| Upcoming Events |
September 8, 2009
ManufacturingWorks Lean Manufacturing Workshop
Learn more and sign up
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| About Us |
The Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council (CMRC) is a partnership of the region's labor, business, government, education and community leaders working together to establish the Chicago area as a global leader in high-performance, high value-added manufacturing. Why manufacturing? |
Programs & Initiatives
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Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA)
Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA), established in 2007, is Chicago's first and only manufacturing-focused high school. Located in the West Side neighborhood of Austin, APA prepares students for career paths that can start in skilled production positions and end in management and even ownership of companies. Students are exposed to manufacturing through company tours, job shadowing, work-based projects. APA is currently fundraising for a machine shop where APA students and community residents can earn nationally-recognized credentials and gain a significant advantage in the advanced manufacturing job market.
For more information, visit austinpolytech.com.
Chicago Green Manufacturing Network
In partnership with the Cleveland-based Great Lakes Wind Network, he Renaissance Council has established the Chicago Green Manufacturing Network, a new initiative to establish Chicago as a base for the global supply chain for wind turbine manufacturing. The program aims to connect wind energy OEMs--companies from around the world that design and assemble turbines--to local manufacturing companies that can produce highly specialized, technologically complex turbine parts that are in short supply. For more information,
see our project summary.
ManufacturingWorks
ManufacturingWorks, also known as the Chicago Workforce Center for Manufacturing, is a demand-driven program that specializes in meeting the workforce needs of high-performance manufacturers. ManufacturingWorks also provides "lean" training to help manufacturers cut costs and increase performance. To date, ManufacturingWorks has relationships with more than 270 companies; has made more than 1,000 job placements; has provided 68 companies with "lean" training; and has trained more than 1,000 workers.
For more information, visit chicagomfgworks.com.
Center for Polytechnical Education (CPE)
The Center of Polytechnical Education (CPE) is a new 501c3 not-for-profit school operator. CPE's mission is to strengthen communities through educational programs that prepare students to be leaders in the 21st century knowledge economy. CPE now operates two schools: Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA) and the Chicago Academy for Advanced Technology (CAAT). Developed by nationally recognized educators and researchers, CPE's polytechnical model of education uses scientifically-based, field-tested curricula and instructional strategies that accelerate learning and develop students' expert thinking and reasoning skills. A key aspect of CPE schools is their focus on collaborative partnerships with businesses and other organizations. CPE's website is coming soon. | |
Message from the Executive Director | South Africa
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The CMRC and the Lessons We've Learned from the Global Community
by Dan Swinney
I'm writing this report from Hhuhlwe, South Africa. For the last four days, I've given presentations in three cities--Duban, Pietermaritzburg, and Richards Bay--speaking about the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council, our history, our vision, and our work.
I was brought here and hosted by the Durban University of Technology, the chamber of commerce, and the manufacturing industry in each city, as well as Trade and Investment KwaZulu Natal. The conditions here almost mirror the conditions in Chicago, and within the next year, it looks like there will be some form of the Renaissance Council here, and perhaps a secondary school program like Austin Polytech.
Read more
Learn about our international influences
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Update | Executive Committee Meeting
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The CMRC Executive Committee held its latest meeting on Wednesday, July 22. CMRC partners and management staff updated each other on the progress of various projects over the past few months.
Special thanks to the Village of Hanover Park for their generous $5,000 contribution to our economic stimulus initiative, which was announced at the meeting by Sandy Westlund-Deenihan, chair of the CMRC's West Suburban Chapter and president of Quality Float Works.
Learn more about recent CMRC developments:
- Manufacturing programs in City Colleges
- The TMA's new training system
- ManufacturingWork's most successful year ever
- CMRC's WIA policy work
- Our economic stimulus proposals
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Bill Vogel | Austin Polytech's New Industrial Coordinator
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Austin Polytechnical Academy has a new industrial coordinator: Bill
Vogel, former president and owner of DeCardy Diecasting. Bill
understands small manufacturing companies as well as students, and is eager to work with both to create a strong and effective relationship at APA.
Bill
started his career in manufacturing in 1963 as a sales manager, and
developed a focus on sales and strategic planning. He purchased DeCardy
in 1985, successfully taking the company from dying markets into
expanding technical markets. DeCardy signed up as an APA partner at the
first opportunity in 2005. Bill sold the business to his son in 2006.
Since
his retirement, Bill has become an active volunteer at Austin Polytech,
speaking at assemblies and working with students individually and in
small groups. When the industrial coordinator position became
available, he jumped at the opportunity.
You can reach Bill at bvogel@polytechnical.org or (773) 278-5418 ext 24. |
The CMRC Goes to Washington
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As part of our continued stimulus work CMRC staff visited Capitol
Hill to present four proposals for projects to Congressman Danny Davis and to
Senator Dick Durbin's staff. These projects
include:
- The Chicago Green Manufacturing
Network, our wind turbine supply chain initiative
- The creation of a manufacturing
program at South Suburban College
- Funding of the polytechnical
model, based on Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA) and the Chicago Academy
for Advanced Technology (CAAT)
- Expansion of Project Lead the Way
programs in the U-46 school district in Elgin
- The West Side Machining Center, a
community training program at Austin Polytech
Furthermore, the staff of Congressman Davis asked that the
CMRC play an advisory role in helping to shape legislation critical to the
development of educational infrastructure for advanced manufacturing.
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Back to School | APA and CAAT Begin New School Year
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As summer comes to a close, Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA) and the Chicago Academy for Advanced Technology (CAAT) are gearing up for the new school year.
APA will begin its third year with a brand new, world-class machine shop to help students earn manufacturing certifications through NIMS electives. The machine shop will also be used by the West Side Machining Center (WMC), a comunity training center currently in the works.
Join the APA newsletter list!
The CAAT team is hard at work furnishing and setting up the school for its first year. CAAT is set to open on September 8th with almost 90 industry partners! The school colors will be gray and lavender, and all CAAT students will report to school next Tuesday in their uniforms.
Join the CAAT newsletter list!
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Chicago Fed Reports Increase in Midwest Manufacturing Output
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The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported in its latest Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index that regional manufacturing output rose 2.6% in July 2009.
This increase is due in large part to a sharp rise in the automotive sector, whose production jumped 16.3%, while the nation's auto output rose 6.6%.
Despite the automotive industry's successful month, its output is still 3.24% lower than it was a year ago. Moreover, regional output in the steel, resource, and machinery sectors decreased 0.1%, 0.2%, and 2.2% in July, respectively.
Although the output levels in these industries continue to decrease, data suggests that the decreases are slowing down. The steel, resource, and machinery sectors all performed better in July than they did in June.
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Become an Official Partner of the Renaissance Council
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 Help us make Chicago the global leader in advanced manufacturing! Add your organization to our growing list of official partners today.
Our new partnership structure allows companies, organizations, unions, individuals, agencies, and other stakeholders to publicly show their support for the Renaissance Council. The ability to demonstrate broad support for our mission and vision is critical to the success of our projects and fundraising initiatives.
You can register online or download the printable PDF form. To learn more, please see our partnership details.
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