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November 6, 2008
New National Education Council to Shape Manufacturing Workforce
More than 25 education leaders from across the country have been named charter members of the first-ever education council focused on expanding and enhancing the manufacturing workforce.
Education priorities today rarely position manufacturing as a preferred career choice.
"Too few young people consider manufacturing careers and often are unaware of the skills needed in an advanced manufacturing environment," the United States Department of Labor has stated. "Similarly, the K-12 system neither adequately imparts the necessary skills nor educates students on manufacturing career opportunities."
To that end, The Manufacturing Institute, the research, education and workforce arm of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), has launched the first-ever Education Council focused on expanding and enhancing the manufacturing workforce.
The new Education Council, which held its inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C. last week, will focus on such wide-ranging issues as the identification of solutions to address adult illiteracy, the design of regional manufacturing talent development systems, the creation of 21st century career and technical education programs and the advancement of innovation in the manufacturing economy, according to Emily DeRocco, president of The Manufacturing Institute and former U.S. assistant secretary of labor for employment and training.
"As international competition intensifies, U.S. manufacturers are having a difficult time finding qualified people to replace the retiring baby boom generation in increasingly sophisticated, high-tech jobs. The skills shortages are having a widespread impact on the ability of manufacturers to achieve production levels, increase productivity and meet customer demands," DeRocco said in a statement.
"With more highly skilled and qualified people, manufacturers could create more jobs with family-sustaining wages," she said.
The work of the Education Council is part of a broad strategic agenda to recruit, educate and employ the 21st century manufacturing workforce.
Representing K-12, community and technical colleges and four-year colleges and universities, the educators and officials were tapped by The Manufacturing Institute to assist in developing national strategies to keep the American manufacturing workforce globally competitive and create more high-paying jobs. The Manufacturing Institute is the research, education and workforce arm of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).
Charter members of the Education Council include education leaders from Virginia Tech, Tuskegee University, Pennsylvania State University, the College of Charleston, the State Dept. of Education and more than 20 others.
In an open letter to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama this week, NAM President John Engler wrote, "Our economy is driven by innovation, and the American system of education must prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary to compete globally."
America needs to be a beacon of career and technical education development, Engler stated, and our schools must place a greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, "attracting the best and brightest to the greatest land of opportunity the world has ever known."
Students don't go looking for manufacturing jobs today. If the manufacturing economy is to continue to thrive, schools, manufacturers and industry-focused organizations need to reach out and help talented people realize the opportunities manufacturing has to offer to millions of Americans.
"The Education Council will help shape major education and workforce development initiatives to close the skills gap, help young people and transitioning workers find new careers in the manufacturing economy and ensure that U.S. manufacturers can continue to lead the world in innovation and productivity," DeRocco concluded.
Resources
Education Council
The Manufacturing Institute/NAM, Oct. 28, 2008
A Letter to President-Elect Obama: Working Together for American Jobs and a Stronger Economy
NAM, Nov. 5, 2008
Innovative Workforce Solutions to Help the Advanced Manufacturing Industry Address Hiring, Training and Retention Challenges
U.S. Dept. of Labor
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4 CommentsI don' understand. First, Congress passed a bill for fair trade, all the work was sent over seas, and now you want to start training people for the manufacturing work force.
I had a tool shop and molding company, and I lost it due to fair trade and every thing going over to China and other countries. I lost 15 years of my life and a company that had 25 people working because of our fine government. What was so great about what they did to so many people?
Why don't you find a way to put people like me back in to the work force. I need about $1,500.000.00 to open back up. My loss was $2.300,000.00 and 15 years of my life. What you need to do is tax everything that comes into this country.
Have a great day. Thank you.
John Calin
November 6, 2008 4:09 PMI believe this an excellent development. I would strongly suggest that this new organziation consider contacting the US Postal Service, who currently employs over 700 thousand employees.
With the advent of virtual realities and 3 D environments, I find immersive education, along with virtual process control and manipulation the next great step in educational environments. The giants AUTODESK and UGS have the capability, to upload their 3D Product Life Cycle Management files into these environments, many of which have collaborative software, or open software.
Many if not most industries have moved to virtual design, and modeling. Industrial Controls have finally moved into the internet age. Therefore we can now create a virtual company, that we can manipulate for metric measurements and determine the best ways to improve quality, reduce cost and provide just in time production to our customers.
What better way to training employees, supervisors, and top management.
In virtual environments the students can safely see the errors that hurt, kill, or damage resources or people. They can experience the flow of product, and fine tune production, without risk.
We can secure these environments by having the software on secure severs owned and maintained by the company.
The best part of this whole 3D training environments concerns the builders of these simulators. The masters builders of simulation environments are those at the fringes of our lives. Parapelegic, quadrapelegic, other physical, mental, emotional or psychologically, challenged, physically and otherwise challenged people who can not compete in the current market place. They invest their lives there, and now this investment could empower them.
Please own this idea, and make it happen. Thank you.
November 6, 2008 5:12 PMAlthough this would help, I often wonder what's the point? John's comment reflects the reality we all face. I work in manufacturing and many of my customers all willing to make a large sacrifice in quality to get components cheaper.
It is ironic that a country with relatively high incomes feel that they can't "afford" any item manufactured by their neighbor, when this country also has the highest productivity per person in the world.
The fact our workforce is largely uneducated may be factor... but hell, so is most of our leadership at all levels. most people in Washington has law degrees, which is worse than useless for solving technical problems.
There is so much to say, but again, what's the point?
November 7, 2008 11:33 AMThe problem is to improve basic and continuous education in the technical field and make technical career more attractive to a younger generation.
I want to share some ideas:
New National Education Council itself consists of educational officials (government and recognized educational providers)and may be considered as a financial and organizational tool. And that is all.
Unfortunately we do not see here the main part -- the source of new ideas.
My opinion is that Ideas about educational curriculum and process of knowledge delivery may be generated only by a talented individual who has real industrial experience and complete set of skills (all of them): electrical, mechanical, automation, maintenance, system integration, teaching.
Only this type of individual is able to rewrite current curriculum, make education interesting, wake-up talents in students and make them really job ready.
In companies usually they are a key employees and not really available for a teaching activities.
But there is another source -- private training institutions. Not private career colleges, but trainers without college status. In most cases they are extremely knowledgeable and talented, do not always fit into academic employment requirements of colleges or universities, do not have government support, usually do training better than established academic institutions, develop innovative training solutions that later may be copied by institutions with government financial support.
Search for talents, money are not all.
November 8, 2008 9:16 AM
