WORKFORCE PIPELINE A MONTHLY FEATURE ABOUT TRAINING, EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT w W
e’ve all seen the headlines: “CEOs Say Skills Gap Is Problematic” (U.S. News & World Report); “Manufacturers upbeat, despite workforce con-
cerns” (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal); “Manufactur- ing workforce development starts with our youth” (Assembly magazine); and “Local manufacturers work together to attract workers” (The Virginian-Pilot). I could cite many more articles, yet the message would
remain consistent—“Even with the most weight given to the broadest indicators—STEM employment and STEM degrees granted—the Index shows there has only been modest gains in overall STEM activity since 2000, indicating that the existing pool of talent is still too shallow to adequately meet demand” (U.S. News & World Report). From SME’s perspec- tive, and I’m sure many others, a shortfall of talent to fi ll those critical roles in manufacturing is devastating to the manufac- turing industry and overall economy. The shortage of a skilled workforce isn’t a new topic, nor is the issue going away anytime soon. There are pockets of success and glimmers of hope, but unfortunately, as a coun- try, we’ve yet to fi nd a one-size-fi ts-all solution. As an organi- zation whose mission is to inspire, prepare and support our stakeholders in the advancement of manufacturing, SME has positioned itself to offer solutions we feel are needed to in- spire students to pursue careers in manufacturing, while also offering a variety of ways the current workforce can expand their skills and knowledge.
When thinking about the youth and college-age students,
we’re very fortunate that SME and its members, working with colleges and universities, manufacturing managers and gov- ernment offi cials, had the foresight to create the SME Educa- tion Foundation in 1979. At that time, the US experienced a surge in demand for people with the technical skill to work with new manufacturing technologies. Corporations quickly realized there was a lack of degreed engineers graduating from the nation’s community colleges and universities with
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AdvancedManufacturing.org | July 2015 Creating Pathways to Careers in Manufacturing
the necessary knowledge about manufacturing. To address this issue, funds from SME, corporations and individuals were funneled into manufacturing courses, research and scholarship grants to encourage students to pursue degrees in manufacturing engineering. Currently, the SME Education Foundation has broadened
its reach even further as the goal is expanded to encour- age students to earn certifi cations and degrees in advanced manufacturing and engineering. One of the ways in which the Foundation does this is through its Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education (PRIME) program. This program provides a comprehensive, community-based approach to advanced manufacturing/STEM education through collabora- tive engagements with industry partners, educators, students and SME members. This initiative builds on a fi ve-year, $5.2 million investment in the Foundation’s workforce develop- ment programs focusing on engineering and technology. Established in 2011, with six high schools in six states, its outreach has increased to 32 schools in 21 states. In 2014 alone, there were over 6000 students impacted through PRIME; 20% of students in the PRIME network were female and 42% were minorities.
Our members have also worked tirelessly to create inroads
and interest in industry for students. Since 2008, SME’s Rapid Technologies & Additive Manufacturing Community has been holding its annual Design for Direct Digital Manufacturing Com- petition, which encourages high school and college students to develop creative designs to showcase their technical and commercial talents. Winners of the competition can attend SME’s annual RAPID Conference & Exposition to further their interest and knowledge of additive manufacturing/3D printing. Over the years, we’ve seen designs for prosthetic devices for canines, nine-piece truck assemblies, knee braces, camera caps, crutch handgrips and more. These designs are a great example of how using a real-world technology can spark the creativity within such young minds.
Jeffrey M. Krause
Executive Director & CEO SME
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