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The Piedmont Triad is  is moving ahead with a lead organization for its advanced manufacturing cluster. Here's how Teresa Reynolds puts it: 

“It is our vision that the management of the advanced manufacturing  industry cluster would be led by a contractor that would help develop and implement short and long term strategies that will leverage the global manufacturing competencies of the Piedmont Triad Region.,” says Theresa Reynolds, PTP Senior Vice President and WIRED Project Manager.   Reynolds adds, “The Automation Federation has an extensive network of relationships in the advanced manufacturing cluster and they are very familiar with the tools necessary to engage manufacturers and to lead discussions that address the issues and barriers affecting advanced manufacturing.

You can read more here. 

A new federal report outlines the top priorities for federal research in manufacturing: hydrogen energy technologies, nanomanufacturing, and intelligent and integrated manufacturing. 

Each of these areas has a potential for job growth and serving broader national interests. 

In addition, the report points out that these three areas of research are interdependent. 

The report, released by the National Science and Technology Council, is designed to highlight areas of manufacturing research that are likely to generate high returns for the national economy. 

You can read more about the report here. 

You can download a copy of the report here. 

The report, starting on page 73, outlines some of the workforce issues facing the future of manufacturing. The authors start by outlining the main conclusions of the 2005 Manufacturing Skills Gap report of the National Association of Manufacturers:

In its 2005 skills gap survey of more than 800 manufacturing businesses, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) found that 81% were experiencing “severe” (13%) or “moderate” (68%) shortages of skilled workers overall, and 90% reported shortages of skilled production  employees.

The report goes on to outline the skills needed by tomorrow's manufacturing workers: 

To operate a modern production facility, manufacturers require workers with adequate preparation in fundamentals such as mathematics, science, reading comprehension, and writing; strong workplace competencies, including computer literacy, teamwork, and critical thinking; and technical competencies in areas such as quality and process control, supply chain management, and integrated production systems. Manufacturing workers may also need to develop specialized skills tailored to specific jobs, industrial needs, and technology requirements...

Manufacturing skills certification is one of several steps toward ensuring an adequate supply of “knowledge technologists,” a term coined by management and quality pioneer Peter Drucker. In future manufacturing operations, as well as in other sectors of the economy, Drucker predicted, workers will continue to engage in manual tasks, but their jobs will require a “substantial amount of theoretical knowledge which can only be acquired through a formal education, not through an apprenticeship.” 

You can download a copy of the report here. 

Maine's Wired region is focused on boatbuilding and applying the latest composite technologies to this cluster. Last week, they launched a new web site. You can read about the site here. 

You can visit the site here. 

Download the Maine implementation plan here (1.3 MB). 

The Interagency Aerospace Revitalization Taskforce, led by the U.S. Department of Labor, last week released its first assessment of talent demands in the aerospace industry.

The report offers strategies for meeting the aerospace industry's growing talent demands. The major challenge: despite the high income levels that these businesses generate, young people are neither prepared nor inclined to enter the field.

You can download the report here. 

Workers with verified skills will attract modern manufacturing jobs to West Alabama and East Mississippi (WAEM).  That is the cornerstone strategy of the WAEM Initiative sponsored by Governors Bob Riley and Haley Barbour.  Monday, WAEM Initiative leaders announced the final mechanism to put this strategy in place.

“Today we unveil the M3 Credential, the final piece of our new system to create a globally competitive workforce for our West Alabama – East Mississippi region,” said Dr. James Mitchell, president of the WAEM Alliance and president of Wallace Community College – Selma.  The WAEM Alliance is a formal consortium of the eight community and junior colleges in the 37-county WAEM region.

“Coupled with the ‘anytime, anywhere’ modern manufacturing training system announced by Governor Barbour last October and a $4 million direct investment at our eight colleges authorized by Governor Riley, the M3 Credential makes West Alabama and East Mississippi ready to compete for the best manufacturing jobs in the world,” said Dr. Scott Elliott, vice-president of the WAEM Alliance and president of Meridian Community College. 

“M3” in the M3 Credential name stands for “modern multi-skill manufacturing.”  The M3 Credential was developed by the workforce directors and career tech leaders at the eight WAEM Alliance colleges after a summit hosted by Governors Riley and Barbour last May chose advanced manufacturing as the WAEM region’s top priority. 

“We’ve got to get more serious about our workforce and job training needs in our states,” Governor Barbour said at the summit.  “And, we have to expect, rely on, and count on our community colleges to take the lead.”

Governor Riley echoed the call for community colleges to provide leadership.  “If you don’t provide the services we’re going to need over the next two to three years, that will be the limiting factor in our ability to compete,” he said. 

The colleges and their workforce and career tech professionals took this charge to heart.  They identified skills used and needed at local advanced manufacturers as well as those at worldwide companies.

For example, the M3 Credential matches up well with Toyota training requirements. “My review of types of skills taught to workers recently hired for Toyota Manufacturing in North Mississippi shows the M3 Credential matching up very well,” said Dr. Shannon Campbell, Dean of Workforce Development at Jones County Junior College.  “These skills represent the basic requirements that modern manufacturers expect from people they hire.”   

“The M3 Credential is based on national skill standards established for advanced manufacturing,” explained Roger Whitlock, credential taskforce leader and workforce director at East Central Community College.  “The M3 skill-sets will qualify workers in a variety of occupations requiring applications of technology.”

Economic developers see the M3 Credential as a boon to their job creation and retention efforts.

“This will let us prove that our region has competent qualified workers,” said Phillis Belcher, executive director of the Greene County Industrial Development Board.  “A credentialed workforce will make us highly competitive,” said Wade Jones, president of the East Mississippi Business Development Corp. in Meridian.  Both are members of the WAEM Commission appointed by the governors to oversee the WAEM Initiative.

“This region is building one of the most innovative, accessible, advanced manufacturing training systems in the United States” Governor Barbour said. 

The M3 Credential will be available to incumbent workers, dislocated workers, underemployed workers, and students seeking to “verify” their skills.  By verify, the WAEM Alliance means workers actually demonstrate the skills.

“This is not just a paper and pencil test,” says Whitlock.  “This is authentic, hands-on assessment of modern manufacturing skills.”  To accommodate workers, WAEM Alliance colleges will hold open assessment labs on Saturdays.  At least one of the eight colleges in the region will hold an open lab on each Saturday.  Workers interested in being assessed for the credential will need to make an appointment.

The “anytime, anywhere” modern manufacturing training system will allow workers to prepare for the M3 assessments at home, at work, at libraries, and any location with broadband Internet access.  The eight colleges will also offer instruction on these skills.

The eight colleges intend to have all components of the training system and M3 Credential operational by June 1.  For more information, contact one of the eight participating colleges:  Alabama Southern Community College, Bevill State Community College, East Central Community College, East Mississippi Community College, Jones County Junior College, Meridian Community College, Shelton State Community College, and Wallace Community College – Selma. 

For more information on the M3 Credential and the WAEM Initiative, go to www.WAEM.us on the Internet.

The WAEM Initiative and the M3 Credential result from a Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.  The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs serves as the fiscal agent; The Montgomery Institute as the program manager.

One of the major advantages of the WIRED initiative is its flexibility. The flexibility matters, because it enables EDPros to move quickly.

Here's an example.

A couple of months ago, a group of us were sitting around a table exploring the options for "green manufacturing" in Indiana. Christy Bozic, one of our leading staff folks on the WIRED project at Purdue, came up with the idea of a green manufacturing certification.

Now, about six months later, we have launched. Read more.

In North Central Indiana, we're particularly excited about one of our upcoming WIRED-supported programs. We're teaching high school students advanced manufacturing skills within the context of designing and making their own electric guitar. How cool is that? Here are some more details about the project:

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — High school students interested in discovering how to build their own guitar will have the opportunity to learn the science and art behind the craft at two summer workshops offered at Purdue University.

Mark French, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology and organizer of the workshops, said that both workshops will be modeled after the Purdue Guitar Workshop, which will be held for the second year in July.

“We want to reach out to high school students to get them interested in technology and specifically about modern advanced manufacturing processes,” he said. “There was a lot of interest last year from high school students, so we decided to create opportunities for them that contain more of an educational bent but still will be a lot of fun.”

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers High School Workshop will be offered July 29-Aug. 1. It is open to all high school students in 10th and 11th grades. The class will meet daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Knoy Hall of Technology, Room 106, and Michael Golden Labs, rooms 1208 and B217. The cost to attend is $100.

The WIRED High School Workshop will be held Aug. 12-15. It is open to 10th- and 11th-graders from Region 4 in Indiana. Students will stay in on-campus residence halls for the week. The cost to attend is $35.

The workshop is being funded in part by a $35,000 grant from the national WIRED initiative, which was part of a larger grant the university received last year.

Indiana WIRED (Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development) is part of a federal development initiative designed to help state and local communities compete in the global economy. Region 4 includes the counties of Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Wabash, Warren and White.

In both workshops, the students will make an acoustic-electric guitar. Attendees will receive a complete kit of materials, including a guitar body and neck with most of the machining already completed. Participants will then be able to tailor the final shape of the body and neck, as well as add other custom touches, such as paint.

The courses will be conducted by Purdue faculty and staff, including French, who has visited Taylor Guitars’ headquarters in El Cajon, Calif., doing structural dynamics testing on about 60 acoustic guitars in Taylor’s factory. French also teaches a class during the academic year on instrument manufacturing and testing in which students build and test an acoustic guitar.

Brad Harriger, a professor of manufacturing engineering technology, will offer insights on advanced manufacturing processes. Richard Couch, director of engagement at Purdue’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing, will offer insights on large-scale manufacturing.

French said he is especially interested in reaching out to women and minorities, groups that he said are traditionally not attracted to careers in advanced manufacturing.

“There is a national shortage of qualified workers in the industry, so getting kids interested early is important,” he said. “There is a huge demand for our students. We want to dispel the myth that using power tools and large machinery is just for boys. Creating a learning environment where everyone isn’t the same is an important step in changing attitudes.”

Each workshop is limited to 15 participants. Those interested in signing up can contact French at (765) 494-7521 or rmfrench@purdue.edu.