Manufacturing
partnerships give machinists, Tracy Carbasho A growing need for skilled employees has become a special concern in the manufacturing sector, which is faced with an aging work force. "A large percentage of the people in the manufacturing work force will soon be retiring and that's a concern of ours,'' said Janet Ward, training services manager at New Century Careers. "Our goal is to infuse new blood into the manufacturing sector before these retirements occur.'' New Century Careers, Downtown, is a nonprofit organization started in April of 2000 by Duquesne University's Institute for Economic Transformation and the Steel Center Area Vocational-Technical School in West Mifflin to establish and manage work force development initiatives. NCC offers free, hands-on training and job placement assistance for qualified applicants who are seeking entrylevel machinist or welder positions. "There will continue to be great opportunities for people to have careers in the manufacturing industry. It's an excellent foundation to build upon,'' said Barry Maciak, interim president of NCC. "We've dealt with a lot of company presidents who started their careers as welders or machinists.'' Mr. Maciak said NCC worked with Duquesne University's Center for Competitive Workforce Development last year to determine the need for machinists and welders in southwestern Pennsylvania. The study revealed the need for 1,500 machinists and 1,200 welders, numbers that surprised individuals who believe the manufacturing industry has fallen by the wayside in the advent of the technology age. Another study is currently under way by the same entities and the results are expected to show even greater need. Mr. Maciak, who participated in recent work force development summits with Allegheny County Executive Jim Roddey and Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, said the increasing demand for qualified manufacturing workers often comes as a surprise -- even to economic development leaders. "The challenge we face is making sure the manufacturing sector has a work force that can help them grow their business,'' said Mr. Maciak. "The number of people available in our labor pool here isn't as strong as it needs to be.'' NCC is trying to keep up with the demand by offering MANUFACTURING 2000 training for entry-level workers and MANUFACTURING 2000PLUS to help incumbent employees improve their skills. The MANUFACTURING 2000 Plus training is held on-site at companies that want to enhance the skills of their machinists and welders. Ms. Ward said NCC focuses on individuals and firms in nine counties, including Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland, Fayette, Greene, Armstrong, Indiana and Lawrence. There are about 4,000 manufacturing firms in southwestern Pennsylvania and NCC targets the 800 to 1,000 that pertain to metal-working or related fields. Dura-Metal Products Corp., an Irwin-based precision grinding company, has hired graduates from the MANUFACTURING 2000 program and serves as a business partner with NCC. "I've noticed a difference in the attitude of the people who have gone through the MANUFACTURING 2000 training. They have already been exposed to a machine shop environment and they are able to hit the ground running instead of having culture shock,'' said Bob Kettering, manufacturing manager at Dura-Metal. "We've also used the MANUFACTURING 2000 Plus program to help some of our workers brush up on their math and machining skills. I've been in business for 28 years and I think this is the best thing that's happened to our industry as far as training.'' Mr. Kettering said 25 of his 80 employees have taken courses through the MANUFACTURING 2000 Plus refresher training. He said the cost to Dura-Metal was less than $3 per hour for each of the participating employees. The cost changes slightly depending on economic conditions and the number of participants. Mr. Maciak said the current cost for companies will remain at $2 per hour per employee through June. Clinton Bowman and Pete Davis are two of the newest Dura-Metal employees who completed the entry-level training for machinists through NCC. They are both working on a four-year apprenticeship at the company and will receive a license from the National Tool and Die Makers Association upon completion. "I would recommend the training to anyone who is looking for something better in their life,'' said Mr. Bowman. "It's good money and it gives you job security for the future.'' Mr. Davis said training such as that provided by NCC is essential to obtaining a job in the metal-working field. "In addition to the hands-on machining work, we also learned other valuable workplace skills like problemsolving and how to get along with others at the job site,'' said Mr. Davis. Individuals completing the NCC training can expect to earn between $8 and $10 an hour as an entry-level machinist and about a dollar more as a beginning welder. The positions often include health care benefits, paid holidays and vacation and in some cases, retirement and profit-sharing plans. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED and take a test to determine verbal, mathematical and mechanical aptitude. Ms. Ward said students must sign an agreement that they will take the free training seriously by attending 90 percent of the classes, participating in an NCC expo and working with placement coordinators to find a job when they complete the course. If they do not adhere to one of the conditions and cannot be placed in a job, they may be responsible for reimbursing NCC a portion of the training's $1,200 value. More than 400 of the 500 students who have enrolled in the MANUFACTURING 2000 program have completed the training, which is held at community colleges and vocational schools throughout the region. NCC, funded by state and federal sources, is also seeking partner companies to help develop the course curriculum and to hire graduates. Ms. Ward said there are currently 134 partner companies, but NCC's long-term goal is to have at least 250 over the next few years. A partner company is under no financial obligation, but it does agree to host field trips, participate in expos and reimburse NCC $1,200 for each graduate it hires. MS. CARBASHO is a free-lance writer for the Business Times. © 2002 American City Business Journals Inc. |
