One of the more persistent post-recession paradoxes is that, although manufacturing has experienced massive layoffs in recent years, manufacturers say they still struggle to fill many of the skilled positions that remain.

Think about it. The National Association of Manufacturers recently estimated that U.S. manufacturing lost 2 million jobs during the 19-month period ending in July 2009. And, still, manufacturers — particularly those in aerospace and defense and life sciences — continue to say they can’t find qualified people to fill openings. In a recent survey conducted by Deloitte, NAM, and Oracle, half of manufacturing companies reported shortages of skilled production workers.

The same report, however, found that the way manufacturers manage people has a lot to do with the problem. Specifically, although manufacturers say that talent planning, talent acquisition, and talent development are increasingly important to future business success, they admit that today they aren’t doing a good enough job managing and developing talent, according to the report.

Manufacturers responding to the survey said that among their most important talent management priorities are: defining a clear and explicit people strategy that is linked to business strategy, and adequately training employees in next-generation technologies such as Web 2.0 and advanced design technologies. Yet manufacturers admit their current performance levels on those priority items are well below where they should be.

“Companies need to increase attention to clarify business and people strategies, communications and performance measurement, as well as employee development with particular focus on the latest technologies, problem-solving skills, and change readiness,” the report states.

As paradoxical as it may seem, I don’t doubt that manufacturers are having trouble filling skilled production and other manufacturing jobs. As advanced automation technologies have continued to enter the plant and as more production has been outsourced, new technical and collaborative skills have come into demand. At the same time, young people entering the workforce — and their parents — are steering clear of manufacturing, which they mistakenly see as a dirty, difficult, and unrewarding field.

But this means that manufacturers must work harder and smarter to find, recruit, and develop the skills they need. Too many, I’m afraid, continue to be more passive than they should be about managing and developing talent. The truth is that they can no longer sit back and wait for the right people with the right skills to knock on their doors.

Manufacturers need to get every bit as aggressive about finding and developing talent as they are today about finding low-cost, high-quality suppliers.