Since our last newsletter we have had the honor of hosting not on  e but two distinguished politicians at our facility, Massachusetts State Senator Tom Kennedy and Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy III.   If you feel that our government is out of touch with the needs of its people, lost its willingness to get anything at all accomplished and is just overall running in neutral I can assure you that ten minutes with either of these two individuals will not only prove those thoughts to be incorrect but restore your belief in  government.  While they each displayed a genuine interest in the overall operation of the company, the industries that we serve, and the products that we produce most noteworthy was the time they both took to speak with the employees on the shop floor.

Tom Kennedy was interested in learning more about our staffing needs and encouraging his constituents to pursue manufacturing degrees and careers.  He spent time with Sean, a Boston University engineering student and Kennedy constituent from North Easton, who is working with us as a summer intern.  Sean discussed the links between engineering and hands on manufacturing and the benefits this experience gives him in returning to the classroom in the Fall.  Senator Kennedy was fascinated by the wide variety of industries served by manufacturing.

Joe Kennedy spent a lot of time with John, an employee who was hired earlier this year through an On the Job Training Grant. Funded by the Department of Labor, and administered by the state of Massachusetts, this grant helped place the long term unemployed in training programs. Congressman Kennedy, being involved in votes related to these programs was looking to gather valuable information directly from the individuals participating in them.   John has been job shadowing and participating in Workforce Development training with NEM since January.  John was able to show Congressman Kennedy that he has learned to operate CNC equipment, inspect parts by taking measurements, and read blue print instructions.  Joe Kennedy is a strong supporter of STEM education and manufacturing and is the co-sponsor of the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act.