Valley manufacturers face workforce shortage as industry eyes expansion

The Rio Grande Valley wants to attract more manufacturers, but industry leaders say the region faces a significant challenge: finding enough skilled workers to fill the jobs.

Manufacturing accounts for about 4% of the Valley’s economy, leaving a limited pool of experienced workers as companies expand or consider establishing operations in the region, according to Mike Willis of the South Texas Manufacturers Association.

“We don’t have the people unless you steal them from someone else,” Willis said.

The challenge was among the issues discussed last week during a manufacturing roundtable hosted by the Pharr Economic Development Corp., where business leaders, educators and workforce specialists examined how the Valley can prepare for an industry increasingly shaped by automation and artificial intelligence.