Blog | Tooling U-SME

Preparing an Industry 4.0 workforce for the manufacturing sector

Date: August 14, 2019
Posted by:Greg Surtman, Workforce Education Specialist, 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, 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.

Prevent Turnover: Take Steps to Retain Skilled Talent

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

Today’s blog is the first of two related 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.

Lincoln Electric and Tooling U-SME: Strengthening the Welding Workforce Together

Date: June 11, 2019
Posted by:Chad Schron, Senior Director, Tooling U-SME

According to the American Welding Society (AWS), the welding industry will face a shortage of 450,000 operators by 2020, and that figure could increase if the industries impacted by this sector don’t act now and address the lack of skilled professionals in this field. Luckily, manufacturing stakeholders across the country have been working together to help stop this occurrence. We hear more and more about industry collaborating with academia, government, and associations to train the workforce properly. Read More.

Educators Focus on Industry Needs to Build the Next Generation of Manufacturing Talent

Date: June 06, 2019
Posted by:J. Craig McAtee, Executive Director, National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC)

Today we welcome Craig McAtee, Executive Director of the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC), to provide insights on how business and industry leadership teams (BILT’s) can play a crucial role in filling the manufacturing skills gap Read More.

Predicting Manufacturing Competencies of the Future

Date: May 30, 2019
Posted by:John Hindman, Director of Learning Services, Tooling U-SME

Manufacturers are focused on the digital transformation that has already begun in the industry. In fact, nearly half (47%) plan to invest in digital technology solutions in the next 24 months, according to SME’s Manufacturing in the New Industry 4.0 Era Survey.

Data is at the core of the new technology, which includes assisted devices for automation, robotics, 3D printing, cobots, augmented reality, and more. Read More.

Are You Doing Competency Modeling Right?

Date: May 15, 2019
Posted by:John Hindman, Director of Learning Services, Tooling U-SME

The question we will discuss today is: Are you doing competency modeling right? But maybe the first question should be: Are you doing competency modeling at all? You should be if you want to align your business needs with your workforce, eliminate skill gaps and drive talent development. Read More.

Let’s Make Our Workforce and Their Instructors Our Priority

Date: May 09, 2019
Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Vice President, Tooling U-SME

It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week in the U.S., and at Tooling U-SME we recognize the men and women who’ve dedicated their careers to prepare and mentor our incumbent and next-generation manufacturing workforce. Their commitment is invaluable. They work diligently to equip our students with the knowledge and skills they need to learn and stay current with the latest technology and processes. Read More.

Tight Labor Market Means Time to Reskill

Date: April 30, 2019
Posted by:Jeannine Kunz, Vice President, Tooling U-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.