New Delhi. A big problem has arisen in America. This country, famous for technology and auto industry, is now facing a huge shortage of skilled workers. Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company, has himself said that he is not able to find people for 5,000 mechanic posts, whereas the company is ready to pay a salary of up to Rs 1 crore annually.
Farley said that this is not just Ford’s problem, but the entire America is facing this crisis. More than 10 lakh important jobs are vacant across the country, which include roles like plumbers, electricians, factory workers and truck drivers. Ford CEO said in ‘Office Hours: Business Edition’ podcast that this is a wake-up call.
Big flaw in education and training
Jim Farley said the real problem is in the system. He told that it takes about five years to learn to operate the diesel engine of a Ford Super Duty truck, but today’s youth do not have that much technical exposure. He said,
We are not giving the same education to our next generation as our grandparents got.
Farley recalled that his grandfather was an early Ford employee and that job made his family middle class. Today, while America is leading the world in high-tech products and AI, sectors involving manual skills are lagging behind badly. People are not available in big factories, service centers and trucking networks, due to which production and service delivery is being affected.
Trump’s H-1B U-turn
This concern of the Ford CEO has come at a time when President Donald Trump himself has admitted that America does not have enough talent. When he was asked a question on H-1B visa in a Fox News interview, he said,
We will have to bring talent from outside, because we do not have some special skills.
Interestingly, just a few months ago, the Trump administration had imposed an application fee of $1 lakh on H-1B visa, making it difficult for tech companies to hire foreign workers. Now Trump’s stance has changed a bit, because the shortage of domestic skilled labor has become clearly visible.
impact on industries
For companies like Ford, this is having a direct impact on production. Thousands of vehicles are lying incomplete on the assembly line because trained mechanics are not available. At the same time, the demand in trades like electrician and plumber has increased so much that in some cities these professions are paying up to 1.2 lakh dollars i.e. about Rs 1 crore annually. Experts believe that if the government does not increase investment in education and technical training, then in the coming five years America will not only suffer production loss but the service sector will also be heavily affected.
Skilled manpower is the real capital
Analysts say that skilled trades have played a major role in strengthening America’s middle class. Now that same class is disappearing. Jim Farley’s statement is proof that no economy can run on AI or software development alone. Along with engineers, the country also needs mechanics, truck drivers and electricians.
