EDITORIAL
Asked & Answered W
hile the growth in interest and initiatives for manufacturing-related education probably isn’t ready to be
classified as a true “movement” yet, I think it is inching closer to that classification every day. Take a look at the two headlines below from March that showcased some of the renewed interest and initiatives. Marquette Designing Manufacturing
Management Program—Reported by The Business Journal in Milwaukee, Marquette Univ. is designing a new manu- facturing management program in response to local companies look- ing for graduates bet- ter prepared for a career in industry. Looking to launch with a few courses in the Fall of 2013, the program would be a mix of classroom time and on-site learning and cover top- ics such as robotics, lean manufacturing, product design and metalcasting. According to
Patrick Bartling, vice president of operations for casting-buyer Joy Global and a board mem- ber for Marquette’s supply chain management program, this new program could help shorten the learning curve for college graduates enter- ing a manufacturing career, such as giving a supply chain graduate an understanding of the castings they will be purchasing. “They learn it when they get out of school, but if they had a familiarity that would be one step up,” he said. Jackson Businesses Try DIY Job-Training to
Create Skilled Workers—As reported by MLive, Jackson Community College, Jackson, Mich., dropped its skilled trades training program in 2003 due to a lack of funding. In response, local manufacturers in conjunction with the Jackson Area Manufacturers Association created the Jackson Academy for Manufacturing Careers in 2005. This Academy is training 400 students as welders, machinists, CNC programmers, and tool and die makers. In most cases, manufac- turers are paying the apprenticeship training and the wages of workers in these training
programs (many of which also require 8,000 hours of on-the-job training to secure a journeyman certification). One of the critical factors behind both of these education initiatives is that they are in response to the needs of industry. Manufacturers are demanding the education and making it happen. Our feature article, “Work-
Manufacturers are demanding the education and making it happen.
force Development for the Metalcasting Industry,” on p. 18, focuses on the skills gap manu- facturers are facing and ways metalcast- ers are try- ing to overcome it. Bremen Castings in Indiana has part- nered with a local college’s technical assistance program to develop a casting-specific skills assessment system. Dotson Iron Castings in
Minnesota serves on a local college’s advisory board and helped develop its cutting-edge mechatronics program. With the push to more manufacturing-relat-
ed education gaining steam, the climate is ripe for you to make some waves in your local area. Follow the lead of the examples mentioned in this issue or find other local opportunities to bring back metalcasting education. Before you know it, we truly will be part of a movement.
Alfred T. Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
If you have any comments about this editorial or any other item that appears in MODERN CASTING, email me at
aspada@afsinc.org.
April 2013 MODERN CASTING | 9
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