Automotive Engineers Wanted: There are Jobs, but Some Require Changing Industries

From Detroit Free Press

Rial Hamann was laid off from his engineering job at General Dynamics Corp. in January.

It was the third layoff since 2002 for the 63-year-old Macomb Township engineer. Hamann, who has worked in and out of the automotive industry, knows the drill. He hits the major online job boards. He sends off two resumes a week online and calls about job leads as soon as he hears of them.

This week, he is job hunting at the Society of Automotive Engineers career fair, where 31 employers from Michigan and across the country are hoping to land some of Detroit’s displaced automotive talent.

The number of job openings is unknown, but the number of recruiters setting up tents has more than doubled since last year’s conference, said Tracy Fedkoe, SAE product manager for career services.

But one thing is certain — available positions are minimal compared with the number of automotive jobs lost in Michigan.

During the last year and a half, more than 100,000 jobs have been shed from the U.S. auto industry through buyouts and early retirements. Most of those were hourly jobs, but the engineering field also has been hit hard. Ford Motor Co., for instance, cut an estimated 30 percent of its engineering jobs in the past year.

Still, some automotive companies are trying to replenish their engineering ranks as they invest in advanced technologies and get fresh product to the market faster. General Motors Corp. is trying to fill 400 jobs, mostly in engineering. Honda Motor Co. is hiring engineers for jobs in research and development. Diesel-engine maker Cummins Inc. is hiring engineers for jobs in Indiana, Tennessee and North Carolina. Christopher Mitchell, a recruiter for New Dimension, a Troy, MI-based staffing firm, said his company is looking to place engineers for 200 positions, double the number from last year.

Non-automotive employers also say they recognize the talent pool in Detroit and are willing to train automotive engineers in new fields of work.

U.S. Army TACOM, a defense contractor in Warren, hired 75 engineers last year, most of them former automotive employees.

"We’re typically not as visible," said Randal Gaereminck, a recruiter for TACOM. "Historically, we haven’t paid as well. We give moderate raises. But we do offer higher stability. The military doesn’t lay people off, and with the war going on, we need engineers."

Kalamazoo, MI-based Stryker Medical, which makes medical products, also is looking for engineers with automotive experience, said recruiter Gregg Taylor.

"We’re growing about 20 percent every year for the last five years," Taylor said.

Bob Jones, who recruits for Cummins, said Detroit has been a great place to recruit talent.

"We love Detroit," Jones said. "We are in the middle of an aggressive expansion, and where else can you find people with all levels of experience?"

Basab Bhattacharya, a 32-year-old postdoctoral student in math and engineering, was among those searching job boards Monday at Cobo Center. He said he feels his high level of expertise will give him a leg up.

Adam Moss, 22, a student at Alfred State University in New York who is graduating with a bachelor’s of science degree in May, said he was feeling positive about his chances to get an automotive engineering job.

"Obviously, automotive is suffering, but this is my No. 1 choice. I enjoy it, and it’s what I’m going to do. I think there are a lot of opportunities for young people."