Changing Baseball Glove Manufacturing

Chicago has had a long history of assembling. From the "hog butcher for the world" days of the Union Stock Yards to the Schwinn Bicycle Company, Chicago has been important for the texture of American assembling. Shouldn't something be said about assembling in 2022 and then some?

Fast Radius is a forerunner in computerized producing innovation with cloud assembling and it's going on here in Chicago. What is cloud producing you inquire?

Cloud fabricating is a first-of-its-sort arrangement that coordinates plan, creation, and satisfaction activities through a typical computerized foundation to make producing more straightforward, more incorporated and more practical.

"Fast Radius is a product driven assembling organization, we help engineers, fabricating organizations carry new items to the world, accepting programming and framework to make part parts," CEO, Lou Rassey said..

Fast Radius miniature manufacturing plant in the West Loop

How does all of this connect with a Chicagoan? Beside the base camp in Chicago's West Loop area, Fast Radius has miniature manufacturing plants in Chicago.

Quite possibly the most engaging project Fast Radius is chipping away at is their association with Rawlings. Together, they've attempted to make the Rawlings freshest mitt discharge, the REV1X glove. The glove highlights 3D-printed cross section embeds, created with cloud producing innovation to augment execution capacities.

China Opens Up to Car Manufacturers?

China permits foreign ownership of automobile manufacturing 

BMW is wanting to bring its stake up in its JV with Brilliance

The Chinese government currently permits full foreign ownership for vehicle manufacturing in the country, from the start of 2022, as indicated by neighborhood reports referring to a delivery by the country's economic and monetary policy office.

The Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission's yearly industry strategy articulation, delivered on Monday, did exclude passenger vehicle fabricating as an industry forbidden to foreign organizations. Until last year, the foreign proprietorship limit for vehicle producers was set at 50 percent.

The past form of the yearly assertion, the 2020 version delivered a year prior, had effectively affirmed that unfamiliar possession guidelines in the auto business would change in 2022 as a component of the country's slow unwinding of unfamiliar proprietorship guidelines in the country.

US electric vehicle (EV) creator Tesla is the main non-Chinese automaker such a long ways to possess 100 percent of a Chinese vehicle fabricating activity, its Shanghai producing plant which started production toward the finish of 2019 – basically in light of the fact that it was another speculation and on the grounds that it is situated in an extraordinary financial zone.

Back in 2018 German automaker BMW, previously expecting changes in proprietorship guidelines, declared designs to build its stake in its BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd joint endeavor from half to 75% in 2022.

U.S. Manufacturing Down

Development in U.S. manufacturing eased back in December to a 11-month low with organizations as yet battling supply chain network issues.

The Institute for Supply Management, an exchange gathering of buying chiefs, detailed Tuesday that its list of assembling movement tumbled to 58.7 in December, a 2.4 percent lower than the November perusing of 61.1.

Any perusing over 50 demonstrates development in the manufacturing sector which has recorded 19 straight long periods of development returning to the spring of 2020 when the pandemic hit. The December reading was the least since a matching 58.7 in January 2021.

The lull in December mirrored a decrease in both new orders and underway.

While the December execution actually reflected strength in assembling, there were worries that the current worldwide flood in COVID-19 cases, generally the profoundly irresistible omicron variation, could additionally push down assembling before long.

Omicron was just recognized in late November and immediately turned into the prevailing infection.

"The flood in homegrown infection cases to more than 1 million every day could bargain a more huge disaster for assembling yield as critical quantities of laborers are compelled to remain at home," said Andrew Hunter, senior U.S. market analyst at Capital Economics.

Reducetarianism ?? Is This a Diet We Should Embrace?

Whole Foods Market 2022 food patterns expectations suggests that reducetarianism will be on the ascent in the year ahead. What precisely does this trendy expression mean? Reducetarianism is diminishing one's utilization of meat, dairy, and eggs, regularly without removing them totally from your diet, clarifies Rachel Bukowski, senior group head of product development at Whole Foods Market. "It's a quality over quantity" way to deal with burning-through creature items, so when Reducetarians actually do decide to eat these things, they'll frequently zero in on more choice items like premium meat or eggs.

Obviously, this supposed "pattern" has been around for a really long time, as eco-and wellbeing cognizant eaters the same have since quite a while ago diminished their utilization of creature items as an approach to feel much improved or potentially help the climate. Presently, the way of eating appears to be more famous than any other time, and Bukowski says the general store chain is seeing this pattern on the ascent with what a significant number of their clients are buying. "For example, Applegate offers burgers that are meat and veggie mixes that are made with 100% grass-took care of hamburger," she says. What's more as anybody scrutinizing their nearby supermarket walkways sees, food sources once consigned to "health food stores," like plant-based meat substitutes, nut milks, and veggie lover cheddar and egg substitutes have gone standard.

Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, a comprehensive plant-based enlisted dietitian and proprietor of Plant-Based Eats in Stamford, CT, is in support of this method of eating and the development of the reducetarianism development. "It's the ideal center ground for any individual who needs to eat all the more a plant-forward diet however doesn't have any desire to go undeniable veggie lover or vegan," she says. "Eating more plant items—including plant proteins like tofu, nuts, and seeds—and less red meat implies that you are taking in more antioxidants, cell reinforcements, nutrients, and minerals," she keeps, adding that not at all like animal proteins, plant proteins additionally bring fiber, which is useful for weight loss as well as for cholesterol levels.

Inquisitive to take a stab at taking on this eating style? "Try not to focus on hairsplitting!" directs Gorin, recommending individuals start with Meatless Monday or potentially a couple of meatless suppers seven days. "In any case, don't simply target going meatless—mess with fixings so you track down substitutes that you really appreciate. For example, perhaps you find prepared tofu very delicious and partake in that as a trade for poultry," she adds.

For somebody for whom meat, dairy, and eggs have for quite some time been staples of their eating regimen, little trades can make the progress simpler, stresses Gorin. "Note that you're hoping to diminish utilization of creature items and not dispose of them completely. So that on its own implies that you're not straight up quitting!" she says. "Mess with what works for you. A few trades will be somewhat simple—there are, for example, numerous choices for sans dairy yogurt and plant-based milks out there. See what you like. You might adore oat milk yet feel that coconut milk isn't really delectable. What's more that is OK."

Repeating Gorin, Bukowski says that assuming you're hoping to attempt reducetarianism or consolidate part of the way of life into your every day schedule, you can begin by getting more foods grown from the ground at the supermarket and search for plant-based choices for dinners. "Also assuming you are adding creature items to your truck—search for marks like 'grass-fed' or 'field raised.'" With the cash you're saving from purchasing less creature items, you might view that as natural, grass-fed, field raised, and like products are all the more effectively ready to squeeze into your spending plan, while as yet keeping your general staple bills lower. One more persuading motivation to jump on board the reducetarianism train.

Advanced Manufacturing in America - The Facts Revealed

 

Advanced manufacturing is a matter of fundamental importance to the economic strength and national security of the United States.  Advanced manufacturing provides high-quality jobs.  It is an important source of exports.  It is a key source of technological innovation.  It provides essential goods and equipment for the military, the intelligence community, and homeland security agencies.

These impacts justify Congressional and executive branch attention to Federal policies that

Affect advanced manufacturing.

 

U.S. manufacturers produced about $1.7 trillion of goods in 2010, about 11.7% of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). They employed 11.5 million Americans in jobs that paid on average about 21% more than average hourly compensation in private-sector service industries. 5

Manufacturing has a larger multiplier effect than any other major economic activity -- a dollar spent in manufacturing drives an additional $1.35 in economic activity.7

 

 Manufacturing is also the largest contributor to U.S. exports.

In 2010, the United States exported over $1.1 trillion of manufactured goods, which accounted for 86% of all U.S. goods exports and 60% of U.S. total exports. Manufacturing provides many of the jobs and drives many of the businesses of today.  Yet its role in providing the jobs and driving the businesses of tomorrow is even more important.  The manufacturing sector accounts for about 72% of all private-sector R&D spending and employs about 60% of U.S. industry’s R&D workforce.

 

As a result, the manufacturing sector develops and produces many of the technologies that advance the competitiveness and growth of the entire economy, including the much larger service sector.  Technology-based improvements to productivity made possible by the manufacturing sector consistently generate job growth over time across the economy.9 10 Advanced manufacturing is emerging as an especially potent driver of future economic growth.  A distinguishing feature of advanced manufacturing is its continual improvement in processes and rapid introduction of new products.  It is this paradigm-shifting aspect of advanced manufacturing that has the most potential to spin off entirely new industries and lead to production methods that are most likely to “stick” in the United States because they are hard to imitate.

 

Global Trends in Advanced Manufacturing

Current global trends in R&D, innovation, and trade raise concerns about U.S. competitiveness in

advanced manufacturing.  In 2009, the United States ranked eighth among industrialized nations for R&D intensity (defined as national R&D as a share of GDP), according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). A 2011 report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation ranked the United States fourth out of 44 industrialized countries and regions in global innovative-based competitiveness, but second-to-last in progress toward increasing innovation-based competitiveness and capacity since 2000.11 12

5.  Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2010 U.S. Economic Accounts by Industry, see http://www.bea.gov/industry/index.htm.

6.  Bureau of Labor Statistics,  2011 Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, Table 6.

7.  Bureau of Economic Analysis,  Industry-by-Industry Total Requirements Table, see http://www.bea.gov/industry/iotables/prod/.

8.  Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census, U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services.

9.  National Science Board, Science and Engineering Indicators 2012, Appendix Table 4-14 and Table 3-32.

10.  Peter Bisson, Elizabeth Stephenson, and S. Patrick Viguerie, “The Productivity Imperative,” McKinsey Quarterly, June 2010.

11.  National Science Foundation, Science and Engineering Indicators 2012, p. 4-42, see http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/.

12.  R. Atkinson and S. Andes, The Atlantic Century II: Benchmarking E.U. and U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness. Washington, DC:

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges to the competitiveness of U.S. advanced manufacturing have the potential to undermine

the Nation’s ability to create jobs, invent new industries, and protect itself from security threats in

the 21st century. 

For example, high-risk technologies may be neglected if firms are uncertain that they will reap the benefits from investing in them.  Workers’ skills, too, may be subject to market failure.  An employer may fear that a worker who receives a training benefit will leave employment before the training

pays off for the employer, while the worker may lack the financial means create to pay for the

training on his or her own.

 

Federal investments in research, technology, and education and training have helped to

and accelerate new industries, In addition, education and workforce training programs that help equip Americans to become highly-skilled manufacturing workers can be invaluable. Similarly, platform technologies in such areas as nanomaterial processing, additive manufacturing, advanced robotics, “smart” manufacturing, and green chemistry are assets that many firms in an industrial cluster can take advantage of, but that no single firm can typically produce on its own.  It would strengthen the skills of workers who are in or may enter the advanced manufacturing workforce. Expand the number of workers who have skills needed by a growing advanced manufacturing sector and make the education and training system more responsive to the demand for skills.

 

Unskilled labor was once the mainstay of the manufacturing labor force.  As advanced manufacturing supersedes traditional manufacturing, and domestic manufacturers deepen their investment in advanced technologies, the skill requirements for manufacturing jobs are rising.

Manufacturing employers perceive a skills gap:  67% of companies surveyed recently by an industry association reported moderate to serious shortages in the availability of qualified workers, even in a period of elevated general unemployment.  Certain sectors, such as aerospace/defense and life sciences/medical devices, reported much higher levels of skilled-worker shortages.

 Education and training that anticipates and satisfies the skill requirements of advanced manufacturers, 25 while remaining broadly consistent with long-term projections of labor demand, is a key component of this national strategy. Increasing the private sector’s confidence in the availability of a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce creates incentives for domestic investment (see Objective 1). These programs should be targeted particularly toward the workforce needs of SMEs.  As more advanced manufacturing technology is deployed, on-the-job training becomes more expensive and difficult for companies, especially SMEs, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  SMEs comprise 86% of all manufacturing establishments and employ 41% of the U.S. manufacturing workforce, but they often lag in adopting new technologies. to provide.

 

Federal actions under this objective should include such efforts as (a) support for the coordination of state and local education and training curricula with advanced manufacturing skill-set requirements, and (b) expanded support for advanced manufacturing career and technical education programs spanning secondary and postsecondary levels, and apprenticeship opportunities through regional partnerships and industrial cluster programs.

25.  Deloitte Consulting LLP, Manufacturing Institute (2011), Boiling Point? The skills gap in U.S. manufacturing.

 

Manufacturing capability gaps in the United States have led to the loss of substantial economic benefits. American researchers invented and commercialized industrial robots, for examples, with the first installation in a General Motors Plant in 1961, but now the vast bulk of industrial robot production is done in Asia and Europe. The same pattern holds in energy storage and power generation, and in many other areas of technology.  U.S.-based facilities no longer produce electronic displays for computer monitors, televisions, or handheld devices,

 

 

The Changing Manufacturing Workforce

The shift from traditional to advanced manufacturing is occurring in the context of a substantial shift in the demographics of the manufacturing workforce.  Approximately 2.8 million manufacturing workers (nearly 25%) are now 55 years of age or older. The need to replace these workers as they retire may add to emerging demand for advanced manufacturing workers.  In the long term, education and training programs must span from “cradle-to-career” and be responsive to the skill demands of advanced manufacturing employers.  Federal programs in cooperation with state and local partners should target (a) separating military personnel and recent veterans, unemployed workers, and employed workers needing to augment their skills in the near-term, (b) prospective workers who will soon enter the workforce, and (c) K–12 students to proactively develop the next-generation of workers.

 

 

Better Training for Today’s Advanced Manufacturing Workers

The Federal Government is already seeking to adjust current programs that assist state and local public and private efforts to develop and maintain a competitive workforce for advanced manufacturing. Relevant agencies may prioritize advanced manufacturing within workforce development grant programs. They may also identify and disseminate workforce development “best practices” for advanced manufacturing.  Many of these practices arise from competitive grants funded by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (DOL/ETA). Such efforts should be expanded. Among the programs that could increase priority for advanced manufacturing are H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants, the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, and Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAA/CCCT).   27

 

This approach could be complemented by a new emphasis on advanced manufacturing in the promotion of secondary-postsecondary career pathways by the Department of Education’s Office of

Vocational and Adult Education (ED/OVAE). The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Budget proposes

$8 billion for the Departments of Education and Labor to support state and community college partnerships with businesses to build the skills of American workers in growing industries, such as

advanced manufacturing.

 

26.  Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010 Current Population Survey.

27.  H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants provide education, training and job placement assistance related to high-growth fields in

which employers are currently using the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program to hire foreign workers, including advanced manufacturing,

These grants are funded through fees paid by employers under the H-1B program.

28.  These are referred to as “programs of study” in the Perkins CTE legislation.

 

 

Education and Training for Tomorrow’s Workers

State and local vocational and apprenticeship training programs supported by the Federal Government strengthen workers’ skills.  For example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and DOL/ETA support public–private partnerships that establish registered apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing.  With appropriate input from industry and professional associations, DOL/ETA will seek to ensure that registered apprenticeship programs target needs and gaps in today’s advanced manufacturing workforce. The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program of the National Science Foundation supports community colleges working in partnership with industry, economic development agencies, workforce investment boards, and secondary and other higher education institutions to respond to industry

needs for highly qualified manufacturing technicians.  Since the inception of the program in 1994, 265 manufacturing awards have been made totaling $205 million.  ATE projects and centers are educating technicians in a range of fields, including nanotechnologies and microtechnologies, rapid prototyping, biomanufacturing, logistics, and alternative fuel automobiles.  More details on these and other advanced manufacturing workforce programs can be found in Appendix D.

Another set of partnerships that is being leveraged to improve the training of tomorrow’s workers are those organized by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.  NAM has helped foster the Manufacturing Skills Certification System, a broad-based partnership of national organizations seeking to establish a set of credentials that apply to all subsectors of manufacturing. This system draws on the advanced manufacturing competency model developed by the Department of Labor, which identifies the knowledge and skills required to be effective in advanced manufacturing occupations (see Appendix E).  Credentials issued within this framework will be nationally portable and industry-recognized.  They will help to ensure a smart, safe, and sustainable advanced manufacturing workforce.  The Society of Manufacturing Engineers provides extensive training opportunities and associated certifications under this partnership.  In June 2011, President Obama drew on the work of NAM, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and others when he announced an effort to help 500,000 community college students obtain credentials for advanced manufacturing as part of the Administration’s Skills for America’s Future initiative. 29

 

 

29.  The Manufacturing Institute (2010) NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System, see

http://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Education-Workforce/Skills-Certification-System/Skills-Certification-System.aspx.

 

 

 

 

Educating the Next Generation

A strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emphasis is needed to prepare

students for a variety of post-secondary educational options and a wide range of career opportunities, including careers in advanced manufacturing.

 

Unfortunately, many students who are inclined toward careers as advanced manufacturing technicians who seek to complete a career and technical certificate or community college degree have not received STEM coursework sufficient to succeed in today’s advanced manufacturing environment.  The President’s Educate to Innovate campaign aims to improve participation and performance in STEM education in partnership with leading companies, foundations, and scientific and professional societies. 30 The perception among some that careers in manufacturing are unattractive and unstable discourages some talented students from seriously exploring them.  Federal agencies should consider fostering efforts that aim to transform this perception and consider supporting development of communications materials that accurately depict the opportunities and excitement of 21st century manufacturing. 

 

In recent years, there has been a rapidly growing grassroots movement of “Makers” who are engaged in “do it yourself” projects involving electronics, 3-D printing and robotics.  These hands-on projects inspire young people to excel in STEM and can also get them interested in advanced manufacturing.  Some agencies, such as DARPA through its Mentor program (see Appendix D), are supporting the Maker movement.  More agencies should support Making, in collaboration with the private sector, non-profits, foundations and skilled volunteers. Another major issue related to preparing students for advanced manufacturing careers is the need to supplement traditional academic education with the development of applied expertise. The Federal Government should help state and local efforts to develop this applied expertise by supporting new manufacturing pre-apprenticeship programs, strengthening existing educational partnerships between community colleges and local industry, and other measures.  Feedback from these programs will help align the curricula of feeder high schools and adult education programs within the service area of each community college.  Alignment of these curricula with four-year degree curricula will help provide more attractive career pathways in advanced manufacturing. A critical example is the pathway from a two-year degree to an eventual four-year degree, which enables highly-skilled technical workers to pursue additional education and higher-paying careers.

 

30.  The National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Science, is carrying out a comprehensive effort to strengthen the

Nation’s STEM education system.  The most recent public report is NSTC, The Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

(STEM) Education Portfolio (2011).

 

Objective 2 in the short-term: (a) industry partnerships with state and local career and technical education providers to specify and implement advanced manufacturing workforce skill sets, and (b) number of individuals earning industry recognized credentials through career and technical education, Vocational training, and apprenticeships programs.

 

Suggested metrics for assessing long-term progress on Objective 2 include:  (a)  employment placement rates for graduates from state and local career and technical education, vocational training and apprenticeship programs, and (b) employment levels in highly-skilled manufacturing occupations.

 

 

Apprenticeships have continually addressed industry training needs and technological

changes that occur rapidly. They have produced many of America’s skilled workers over

the centuries in many apprenticeable occupations. Evolving work-force requirements and continual technological advancements have presented opportunities to expand apprenticeship

programs into a vast range of new and challenging occupations, such as Communications Technician, Production Technologist, Internetworking Technician, and Dental Laboratory Technician.

 

Evolving workforce requirements and continual technological advancements have presented

Opportunities to expand apprenticeship programs into a vast range of new and challenging occupations...

 

MYTH/MISCONCEPTION:

Apprenticeship is only time-based, hands on training.

FACT:

Registered apprenticeship is an effective combination of on-the-job-training (OJT) and related instruction for participating apprentices. Depending on the needs of the apprenticeship program sponsor, apprenticeship programs can either be developed as time-based or competency-based training.

 

MYTH/MISCONCEPTION:

Only large organizations can establish registered apprenticeship programs.

FACT:

The ATELS/BAT and SAC/As offer the same level of service regardless of the size of the sponsoring organization.

BENEFITS OF APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

Decreases employee turnover

Enhances problem-solving capabilities and versatility of workforce

Increases productivity by cultivating a highly-skilled and knowledgeable workforce

Enhances employee relations by developing a collaborative commitment to achievement

Attracts high-quality applicants who are motivated to succeed

Provides National and State Recognition

Registered Apprenticeship increases the education, skill, and

experience levels of your employees. Your investment in building a

strong workforce delivers a powerful economic boost to your company, your community, and to our nation. APPRENTICESHIP

Also...“a better trained worker is a safer worker.”

 

 

APPRENTICESHIP

COMPETENCY BASED

AND/ OR TIME- BASED,

INDUSTRY- DRIVEN TRAINING FOR A VAST RANGE OF OCCUPATIONS

Currently, there are over 850 occupations in a multitude of industries that are

recognized as apprenticeable, and more are being added all of the time. They

include a diverse and virtually unlimited range of vocations.

Having skilled workers is critical to the success of any enterprise. Implementing

registered apprenticeship programs can ensure that workforce  talent is continually

replenished and is educated and skilled in accordance with the needs of an enterprise.

 

 

MYTH/MISCONCEPTION:

A sponsor’s training standards will be dictated by a government agency.

FACT:

The Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (ATELS), Bureau of

Apprenticeship and Training (BAT), and State Apprenticeship Councils/Agencies (SAC/As) are

service agencies. They provide technical assistance to industry in addressing their skilled workforce needs. They also play an important role as a business consultant and liaison with various organizations, providing linkages which help employers address additional workforce concerns.

 

 

Maximize Your

Workforce Potential

Strengthen your human resource development effort, elevate

the skills of your existing workforce, and quickly get new

employees contributing to your productivity through Registered

Apprenticeship.

There are many challenges: advancing technology,

shifting consumer demands, evolving business practices, and

changing demographics, such as large numbers of experienced

employees approaching retirement.

Your response to these challenges is critical.

Your bottom line depends on your ability to keep pace with

these workforce dynamics. Position your company for success.

Develop a strategy that prepares your workforce for the

challenges of the 21st century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employ an Effective Skills Enhancement

Solution

Registered Apprenticeship is a proven strategy that

combines on-the-job learning with classroom instruction. It is

an excellent training model for quickly getting new employees

up to speed and maximizing the skills of your current workforce.

 

More than 31,000 sponsors have implemented apprenticeship

programs to meet their specific training needs. They employ

some 480,000 apprentices committed to advancing the

ideals and goals of their employers.

Sponsors include employers, associations, labor organizations

and labor-management organizations. Programs serve a

diverse population that includes minorities, women, youth,

persons with disabilities, and people who have been laid off

from their jobs.

 

 

Almost 80% of jobs now require some postsecondary education and

training. Over 62% of new jobs require on-the-job learning and experience.

That approach, coupled with occupation-specific instruction, represents the

defining principles of Registered Apprenticeship.

Incorporate Registered Apprenticeship to develop the human resources you

need to compete. While on the job, your employees learn and gain valuable

experience. By partnering with your local community colleges, vocational

schools, and technical institutions, they acquire essential classroom instruction

and an opportunity to earn college credit.

 

 

Registered Apprenticeship

for Workforce Development

 

Registered Apprenticeship is a highly flexible training model

combining on-the-job learning and related classroom

instruction in which paid employees receive technical and

practical training in highly-skilled occupations. It offers a

proven methodology that allows employers to establish the

standards of proficiency required of its professionals.

The time requirements and substance of an apprenticeship

training program depend on the occupation. Apprentices

work and learn under the direction of qualified personnel

who are experienced in their professional field. Over time,

apprentices are provided diverse and complex training that

helps them become highly skilled in their chosen careers.

 

 

Having skilled workers is critical to the success of any business. As we progress into the

21st century, the need for skilled workers is only going to become more critical. By participating in a registered apprenticeship program, workers can equip themselves for rewarding careers in a wide range of interesting and challenging occupations.

The people attracted to apprenticeable occupations come from all walks of life young men and women right out of high school, ex-military personnel, people wanting to make career changes, and dislocated workers seeking new opportunities. Anyone with the drive to better themselves and the dedication needed to acquire the skills, knowledge, and experience required to succeed can benefit from participation in a

registered apprenticeship program. Currently, there are over 850 occupations in a wide

range of  industries that can be learned through apprenticeship training, and more are being added all of the time.

 

 

Workers who achieve journey-level (technician) status by completing a registered apprenticeship program have the opportunity to earn above average wages.  The more they learn, the higher the pay. Generally, apprentices are paid 50 percent of a skilled journeyworker's wage to start.  Wages for apprentices increase at regular intervals as their job skills increase.  At the successful completion of the apprenticeship, they become skilled certified journey-level workers and receive a nationally recognized certificate. The salary for journey-level workers competes with those of college graduates and even those with advanced degrees.

 

 

 

registered Apprenticeship training plays an important role in developing skilled workers.  With the combination of on-the-job learning, related instruction, mentoring, and incremental wage increases, the apprenticeship model can be  an effective system for addressing human resource issues and skill shortages that many industries/businesses face. Registered Apprenticeship can provide the expertise and knowledge individuals need to do their jobs effectively and advance in their careers.

Twenty-first century apprenticeship allows for a flexible competency-based training strategy that enables apprentices to move through a program at their own pace, benchmark the achievement of each set of core competencies and build a portfolio of skills and interim credentials that validate the acquired skill levels.

Additionally, the related instruction is articulated with many two- and four-year colleges, allowing apprentices to work toward a degree. This is good news for the manufacturing industry because it meets many of their human resources and skills training needs.

 

The U.S. manufacturing sector faces a very difficult challenge: how to keep production here in the U.S. and still be competitive in the global market. The national Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) developed an innovative, competency-based apprenticeship training model that addresses training for the skills workers need to do their jobs well. NIMS is working with some 36 manufacturers nationwide to implement the model.  Manufacturers find that the program greatly improves retention, on-time delivery, and productivity.

The Registered Apprenticeship model has proven its ability to address these and other issues in other industries and has become part of the human resources and training strategy for advanced manufacturing. The

model offers an efficient, flexible training system that is responsive to new technology to keep workers up-to-date on skills they need to do their jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Apprenticeship (OA) has made a strategic decision to introduce the model to advanced manufacturing. Recently, DOL approved NIMS guideline standards for the following six occupations:

● Machinist

● CNC Programming, Setup & Operations Turning

● CNC Milling

● CNC Turning & Milling

● Press Setup Operator

● Machine Maintenance, Service & Repair

“Advancing the Apprenticeship System” is one of the department’s key initiatives, with investments of more than $15 million to fund apprenticeship programs in new industries through the President’s High Growth Jobs

Training Initiative. They include:

● Biotechnology

● Health Care

● Advanced Manufacturing

● Information Technology

● Maritime Trades - Transportation

● Military - Indiana National Guard

● Geospatial Technology

The following case study looks at results of investments and marketing efforts in advanced manufacturing. There are promising trends that point to the value of apprenticeship:

Benefits to Employers

● Greater competence of employees

● Reduced turnover rates

● Greater employee retention

● Lower investment in recruitment

● Higher productivity

● Improved quality of products and services

● More diverse workforce

Benefits to Apprentices

● Nationally recognized and portable certificates

● Improved skills and competencies

● Increased wages as a result of mastered competencies

● Ability to advance in career

● Higher self-esteem based on enhanced skills and certifications

● Articulation agreements for post-secondary credit

 

 

The nation’s vast advanced manufacturing industry is expected to add over 150,000 new jobs between 2004 and 2014. Jobs in metalworking will see the largest percentage of growth over the next decade.

● Skilled worker shortages and technological advances will lead to demand for metalworkers in areas such as            computer control programmers and operators, welders, cutters, solderers, brazers, and machinists.

● Manufacturing salaries and benefits average $65K.

● Most jobs in metalworking require long-term to moderate on-the-job training, but engineering and

  management positions require four-year college degrees.

Sources:

- Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007

- Keeping America Competitive: How a Talent Shortage

Threatens U.S. Manufacturing, a report from the Center

for Workforce Success, 2004

- National Association of Manufacturers

 

Employers and other industry stakeholders said they find that bright young job seekers are attracted to Registered Apprenticeship programs. That is because competency-based Registered Apprenticeship allows them to train on the job, progress at their own speed, earn college credit, achieve nationally recognized

credentials, and become eligible for wage increases at a faster rate than with typical time-based apprenticeship programs. Dislocated workers with experience in manufacturing are also attracted to companies that recognize previously acquired skills through credentials and offer them a chance to demonstrate their skills through a competency-based program. Likewise, existing workers continue to respond well to the opportunity to gain added credentials and increase their standing in the company, according to NIMS staff members. NIMS staff members expect that competency-based Registered Apprenticeship training increases the retention of employees because apprenticeship encourages them to take personal responsibility for their own career paths. Having a career lattice and required competencies helps workers plan a path toward credentialing and to select additional skill sets they would like to attain. Providing workers the opportunity to progress at their own rate allows them to find a level of study and work that feels good to them, according to employers. If workers receive recognition for hard work through national credentials and earn wage increases, they are more likely to be satisfied at work and remain with the company. One employer noted that the turnover rate at his company has been almost nonexistent after he implemented a Registered Apprenticeship several years ago. The employer said he expects this pattern of retention to continue under a competency-based system

 

 

 

Workforce Challenges

Education and Training

● Difficulties in making training accessible to incumbent workers, with regard to cost of training and time scheduling (during and/or after work hours)

● Limited prerequisite preparation in math and other subjects on the part of some individual participants

 

Advances in robotics stand to impact nearly every aspect of U.S. industry and everyday life. Robotics itself is a growth industry as well as an enabler of new industries (e.g., surgical robots, environmental monitoring micro-robots).

 

Several leading thinkers, including Bill Gates, believe that we are on the verge of an era where robotic devices will become ubiquitous in much the same way that PC's have.^[8]

^{[8] Gates, Bill. "A Robot in Every Home." Scientific American Jan. 2007: 58-65.}

 

The robotics market has traditionally been heavily focused on automotive applications. With the expansion into other areas, such as food processing, aerospace, and packaging, there are now a wider set of problems to address and a larger number of relatively inexperienced industry end-users to serve.

 

Robot and sensor manufacturers develop automation products. Users buy the products but typically lack the skill to install them in their factories and make them productive. Integrators usually custom-build the robotic work cells, retaining the expertise after the products are operational and frequently continuing to manage the applications over their entire lifetimes. This is very expensive and is only cost-effective for large manufacturers who will use a particular work cell for a considerable length of time. Small and medium sized manufacturers, and others that require rapid changeovers, have typically not adopted robotic solutions for this reason.

It is therefore not surprising that robots have penetrated only a small segment of the manufacturing domain. It is estimated that 45% of the robot supply is taken up by 10% of the industry, primarily by companies that have more than 500 employees (mostly automotive), and that 90% of the potential users have not adopted robotics for manufacturing^[11]

^{11] World Robotics 2006 statistics summarized by H. Christensen in presentation "'New' Applications in Industrial Robotics," RoboBusiness 2007, Boston, MA, May 2007.}

Employment of industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers is expected to grow 19 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Increased use of manufacturing machinery will require more mechanics and maintenance workers to keep the machines in good working order. Applicants with broad skills should have favorable job prospects.

 

In a special message to the Congress, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy told the legislators that "Large scale unemployment during a recession is bad enough, but large scale unemployment during a period of prosperity would be intolerable." Four days later, he transmitted a bill to Congress that dealt with just such a situation. The Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962 endeavored to train and retrain thousands of workers unemployed because of automation and technological change.

 

The dawn of the Atomic Age had witnessed the implementation of a new technology that threatened to replace men with machines. Furthermore, the imperatives of the Cold War, with its accent on scientific preeminence, had revealed America's weakness in training skilled technicians in sufficient numbers.

 

The National Manpower Council, established by the Ford Foundation in 1951, held a conference on "Improving the Work Skills of the Nation" in 1955. At that time, it became clear that the country could not solely rely on private institutions to supply skilled workers. While industry adequately fulfilled its own immediate needs, its long range commitments to skill development were minimal. Few industries made major investments in training and upgrading their labor force.

 

To insure the country a supply of properly trained technicians, the 1955 conference recommended a program that included the participation of educators, industry and government. For improving the educational training process, the Council proposed some changes in the high schools. Interested students needed to spend two years studying general courses and to concentrate on technical subjects for their last two years. Guidance and placement officials in secondary schools could take a more active role in skill advancement by being more aware of vocational opportunities and by providing more services to non-college-bound students. Furthermore, school officials had to take the lead in fostering cooperation among business, industry, labor and government groups in local communities.

Industry also had a responsibility to itself and to the nation in skill development, the Council said. Full utilization of human resources necessitated equal opportunity in hiring and training of all workers, regardless of race, creed, sex and national origin. By investing more money in training and upgrading programs, employers could meet their material and social obligations. Both unions and employers on Joint Apprenticeship Councils needed to continually review the apprenticeship operations for effectiveness, and to increase the number of apprentices, possibly by raising their wages.

Most analysts agree that todays employers demand more skills than they did in the past. Several factors have contributed to the rising demand for skills in the labor market: technological and organizational change, trade, deregulation of key industries, and the decline of unions. Three types of empirical evidence support the hypothesis that the demand for skills has risen

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields have become increasingly central to U.S. economic competitiveness and growth.  American pre-eminence in STEM will not be secured or extended without concerted effort and investment.

  demographic and labor supply trends, point to a serious challenge: our nation needs to increase

   the supply and quality of “knowledge workers” whose specialized skills enable them to work productively within

   the STEM industries and occupations.

 

The U.S. Department of Labor is already an important partner in federal efforts to strengthen

the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) pipeline. The U.S. Department of Labor

invests about $14 billion a year in the nation’s workforce system and in increasing the skills and

education of our current workforce.

 

A large percentage of the workforce in industries and occupations that rely on STEM knowledge and skills are

technicians and others who enter and advance in their field through sub-baccalaureate degrees and certificates or through workplace training.

 

incumbent workers who need skill upgrading, dislocated workers who are trying to find new jobs in industries with a future, and individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields

 

Diverse are the industries in which STEM jobs are critically important to growth and competitive success. Some are obvious: advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, chemical engineering, energy, actuarial science and health care

all rely on high-level skills and education in the STEM fields in their workforce.

Changing technology and expectations of the workforce in these industries make STEM knowledge important in these industries. For example,  automation technicians must deal with sophisticated computer technology in both diagnostics and repair procedures.

 

These kinds of investment priorities can provide important leadership and address gaps and

opportunities that currently constrain the nation’s ability to generate sufficient qualified and

prepared workers for the STEM fields—from the most skilled research and technical scholars to

the production, service, and technician-level employees who are so critical to industry health and

growth.

 

In our dynamic economy, many companies are streamlining their operations

to maintain a competitive position in the marketplace.  Although such actions

can help a company become more efficient, this may result in the elimination

of existing jobs and facilities.