WXYZ News (Detroit) (02/17/12) Mary Conway; Sarah Willets

Staffing firm G-Tech says demand for engineers and high-tech workers has increased in the Michigan area because so many qualified people left the state during the recession. Now that the economy is turning around, companies are having a hard time finding workers. G-Tech’s Claudette Cunitz says, “With all of the automotive returning, the primary jobs are in powertrain. With the new emission standards, there is a real push toward hybridization. There is a need for powertrain, NVH, mechanical, and electrical. All engineering disciplines are in high demand.” There is also a big demand for people with IT skills, senior program managers, developers, and business analysts.

G-Tech currently has more than 1,000 job openings. Cunitz says many companies cut back on their training programs and they now have to get creative to fill positions. “Companies are now hiring two to three senior people and then junior people to groom,” she says.