CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Artificial intelligence is “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to changing technology and manufacturing skills in the workforce, a top Wacker Chemical Corp. official said Friday.
“There’s going to be change,” Tony Neading, the company’s U.S. region manager for productivity, said at a conference on workforce and technology among manufacturers.
But the use of AI doesn’t necessarily mean displacing workers, Neading said at the conference put on by the Smart Factory Institute here.
“It lets them work in other value-added activities,” said the official for Wacker, which has major operations employing more than 800 people in nearby Charleston producing polysilicon for use in semiconductors and solar panels.
(READ MORE: Wacker sees growth for Charleston plant product)
Neading said the use of robots and automation in a plant environment is a sensitive issue. While the usage enhances productivity and safety, he urged a group of about 100 people at the conference to be transparent with workers and to “include those people on the front line.”
Mia Williams, a senior human resources official for Toyo Tires North America, at the conference encouraged the group to leverage automation to increase technology.
She said getting workers more experienced in automation, including AI, is a way of piquing the interest of young people in the workforce. Toyo employs about 2,000 employees in Bartow County in Northwest Georgia.
(READ MORE: Toyo Tires North America expands plant)
Derrick Sloan, leadership development manager for Mueller Water Products, said the company partners with entities such as the PIE Innovation Center, which focuses on developing Bradley County’s workforce.
The PIE Center, which takes its name from partnerships in industry and education, is a $34.5 million education and training facility that had its grand opening about two years ago. It’s a partnership of the local public schools, colleges, the private sector, nonprofit organizations and the state.
Sloan said it’s key to get a company’s name out to students at such a location long before recruitment starts for workers.
Mueller Vice President Graham Hines said the company, which employs more than 1,200 people in the Chattanooga region, lost trained workers amid the pandemic like many businesses.
Workers hired to back fill those posts may not have manufacturing skills, he said in an interview, reinforcing the importance of training.
Neading said Wacker sees how vital it is to invest in schools and training initiatives such as at the PIE Center.
Last year, the German company unveiled 14,000 square feet of event space at the PIE Center as Wacker Commons. The multipurpose space was partly funded from a $1 million gift to the center by Wacker.
Last year, Wacker’s global chief executive said in Cleveland the center is a competitive edge for the manufacturer and other companies.
“It’s a really unique setup,” CEO Christian Hartel said in an interview.
Williams said that when it comes to retaining workers, companies need a multi-faceted approach.
Investing in workforce development programs is key, she said, adding that Toyo Tires offers on-the-job training by certified “coaches” who partner with employees.
Also, Williams said, Toyo is heavily focused on cross-training employees.
“They can earn more by knowing more skills,” she said.
Williams said the company tries to help workers understand how they can progress in the organization, and it offers employees special recognition.
“Recognition doesn’t always come in dollars,” she said. “It’s making them know they’re something bigger than coming in and punching a clock.”
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.