July 2014

News From MSSC

Annual MSSC Board and Leadership Council Meetings

held in Cincinnati

At their annual joint meeting on June 18, 2014, MSSC Board and Leadership Council members examined the progress towards MSSC's "20/20 Vision" (to issue at least one MSSC credential within 20 years to individuals interested or already in 20% of the nation's front-line manufacturing and logistics jobs) which was first proposed at the 2009 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.

This year's Joint Board-Leadership Council meeting reaffirmed that "20/20" vision, recognizing that MSSC will have to accelerate its already impressive growth rate of 25-30% per year to achieve that 20% goal in the remaining fifteen years.

To that end, the attendees were encouraged that MSSC had already become a well-established American institution, with nearly 1200 MSSC-authorized Instructors and 670 MSSC-authorized Assessments Centers in 44 states, and nearly 60,000 MSSC credentials issued so far under the MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) and MSSC Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) training and credentialing systems.

This meeting also concurred with the Board's decision to make broader release of the MSSC national Production and Logistics Standards in order to encourage industry and education to use these as the nation's authoritative, industry-defined 'common language' to describe the industry-wide, core technical competencies for front-line work in manufacturing and supply chain logistics."

Hutton Promoted to VP of Strategic Affairs

MSSC is pleased to announce that it has just promoted Rebekah Hutton to "Vice President for Strategic Initiatives." Rebekah joined MSSC in 2008 and is well known and respected within the MSSC Community.

"Rebekah has an extraordinary talent for strategic systems development. She has played a key role in the development of many of MSSC's signature programs, including the Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) training and certification program, the Green Production Module within the Certified Production Technician (CPT) training and certification system, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation under ISO Standard 17024 (Personnel Certification), National College Credit Recommendation Service evaluation of MSSC courses, and, most recently, MSSC's work with the Armed Services under the President's Military Credentialing Task Force," states Leo Reddy, CEO of MSSC.

Twin MSSC Workforce Events for Tri-State Area

Cincinnati, June 18-19, 2014

The Southwestern Ohio Workforce Investment Board (SWORWIB), in collaboration with the GE Learning Center, hosted an Executive Briefing, "MSSC in TriState OH-IN-KY" in Cincinnati, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm. This event highlighted (1) successful uses of MSSC by companies, schools, and government agencies and (2) vet hiring policy. The vet focus included a high-level briefing by Colonel Reed Hudgens, Director Credentialing, Certification and Licensing, US Army Combined Arms Support Command/Soldier Support Institute, Solider For Life Program, on how the Army is now preparing active duty soldiers with civilian industry certifications, especially CLT.

To read a summary of the Executive Briefing click here.

On June 19, 2014, MSSC co-hosted a Vet Hiring Fair, with the US Chamber Foundation, Hiring Our Heroes at the Sharonville Convention Center. The response from industry was outstanding. Company requests to send HR recruiters to meet with vet job seekers far exceeded the capacity of 50 company interview booths. Much credit for this high industry turnout goes to the business organizations that worked with MSSC, HOH and SWORWIB to alert companies to this opportunity: the Ohio Manufacturers Association, the CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber, the Columbus Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Manufacturers Association, the Kentucky Manufacturers Association and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

MSSC Wins Two National Awards

To learn more about the two awards click below:

2014 Manufacturing Leadership Award Winner

2014 Great Lakes Manufacturing Council Award Winner

News From MSSC Community

U.S. Manufacturers Losing up to 11 Percent

of Annual Earnings Due to Skills Gap

The scale of the issue is illustrated in the study, "Out of Inventory: Skills Shortage Threatens Growth for U.S. Manufacturing " recently released by Accenture and the Manufacturing Institute. This study shows that over 80 percent of manufacturers are reporting a moderate to severe shortage in highly skilled manufacturing resources. In addition, more than 50 percent of respondents said they plan to increase their production in the coming years.

When manufacturers are unable to fill roles, overtime, downtime and cycle times increase. More than 70 percent of the respondents reported at least a five percent increase in overtime costs, and 32 percent reported an increase of 10 percent or more.

To mitigate the skills shortage, manufacturers tend to spend more on average for training new hires as opposed to existing employees, with 55 percent spending at least $1000 per new hire as compared to 42 percent who said they spend at a similar level on training for existing employees.

To view the press release on new report, click here.

For more information, please visit: www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Research/Research.aspx

Success in the New Economy

Citrus College supported the production of "Success in the New Economy" to help a broader audience begin to understand preparation today for tomorrow's labor market realities. The end result is a compelling case for students to explore career choices early, make informed decisions when declaring their college education goal, and to consider technical skill acquisition, real-world application and academics (career technical programs) in tandem with a classic education. This balanced approach to life and learning results in a well-educated and employed workforce.

The complete transcription of the video with data references is available here:citruscollege.edu/academics/cte/Pages/default.aspx

Manufacturing and Logistics Matters

House and Senate Committees Announce Deal to Improve American Workforce Development System

On June 25, 2014 the Senate passed a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on H.R. 803, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act-by a vote of 95 to 3, which would replace the existing Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

The bill, which will now be considered by the House, modernizes and improves existing federal workforce development programs, helps workers attain skills for 21st century jobs, and fosters the modern workforce that evolving American businesses rely on to compete. it highlights career pathways and calls for accelerated progress towards post secondary credentials.

WIOA represents a compromise between the SKILLS Act (H.R. 803), which passed the House of Representatives in March 2013 with bipartisan support, and the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 (S. 1356), which passed through the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee with a bipartisan vote in July of 2013.

A one-page summary of the legislation can be found here.

The statement of managers, including a section-by-section summary of the legislation, can be found here.

A summary of key improvements WIOA makes to current workforce development programs can be found here.

The text of the bipartisan, bicameral agreement can be found here.

Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Lives

According to Andreas Schleicher, Special Advisor on Education Policy to OECD, "Put simply, where large shares of adults have poor skills, it becomes difficult to introduce productivity-enhancing technologies and new ways of working, which then stalls improvements in living standards. Skills affects more than earnings and employment. In all countries with comparable data on our Survey, adults with lower skills are far more likely than those with better literacy skills to report poor health, to perceive themselves as objects rather than actors in political processes, and to have less trust in others."

"In short, without the right skills, people will languish on the margins of society, technological progress will not translate into economic growth, and countries can't compete in the global economy. We simply can't develop fair and inclusive policies and engage with all citizens if a lack of proficiency in basic skills prevents people from fully participating in society."

To read Andreas is Special Advisor on Education Policy to OECD full commentary, click here.

Boost skills for jobs and well-being

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Announces Designation of First 12 Manufacturing Communities Through the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership Program

"The 12 Manufacturing Communities announced today represent a diverse group of communities with the most comprehensive economic development plans to attract business investment that will increase their competitiveness," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. "IMCP is a critical part of our 'Open for Business Agenda' to strengthen the American manufacturing sector and attract more investment to the United States. Innovative programs like IMCP encourage American communities to work together to craft strong, clear, strategic plans to attract manufacturing investment and jobs to transform themselves into globally competitive commercial hubs."

"IMCP is one of the main programs at the center of the Administration's efforts to support job creation and accelerate manufacturing growth to make our communities more globally competitive," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams. "These 12 Manufacturing Communities are diverse, public-private consortiums that have put in place best practice economic development strategies that can be replicated by other American communities - including all those who applied for the IMCP designation."

To learn more about IMCP click here.

Manufacturers: Lack of skills leave jobs unfilled

One in three manufacturers surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said they have experienced significant labor shortages, with some positions remaining unfilled for more than three months.

A key problem is a mismatch of skills, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported Thursday in its closely watched monthly manufacturing survey.

To read the complete article click here.

Employment Opportunity

Resident Faculty CPT Manufacturing Technology Position

Mohave Community College, AZ

POSITION STARTS AUGUST 2014

Mohave Community College is seeking candidates to fill a full-time, benefited resident faculty position in Industrial and Manufacturing Technology and Certified Production Technician Instruction. The ideal candidate will have a background in and commitment to teaching at a community college, have education and experience in two or more

areas related to manufacturing, fabrication theory and practice, manufacturing design and maintenance, industrial/commercial electrical maintenance, production theory, and computer-based mechanical design.

PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF JOB: Facilitate all aspects of learning and the educational growth of the students in the field of study for which the faculty member is hired; exemplify a commitment to excellence in the ongoing preparation and delivery of instruction with a focus on student achievement, advisement and retention and a commitment to personal professional growth.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Indoor, temperature controlled, well-lit, classroom environment with minimal noise exposure. Certified Production Technician program instructors will be required to drive a vehicle pulling a mobile classroom unit to other communities in the service area or region. Mobile classroom unit is temperature controlled, well-lit, classroom environment.

Click here to see a full job description and to apply.

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Editor's Note

Ron Bullock steps down from MSSC Board

Ronald Bullock is Chairman of Bison Gear and Engineering Corp., manufacturer of electric motors, gearmotors and reducers in St. Charles, Illinois. Mr. Bullock has been with Bison since 1981, and his career in the power transmission industry encompasses positions in R&D, engineering, marketing, operations, and general management. After acquiring Bison in 1987, Mr. Bullock initiated Bison's entry into the European market, expanded the product line, added new distribution channels and established a Research and Development facility, all of which has helped Bison's new growth and delivered value to its customers. That growth led to the requirement to build a state of the art headquarters in 1997 to consolidate operations and provide for future expansion.

Mr. Bullock's career consists of leadership roles in numerous national industry associations. He served on the Industry Advisory Council on Electric Motors at Underwriters Laboratories; as a director of the American Gear Manufacturers Association, President and trustee on AGMA's cooperative venture with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Gear Research Institute, President of the Small Motor Manufacturers Association and founding president of their Electric Motor Education and Research Foundation.

He served as Vice Chairman of the National Division for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), representing its 10,000+ small and medium sized manufacturers and from 2012-2014 chaired the Board of Trustees of the Manufacturing Institute, NAM's 501(c) 3 think-tank.

In 2008, Mr. Bullock became Chairman of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association, the oldest and largest state manufacturers' organization in the U.S. In 2009, he joined the Board of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC). During his five-year tenure on the MSSC Board, he was instrumental in expanding MSSC's business in Illinois.

Greatly concerned with the quality of secondary education, he developed numerous pilot programs at Bison Gear with the Downers Grove High School as a model of cooperation between industry and local school systems, and served as Chairman of the DuPage County Education to Careers program. Due to Mr. Bullock's concern with the lack of alignment between secondary education and the shortage of skilled entry-level workers in manufacturing, in 2007 Bison announced its Skilled Workforce Initiative in cooperation with the College of DuPage. In the
initiative, manufacturing leaders, educational institutions, economic and workplace development organizations came together to create a talent pool of better qualified employees with plans to offer long-term stable employment. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity recognized the Skilled Workforce Initiative by giving Bison Gear its Business Leadership Award. Testimony delivered before the National Science Board on K-16 STEM education in December of 2005 led to an invitation to serve on NSB's Commission on 21^st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Mr. Bullock, a Wright State University (OH) graduate, contributed to the establishment of the Wright Center of Innovation for High Performance Computing. He was honored as an Outstanding Alumni in 2001 and served on the Advisory Council of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honorary Society, elected him an Eminent Engineer in 2004.

July

CLT MONTH

If you are an active MSSC Assessment Center with at least one MSSC-authorized CPT Instructor that is not using our Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) program this message is for you!

For the month of July, you can purchase CLT Online Instructor Training for 50% off, and we'll also waive the portal set-up fee - a combined savings of $950!

After instructors complete training, you will also receive a 50% discount on the first 10 student CLA or CLT e-learning courses!*

Have questions? Please contact Catherine Feeney, Community Outreach Manager at (703)739-9000 ext 2222 or at cfeeney@msscusa.org.

*To obtain above discounts, you must have a CPT-authorized Instructor and have ordered at least 10 CPT courses in the past 12 months; Instructor Training must be ordered no later than August 14, 2014 and completed by September 30, 2014, and student courses must be ordered by December 31, 2014.