This post is part of a blog series, featuring our favorite stories of 2019.

A 2018 report by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute projected that over the next 10 years, there could be as many as 2.4 million unfilled manufacturing jobs.

This talent shortage exists because more high school graduates are choosing four year colleges over a career in the trades, often at the urging of their parents who believe a four year degree is the ticket to long-term success. In reality, a career in the trades can be a better economic and personally satisfying career choice. 

Companies that rely on skilled labor have had an interesting recruiting challenge over the last few years. They must communicate to candidates the valuable and rewarding careers available in skilled labor. But, they must also market this message to a secondary audience: high school student parents. 

BAE Systems, Inc. is one company that faced this challenge and solved it with employee story content.  

They used Lashika’s personal story about how she chose her career in welding, targeted to the persona they wanted to reach (high school students): 

… and another for both the candidate and parent audience. This collection of stories from a wide variety of employees with interesting careers serves many purposes.

Hearing from others who made the trade career path choice and were succeeding professionally and personally at BAE Systems, Inc. directly addresses concerns that a four year degree is the only viable path. They are assured a person can be an important part of an organizational mission, be provided training and promotion opportunities, and learn valuable skills in the trades at BAE Systems, Inc.  

BAE Systems, Inc. used this content as social promotion for an event that marketed careers in the trades, to target trade high school students, educators and parents. BAE Systems Inc. also used the stories, videos and photos on a profile page of a tech school with whom they partner. Of course, BAE Systems Inc. used their trade stories content on their own recruitment marketing channels, to educate candidates who wanted to learn more about why they should do that job, at their company. 

Want to see more of our favorite employee stories of 2019? Follow along here on our blog and on our social channels: