Promoting Careers in Manufacturing: The Opportunity in High Schools

Sustaining a Qualified Manufacturing Workforce

May 13, 2013

Bart AslinCEOSME Education FoundationDearborn, MIbaslin@sme.org www.smeef.orgwww.career.me.orgwww.facebook.com/SME.Education.Foundation

The SME Education Foundation’s mission is to prepare the future engineers and technologists for manufacturing careers through outreach programs to enrich students to study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The Mission of the SME Education Foundation

But, U.S. Manufacturing is dead and gone!

“The nation’s manufacturers need more high-skilled workers with critical thinking and innovation skills to maintain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.”

The 2011 Skills Gap Report conducted by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte Consulting LLP reveals serious concerns about the ability of manufacturers to fill critical positions that require post-secondary education, including Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Bachelor’s degrees and beyond. The survey, which polled a nationally representative sample of 1,123 manufacturing executives across fifty states, finds:

A report on talent in the manufacturing industrySponsored by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute

Boiling point?The skills gap in U.S. manufacturing

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of respondents reported a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified workers.

“High-skilled jobs in manufacturing grew by 12% from 2003 through 2010, while mid-skilled jobs decreased by 3% and low-skilled jobs fell by 9% over the same period.”

Fifty-six percent (56%) anticipate the shortage to grow worse in the next three to five years.

“These results underscore the tenacity of a worsening talent shortage that threatens the future effectiveness of manufacturing in America.”

Sixty percent (60%) of respondents said that they were experiencing a moderate-to-severe shortage of skilled engineering technologists (industrial engineers, manufacturing engineers, planners, etc.) and fifty percent (50%) in scientists and product design engineers.

“Moreover, skill shortages are impacting all stages of manufacturing – from skill production workers to engineers – and are projected to worsen as ‘boomers’ retire.”

Five percent (5%) of current jobs at respondent manufacturers are unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates. This equates to approximately 600,000 jobs nationwide.

What Do Manufacturers Want?

A national renaissance in manufacturing education will incorporate:

• A heightened focus on STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math;

• More internships and mentorships to align higher education with industry competency and skill requirements;

• Accelerated pathways to credentials and more “on and off” ramps to post-secondary education, to support lifelong learning and improve advancement opportunities; and

• More competency-based post-secondary pathways with opportunities to earn interim industry-endorsed certifications with value in the workplace, in addition to traditional educational credentials such as certificates and degrees.

Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education

The health and vitality of U.S. manufacturing depends on the strength and talent of its workforce. The mission of SME Education Foundation is to inspire, prepare and support the next generation of manufacturers to ensure a brighter future for all of us – but we cannot do it alone.

Introducing PRIME

The PRIME model is a call to action designed to create strong partnerships between organizations, businesses, and exemplary schools to provide a comprehensive community-based approach to manufacturing education. These are the kids who will power the future, they deserve our support.

What is a PRIME school?

PRIME was created to provide additional support and resources for schools with the following attributes:

• An exemplary manufacturing curriculum that has been in place three years or more and includes a comprehensive program with both academic and hands on fabrication instruction

• Skilled and energetic instructors• Engaged and active students • Strong administrative support • Support from the local manufacturing community • Students are have access to company tours, job shadows, mentorships, and

connections to the manufacturing community • Opportunity for access to local community college or university

manufacturing/engineering postsecondary programs.

How does a school benefit from PRIME?

To ensure the success of each PRIME school, the SME Education Foundation provides the following assistance:

• Funding to update equipment, software and/or professional development for staff

• Funding to host a STEM-focused youth camp • Scholarship opportunities for students • Connections within the local manufacturing community to encourage

opportunities for mentorships, facility tours and job shadows

• Access to careerme.org for student projects additional staff resources and networking with other PRIME sites

• Promotion of school’s participation in PRIME to local and industry media• Recognition on smeef.org and social media • PRIME school banner for visual community recognition

Why should you support PRIME?

Technician, engineer, business owner, corporate executive, or simply concerned citizen; whatever your role, you have a stake in the quality of our future workforce.

Your support for PRIME, whether by serving on an advisory committee, acting as a mentor, providing internships at your company, giving financial support, or through in-kind contributions, will allow you to have a direct impact in your community.

Through your support of a PRIME school, you can:

• Help change the public’s outdated perceptions of manufacturing • Provide relevance to in-class curriculum through “real-world connections” for

both instructors and students • Influence a program that will benefit local schools, ensuring a pipeline of more

qualified employees for your company.

Calera High School - Calera, AlabamaEsperanza High School - Anaheim, CaliforniaHawthorne High School – Los Angeles, California Petaluma High School - Petaluma, CaliforniaWheeling High School – Chicago, IllinoisMcKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology - Indianapolis, IndianaWalker Career Center - Indianapolis, IndianaCedar Falls High School - Cedar Falls, IowaWestfield Vocational Technical High School - Westfield, MassachusettsJackson Area Career Center - Jackson, MichiganSummit Technology Academy – Kansas City, MissouriCenterville High School, Dayton - OhioKettering Fairmont High School - Dayton, Ohio Francis Tuttle Technology Center- Oklahoma City, OklahomaBradley Tech High School - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

PRIME Schools

El Camino C.C. - Los Angeles, CaliforniaHawkeye C.C. - Waterloo, IowaNunez C.C. - New Orleans, LouisianaSinclair C.C, -Dayton, OhioFrancis Tuttle Advanced Manufacturing - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Community College Partners

Thank You!

Bart AslinCEOSME Education FoundationOne SME DriveDearborn, MI 48121(313) 425-3302baslin@sme.org www.smeef.org