Michigan
Works! agencies have become the official gatekeeper for automotive
assembly line job recruitment in S.E. Michigan. You can't mail or fax
a resume to Ford, DaimlerChrysler, or GM headquarters or drop one
off at a Big Three plant site.
This is necessary to obtain any service from your Michigan Works! agency
including a Big Three placement. Adding your resume to the Michigan
Talent Bank does not guarantee anything, but it is a first necessary step.
When one of the Big Three needs some assembly line candidates (beyond
those provided by the Friends & Family Network), they send a job order
to a selected Michigan Works! agency. Word gets out that an agency
has received a job order and candidates then line up around the block to
get applications. Those who have added their resumes to the
Michigan Talent Bank receive applications. Those
who have not yet done so, are told to post their resumes. Posting
your resume to the Michigan Talent Bank is a required first-step for
receiving any employment or training service.
Posting to the Michigan Talent Bank, however, does not guarantee that
you will be considered, since at this time, the database appears not to
be systematically searched when a Big Thee job order is being filled.
Word of mouth appears to provide an ample supply of candidates.
News of these job orders is managed by the receiving agency, and
the information appears to be spread mainly by word of mouth. Newspaper
ads have been run or flyers distributed to agency clients, but not
always. At this time, these jobs are not posted in the
Michigan Talent Bank, or announced centrally
outside of the receiving office.
Be aware that Michigan Works! agencies receive a limited number
of assembly worker job orders from Big Three companies, and that when
job orders are received, the agencies are deluged with people hoping for
a position. The Big Three appear to be hiring fewer and fewer
assembly workers in S.E. Michigan, and usually are quite able to fill
vacancies from long standing sources, namely the families and friends
of their employees.
Having your resume hand carried to a plant manager by the right family
member or friend could increase your chances of getting an assembly
line job. Having the right family and friends might also position you
to learn early on when a Michigan Works! agency has received a job order.
Make yourself more attractive by taking some classes at a community
college, i.e., math, electronics, computers - something to show that
you are interested in learning and have something going.
Take every opportunity to develop group problem-solving skills.
Prepare yourself to be tested. If your math and reading skills are
poor, sign up for some remedial classes.
Also, consider one of the Manufacturing Technology programs offered
through adult education
Realize that you may need to get some production experience elsewhere
before seeking employment with a Big Three company or one of the tier
one suppliers. A work history in itself is an asset. Sub-tier suppliers
offer the most entry-level jobs and frequently post their openings on
the Michigan Talent Bank site.
Orientation session at which Candidate Information Booklets typically
are distributed.
Skill and Ability Testing.
Group Assessment Exercises
Completing an Application Form. Be prepared to supply information
about previous employment and education including contact information for present
and previous employers going back at least seven years.
Employment Verification. Usually at the time of testing you will be
asked to complete employment verification forms for each of your past
employers including complete employer name, mailing address, phone number,
and dates of your employment (month and year).
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK - Shifts in Auto Industry Employment, 1979-98 - U.S. Department of
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the number of jobs in the motor vehicle
assembly sector has declined, the number of jobs in the parts-making sector has
increased steadily since 1987.
Hamper, Ben. Rivethead, tales from the assembly
line. New York: Warner Books, 1991. DPL Main Library Sociology
& Economics: 331.76292 H187r
De Santis, Solange. Life on the Line, one woman's
tale of work, sweat and survival. New York: Doubleday,
1999. UAW Review - Solidarity Magazine. DPL Main Library
Sociology & Economics: 331.48292 D452x
In the last few years job growth has shifted to the supplier sector while employment in the
vehicle and body assembly sector has declined as U.S. automakers
increasingly outsource the design, engineering and production of whole
vehicle components or modules to supplier companies. The number of employees
in the parts industry now exceeds the number employed in the motor vehicle
assembly industry.
Tier-one auto suppliers supply parts directly to the vehicle manufacturers
(Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler). OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer
as opposed to aftermarket. Tier-two supplies typically supply materials
and parts to the tier-one suppliers. The remaining companies in the
supply chain are referred to as smaller suppliers,
or sub-tiers. Some suppliers function as both
tier-one and tier-two suppliers.
The Michigan Talent Bank is a good source of postings for
jobs with the smaller parts makers, plastics companies, screw makers, and
small metal processors that supply the next level of parts makers.