Talascend Brings Together Industry and Education to Promote Technical Manufacturing in Michigan
In a strategic effort to mitigate Michigan’s technical skills shortage, Talascend Worldwide Technical Resources, in conjunction with the Design and Manufacturing Alliance (DMA), hosted their Fourth Annual Breakfast Brainstorm at Oakland Community College’s Auburn Hills Campus.
The core mandate of this annual assembly is to strengthen partnerships between local educators and industrial stakeholders. By expanding a cohesive platform of dedicated talent experts, the event fosters action-oriented collaborations focused on developing an adaptive workforce aligned with modern design, manufacturing quality, and automated technologies across Southeast Michigan.
The strategic brainstorm centered on three major operational vectors determining the future of regional industrial workforce readiness:
1. Mapping Unfilled Technical Vacancies
Industry leaders widely agree that advanced technical manufacturing roles present the steepest recruitment challenges. The most critical shortages exist within high-demand disciplines including Quality Assurance, Product Design, Computer-Aided Technology (CAx), and interdisciplinary fields like Mechatronics.
2. Aligning Core Professional Competencies
Beyond refining baseline technical competencies, employers report a noticeable gap in critical human performance skills. New engineering and trade graduates entering the workforce frequently require supplementary alignment in cross-functional collaboration, strategic communication, technical teamwork, and standard corporate acumen.
3. Direct Impact on Employers and Educators
There remains an immediate operational requirement to restructure academic curricula with an emphasis on applied technical mastery. Scaled apprenticeship models and hands-on laboratory discipline represent the most dependable methods to align emerging student expectations with active field realities.
Key Workforce Initiatives & Shared Resources
The panel introduced several structured operational resources engineered to unify industrial employers with academic training programs:
- Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN): Delivered a comprehensive Information Technology and Advanced Engineering analysis mapping regional hiring demands for technical positions. Learn more at the Workforce Intelligence Network.
- MAT² Apprenticeship Framework: An active program driving standardized mechanical and electronics apprenticeship initiatives back into modern manufacturing sites to cultivate sustainable, long-term talent pools. Read more via the MAT² Program Guide.
- Oakland County Michigan Works (SNAP): Developed the Skills Needs Assessment Project (SNAP) report to identify emerging talent trends in advanced manufacturing while defining specific human and technical skills metrics. Explore local resources via Michigan Works.
Join the Collaboration
The session concluded with a collective mandate to expand cross-industry communication networks. We invite regional technical leaders, operations managers, and academic coordinators to join our ongoing digital exchange group:
Talascend Industry and Education Collaboration on LinkedInAbout Talascend
Talascend is a specialized talent solutions firm connecting engineering, technical, and skilled trades professionals with the companies building America’s infrastructure, energy systems, defense capabilities, and manufacturing base. With nearly 80 years of industry experience, Talascend serves clients nationwide from its headquarters in Troy, Michigan.