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The shortage of qualified labor and specialized training, the challenges of the machining sector

The results of the machining sector have recently been presented by the Association of Metal Companies of Madrid (AECIM). This survey, aimed at organizations focused on the transformation of raw material parts to give them the appropriate shape and size for manufacturing, aims to gain in-depth knowledge of the problem they are facing and has created a working commission to address the problems of the sector.

Machining is a sector with great relevance in industries such as the automotive, aerospace, railway, energy and medical sectors, among others, which is why it represents a fundamental pillar of the economy of the Community of Madrid, which generates employment and adds value to through the development of key parts for industrial production and advanced technology.

The results of this survey have made it possible to identify the main difficulties faced by the sector in terms of personnel and business costs.

In terms of personnel, the shortage of skilled labor with Vocational Training has been identified by 87.5% of the companies as one of the main problems, due to the fact that young people prefer other industrial branches and the lack of connection between the supply and demand of professional profiles. The proposed solutions include a public policy more focused on vocational training, incentives for young people, intensified dual vocational training programs and an increase in remuneration.

In addition, 81.25% of the companies in the sector affirm that a more specialized training, since regulated training is not adapted to the needs of companies and in-house training implies an interruption in production and an investment of time by business managers. Among the solutions are policies that reward veterans for teaching, training during working hours or hiring third parties for training.

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Increase in energy costs

Regarding business costs, 94% of companies see the increase in energy costs as one of the main causes of their loss of competitiveness, followed by the increase in the costs of Transport and logisticsas well as the raw Materials, with 63% in both cases, mainly due to the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the Covid crisis.

All these difficulties are seriously affecting the competitiveness of companies in the machining sector. While fixed and variable costs continue to increase, companies cannot transfer all the extra cost to their customers, which translates into an increase in their billing and a reduction in their profits, worryingly decreasing their profitability.

For this reason, from AECIM a work commission has been created to address the problems of the sector and David Llorente, from the Hermanos Jiménez Gómez company, has been appointed as president. This commission will focus on finding solutions and adopting the necessary measures to strengthen the position of the machining industry in the Community of Madrid.

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