18 | /INSIGHT ON MANUFACTURING • March 2015 w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m IN THE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER "Jaws," you always know when the attack is coming — though perhaps not the exact second the shark and its oblivious victim will collide. Manufacturers of the New North are in a similar boat when it comes to information technology talent: the ominous music is playing and they can see signs trouble is headed their way. But unlike the movie's unsuspecting swimmer, they see the challenge and have no intentions of being pulled under. As the pace of automation increases on the shop floor, and the amount of data available to improve production and customize products increases, manufacturers are discovering a growing need for IT skills within their workforce if they are going to continue growing. The growing concern regarding IT talent surfaced for the first time this fall when the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance conducted its 2015 Manufacturing Vitality Index. Information technology appeared on the list of most difficult positions to fill. "Right now, it's just an early indicator there could be a problem," says Ann Franz, director of the alliance. "The manufacturing sector is dealing with more technology than ever before, which has resulted in an increasing focus on IT skills." A new entry on the list and ranked seventh, it's still signaling B A C K O F F I C E Lurking in the cloud IT talent emerges as a potential challenge for manufacturers BY SEAN P. JOHNSON A welder works on agricultural equipment at an AGCO plant in Jackson, Minn. AGCO is using high- tech welding equipment made by Miller. C O U R T E S Y O F M I L L E R E L E C T R I C