Tight Labor Market Means Time to Reskill

  • Date: April 30, 2019
  • Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer, SME

A recent story by Lauren Weber in The Wall Street Journal, highlights how, in this tight labor market, companies are starting to retrain the workers they have.

At Tooling U-SME, we see every day how reskilling manufacturing workers reduces recruiting costs and builds engaged, loyal employees by offering clear career pathways. Read More.

Celebrate National Welding Month

  • Date: April 24, 2019
  • Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer, SME

April is National Welding Month, so we thought we’d take a look at the status of the welding workforce in America.

But first, we’d like to say Happy Birthday to our friends at the American Welding Society (AWS).

This year marks their 100th year advancing the science and art of welding. Congratulations on a decade of making a difference. Read More.

Workforce Demographics: a Common Theme at HOUSTEX 2019

  • Date: April 16, 2019
  • Posted by:Greg Surtman, workforce education strategist, and Sue Mueller, workforce development specialist, Tooling U-SME

Changing workforce demographics was a hot topic and a common theme during two educational presentations we participated in at the recent HOUSTEX manufacturing event. One was a seminar called “The Onboarding Challenge” and the other was a panel discussion on “Competing for Top Talent During a Labor Shortage.” Read More.

Workforce Insights at SAMA Conference and AME Summit

  • Date: April 11, 2019
  • Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer, SME

The face of manufacturing is changing. Advanced manufacturing technology is transforming outdated plant floors to high-tech centers of innovation. At the same time, baby boomers are exiting the workforce and passing the baton to Gen Xers, millennials and the newest addition to the labor force, Gen Z. Read More.

Technology, People and Pizza

  • Date: April 03, 2019
  • Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer, SME

Calling all pizza fans. Have you heard about Domino’s Pizza’s Points for Pies promo? Here’s how it works: Through Domino’s app, using artificial intelligence (AI), you take a photo of any pizza you are eating whether it’s from Domino’s or a competitor (a dog’s squeaky pizza toy even works). You earn points for each pizza scanned and, ultimately, that leads to free pizza. Read More.