Seize Opportunities with Preparation

  • Date: September 26, 2018
  • Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer, SME

Advanced technology gives manufacturers opportunities to innovate, evolve, and grow. Nowhere is this clearer than at IMTS, where more than 2,500 exhibitors displayed state-of-the-art technology that will transform how we make and manage things.

I have been attending IMTS for the last 18 years, and the energy and enthusiasm at this year’s event was the most I have witnessed since 2000. Business is good, confidence is up, and buyers have money to spend. Attendees and exhibitors alike are encouraged by the current strong market. Read More.

College-Sponsored Apprenticeships Are Filling The Manufacturing Workforce Pipeline

  • Date: September 19, 2018
  • Posted by:Rebecca S. Lake, EdD, Dean of Workforce and Economic Development, Harper College

Rebecca Lake, from Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, joins us to discuss the role of community colleges as sponsors of apprenticeship programs to help fill the manufacturing skills gap. Read More.

The Skills Gap: Manufacturing’s Greatest Challenge

  • Date: September 11, 2018
  • Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer, SME

This week, more than 115,000 manufacturers will gather in Chicago for IMTS to get ideas and find answers to their manufacturing challenges. They will see new technology demonstrated, talk to technical experts and find inspiration.

There’s a lot of talk about ways to cut costs, boost quality and productivity, keep up with new technology, improve plant operations and find new business. But when you dig deeper, it really comes down to building a skilled workforce. Manufacturing’s greatest challenge continues to be the skills gap. Read More.

Study: Workforce training decreases downtime

  • Date: September 04, 2018
  • Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Chief Workforce Development Officer, SME

Productivity losses due to unplanned equipment shutdowns are detrimental to all manufacturers.

While downtime is most often associated with equipment breakdowns, it also encompasses any unplanned event that causes your manufacturing process to stop -- machine repair, poor operator setup, operator errors, inadequate production planning, or a shortage of qualified operators. Read More.