Episode 55
Gaining an Edge in the Electronics Industry: From Skills to Strategies
As the electronics industry becomes increasingly competitive, it can be challenging to gain an edge. But with the right skills and strategies, you can stand out from the competition.
I invited Walter Tobin to be a guest on Leadership In Manufacturing Podcast to discuss what it takes to gain an edge in the electronics industry.
Host
Sannah Vinding
Guest
Episode
E55
Key takeaways
We need to home-grown our own people. It’s timely, it’s costly. But to develop your own bench, I think is the way to eliminate the talent shortage.
Remain competitive
It’s becoming more important than ever to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to advancements in our field. We need to have an edge in order to remain competitive and be successful against other related businesses in the global market. For this reason, it is crucial that we prioritize continual learning and work on developing our own skill sets as our industry accelerates its changes in the speed at an unprecedented rate.
Manufacturers in the electronics industry must stay competitive by keeping up with market trends, offering best-in-class products, and building strong relationships with distributors. They should also use their website as a marketing tool to provide useful information and create content that promotes their brand and its products.
Manufacturers in the electronics industry need to stay competitive by investing in best-in-class technology, seeking out new distribution channels, staying up-to-date on changing customer needs, and maintaining a strong online presence. Having a professional website that provides consistent information about your products or services is essential for staying competitive.
The demand for skills
The demand for skills in the workforce is changing rapidly due to a variety of factors. The overall number of employees in the sector is expected to decline over the next decade, but the demand for professional and managerial employees is forecast to increase. Additionally, there is an increasing demand for technicians and higher-level engineers. Remote working has become increasingly popular due to the pandemic, creating a need for upskilling and training in order to maintain performance. Companies are introducing new skills and training to make the transition back to the workplace smoother.
COVID-19 has also accelerated the adoption of fully digitized approaches to learning, allowing for greater personalization and cost-effectiveness. This shift towards digital learning has enabled companies to quickly adapt their training programs in response to changing demands in the labor market. Furthermore, it allows individuals more flexibility when it comes to acquiring new skills or updating existing ones. As such, digital learning can help bridge gaps between employers’ needs and workers’ abilities.
The manufacturer needs to provide certainly accurate, timely, up-to-date, but customized training for each region.
Dynamic opportunities
Walter Tobin
Walter Tobin
CEO/EVP at Electronics Representatives Association (ERA)
Walter Tobin is the CEO and Executive Vice President of the Electronics Representatives Association, known as ERA, at the time of this Leadership in Manufacturing Podcast conversation. ERA is the international trade organization serving professional field sales companies, manufacturers that go to market through representative firms, and distributors across the global electronics industry.
Walter brings more than 30 years of electronics industry experience to the conversation, with leadership roles across sales, marketing, distribution, and executive management. Before joining ERA, he served as Corporate Vice President at Future Electronics and held management positions at Pioneer-Standard and Arrow Electronics. His perspective connects the manufacturer, distributor, and representative sides of the industry, making him a strong voice on training, channel relationships, talent development, and what it takes to stay competitive in electronics.
Walter holds both a B.S. and MBA from Boston College and is a former U.S. Army Captain.
Guest: Walter Tobin
Title at time of recording: CEO and Executive Vice President, Electronics Representatives Association
Company: ERA
Website: https://era.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-tobin-2026202/
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