Engineering direction chosen reluctantly
As noted by Milda Jankauskienė, spokesperson for the Employment Service, employers find it most difficult to find construction, electrical, and mechanical engineering technicians. The demand for specialists is most pronounced in regions where the manufacturing sector is rapidly expanding.
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In the Klaipėda region, the demand for employees remains one of the highest – in June alone, 1,416 new job vacancies were registered in Klaipėda city, the most this year, and 1,690 were registered in Klaipėda district during the first half of the year.
“We analyze the flows of job seekers and job vacancies and see a mismatch – there are more offers for these professions than people looking for such work,” says M.Jankauskienė.
According to her, one of the reasons is that some young people enter the labor market without a specific profession. According to the Employment Service, 53.7 percent of job seekers under 29 years of age do not have professional qualifications.
“On May 1, 28.4 thousand individuals aged 16-29 were registered with the Employment Service. More than half of them had no professional training. At that time, 20 percent of young job seekers had higher education, and 26.3 percent had professional qualifications. This shows that the role of employers in developing the necessary skills is becoming increasingly important,” notes M.Jankauskienė.
Nevertheless, business representatives note that the problem is not a lack of jobs. Some young people still do not choose the manufacturing sector as a career path, even though modern factories have changed significantly – many processes are performed by automated systems, and the role of employees is increasingly associated with technology management and process supervision.
According to Raimonda Mačiulskienė, HR Director of “VMG Group”, today employers increasingly value not only a person’s experience but also their potential.
“We look not only at what a person already knows but also at what they can learn. If a person is motivated, responsible, and willing to work, we can teach them many things ourselves,” says R.Mačiulskienė.
Youth choices are not solely determined by salary
Although the manufacturing sector still faces stereotypes regarding the nature of work or shift schedules, youth expectations of employers are changing. Not only salary but also the work environment, opportunities for growth, and organizational culture are becoming important.
“Shift work initially seems like a disadvantage to some, but after getting better acquainted with the specifics of the work, some people change their minds. Today, employees value not only the salary but also the opportunities provided by the employer,” states R.Mačiulskienė.
According to her, this is precisely why merely searching for employees is not enough – companies must actively contribute to the development of future specialists.
“We invest a lot in cooperation with educational institutions, organize excursions and practical workshops so that young people can get a closer look at engineering, robotics, and modern manufacturing,” says R.Mačiulskienė.
Robotization changes the nature of work
According to the specialist, one of the most common myths about manufacturing is that automation reduces the human role. In reality, technologies change the nature of work and create new competency requirements.
“Many difficult and monotonous tasks are now performed by automated systems, so employees increasingly work with technologies, supervise processes, and make decisions. The most important thing becomes the ability to learn, understand processes, and not be afraid of innovations,” notes R.Mačiulskienė.
According to her, modern manufacturing can therefore become an attractive choice for young people who are still looking for their professional path. Technology development and clear career opportunities allow for growth in both technical and managerial competencies.
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