Sometimes the Internet seems like it’s gotten too big. To help navigate this sea of information, Industry Market Trends’ weekly Worth a Look feature spotlights some of the more interesting, informative and amusing resources that might have slipped under your radar — all in bite-sized chunks.
Manufacturing Jobs Boom Accelerates | The United States manufacturing sector has generated a significant number of new jobs over the past several years, and this boom in job growth continues to accelerate. The number of job openings for skilled factory workers has increased 38 percent since 2005, with the sharpest increase – 152 percent – occurring just in the last three years, according to new research. Demand for workers ranges from small parts makers to mid-sized firms and larger manufacturers across the industrial space. More importantly, these jobs tend to pay well, even at starting salaries.
Pharma Focuses on Manufacturing Innovation | The pharmaceutical industry’s business model has shifted away from optimizing current assets and toward creating greater value for businesses. According to a new study, to meet the demands of the new market pharmaceutical manufacturing will need to focus on smaller volumes and shorter runs, increased complexity, more volatile demand and rising quality expectations. “In short, they must now look beyond running production efficiently and rethink their whole approach to it and demand a level of innovation that matches the recent changes in the pharmaceutical landscape.” (Free subscription required.)
Entrepreneurship Without Entrepreneurs | Many companies are looking to cultivate the “entrepreneurial spirit,” but hiring actual entrepreneurs is not really an option considering that they’ll only be looking to start their businesses. Instead, Inc.com identifies several measures that can be used to develop a company’s workforce with entrepreneurial qualities, including: hiring people who are enthusiastic about the work, rewarding those who take initiative and teaching workers about core financial issues within the company.
How to Negotiate Like a Car Salesman | Successful car salesmen are experts at deploying the tool of skillful negotiation. Becoming familiar with some of the common tactics they use can help professionals gain the upper hand in nearly any exchange. Fast Company offers tips to harnessing a car salesman’s negotiation strategy, including: noticing inflated emotional responses, avoiding the “empathy trap,” staying detached from key propositions and recognizing that everything is negotiable.
10 Critical Demands America Must Meet | According to a recent book entitled The Coming Jobs War, the future of the global economy will depend on a single key resource: jobs. For America to seize the opportunity and retain its position as the world’s leading economy, it will have to focus on 10 key elements for strong labor competitiveness, such as enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship in urban centers, reducing health care costs, improving education on a local level and developing an environment that supports and encourages small business creation.
The Future of Health Technology | Every generation sees ideas that were previously thought to be science-fiction transition into reality. Tend forecasting company Envisioning Technology provides an educated guess at what health technology innovations are going to emerge and come to dominate the market over the next three decades, including regeneration, augmentation, robotic health care and 3-D-printed synthetic organs.