Stanley Black & Decker Industry 4.0

Addressing the Future of Manufacturing at WESTEC

Date: December 04, 2019
Posted by:Greg Surtman, Workforce Development Strategist, Tooling U-SME

I was fortunate enough to not only attend WESTEC this year, but also participate as a panelist and moderator, serve as emcee and lead an interactive Knowledge Bar session. WESTEC has been the leading California manufacturing event for over 56 years. More than 8,000 manufacturers from the aerospace, medical, industrial machinery, automotive and fabricated metal industries come together to participate in world-class exhibits, industry-led education sessions, and networking events. The show spanned 91,000 square feet and hosted 425+ exhibiting companies. Read More.

New Report: Balancing Operations and Training

Date: November 12, 2019
Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Vice President, Tooling U-SME

Implementing a comprehensive, consistent learning and development program can seem daunting. But it doesn’t need to be.

We hear from a lot of manufacturers who are at risk. They need training to move their organizations forward, reduce quality errors, meet customer demands, and grow — but they resist taking teams away from the day-to-day operations for this training because they don’t have enough people. Read More.

Building an Industry 4.0 Career Pathway

Date: October 29, 2019
Posted by:Sue Mueller, Workforce Development Specialist, Tooling U-SME

Recently I attended the 31^st annual National Coalition of Advanced Technology Center (NCATC) conference, “Moving Industry 4.0 Forward: Models for Competency-Based Credentialing and Career Pathways.” Read More.

Opening the World of Manufacturing to Kids

Date: October 04, 2019
Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Vice President, Tooling U-SME

Tooling U-SME has been an advocate of Manufacturing Day since the program’s inception in 2012. Over the years, we have supported academic programs and provided high schools, community colleges and universities with curriculum to prepare the next-generation workforce for successful and fulfilling careers in manufacturing. We do this because we believe in the strength of the industrial sector and the resilience of its people. Read More.

Educators & Industry Join to Graduate Pre-apprenticeship Students

Date: September 26, 2019
Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Vice President, Tooling U-SME

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), apprenticeships show 56 percent growth since 2013. In 2018, nationwide, there were over 585,000 apprentices. This is a proven strategy for developing a workforce that is essential for the prosperity of the nation.

Manufacturing has long been an advocate of apprenticeship programs.

The results are clear: Read More.

Students, Parents and Industry Can Be on the Same Page about a Career in Manufacturing

Date: September 10, 2019
Posted by:Lori Byrne, Workforce Education Specialist, Tooling U-SME

The start of a new school year alerts educators to the numbers of students that have enrolled at their community or technical college across the country.

Declining enrollment is always a consideration. Nearly 60 percent of community college presidents reported that enrollment is down at their institutions over the last few years, ... Read More.

Smart Move, Amazon

Date: August 27, 2019
Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Vice President, Tooling U-SME

Recently Amazon announced a plan to invest over $700 million to upskill 100,000 U.S. employees by 2025. That’s about $7,000 per worker.

Especially with a tight labor market, this is a smart investment. Read More.

Preparing an Industry 4.0 workforce for the manufacturing sector

Date: August 14, 2019
Posted by:Greg Surtman, Workforce Development Strategist, Tooling U-SME

The need to advance workforce education for Industry 4.0 related technology was at the forefront of this year’s National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers’ (NCATC) Summer Workshop, held at Oakland Community College (OCC) in Auburn Hills, Michigan. As one of two new board directors for NCATC, I had the opportunity – along with representatives from some 75 community colleges and industry partners – to attend the workshop, entitled “Empowering Innovation: Equipping our Workforce for Industry 4.0.” Read More.

Preparing for Multicultural Generations in the Manufacturing Workforce

Date: July 30, 2019
Posted by:Denise Ball, Regional Client Executive and Workforce Development Specialist, Tooling U-SME

Everyone knows about needing to fill the manufacturing skills gap, but are you ready to integrate the influx of younger generations entering the workforce with your incumbent workers? Now is the time to prepare for the cultural shift that is rolling in as fast as the silver tsunami is rolling out. Read More.

Finding Skilled Talent: Partnerships Play a Key Role

Date: July 18, 2019
Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Vice President, Tooling U-SME

This blog is the second of two related to issues raised in the 2019 Tooling U-SME report, “The True Cost of Turnover: Hidden Costs Go Beyond Financial to Impact Productivity and Culture.” Read More.