FEATURE
NATHAN DUMLAO
By Heather Steinberger
the time to act is
NOW Recreational Boating Industries Educational Foundation (RBIEF) ad to campaign marine scholarship opportunities.
34 FEBRUARY 2024
f you had any doubts about labor shortages persisting into the mid-2020s, try this little exercise: Google “labor shortage,” click “News,” and see what happens. Across regions, industries and professions, the reality is daunting. A recent outlook survey from the National Association of Manufacturers noted that “attracting and retaining a quality workforce” was one of its respondents’ top challenges. And the National Automobile Dealers Association reported in 2023 that just 39,000 new technicians were coming out of colleges each year — with roughly 79,000 job openings awaiting them. None of this is news to employers in the boating industry, where this particular storm has been brewing for years. It erupted during the COVID pandemic, when demand surged. So the pressure is on. To attract and retain customers, boating businesses must provide and service the boats, engines and equipment those customers need, which means they also must attract and retain a skilled workforce.
MBIA
I
Workforce Development, Part I: The State of Our Industry
