Why MedTech Needs More Skilled Machinists, Apprenticeships, and Design-for-Manufacturing Collaboration | Jim Coney
MedTech Unboxed: Presented by Chamfr
Why is medtech facing such a serious skilled labor gap in machining, tooling, and advanced manufacturing? In this episode of MedTech Unboxed, Steve talks with Jim Coney about the growing need for machinists, operators, apprenticeships, and hands-on manufacturing talent in medical device development.
Jim shares lessons from building apprenticeship and training programs in high-pressure manufacturing environments and explains why mentoring, technical education, and early exposure to the trades matter so much. The conversation also explores the transition from automotive and aerospace manufacturing into implantable medical devices, where teams face smaller parts, tighter tolerances, harder-to-source specialty materials, stricter traceability, and much heavier documentation requirements.
They also discuss design for manufacturability, the importance of collaboration between engineers and machinists, the role of prototyping and additive manufacturing, and why medtech companies need practical manufacturing input much earlier in development. For medtech professionals in machining, tooling, manufacturing engineering, implants, and operations, this episode is a practical look at the talent, discipline, and cross-functional teamwork required to build high-precision medical technology.
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