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 POLICY TRENDS |
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Trump signs "Buy American, Hire American" executive order at Snap-On on April 18, 2017
 President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at strengthening Buy American and Hire American regulations during a visit Tuesday to the Kenosha headquarters of
Snap-On Inc.
The order addresses how products are used in federally funded projects and policies related to immigration, visa and guest worker programs, according to a background briefing provided to reporters by senior administration officials and
Snap-On CEO, Nick Pinchuck said, "
The upskilling of the American workforce is the seminal issue of our time. We must refocus on technical education, restore our respect for the dignity of work, and celebrate technical jobs not as the consolation prize of our society, but as what they really are - a national calling essential to our ongoing prosperity."
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Education Secretary, DeVos on Trump's "Buy American, Hire American" executive order
After the signing ceremony with the President at Snap-On, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Secretary DeVos gave the following statement:
"One of America's greatest resources is the entrepreneurial spirit and hard work of its people. There's a real demand among American companies for skilled workers like the ones Snap-On Tools employs.
"To strengthen our economy, we need a skilled and educated workforce. That's why this Administration is committed to supporting and highlighting career and technical education.
"Snap-On's partnership with Gateway Technical College is a great example of what can be achieved when business and education collaborate. Together, they provide employees with the skills necessary for good-paying jobs, in turn benefitting the entire community's economy. This type of partnership can be replicated across the country, and the President's Buy American and Hire American Executive Order puts us on that path.
"I applaud the President for his commitment to our nation's students and workers, and his efforts to ensure we have a workforce equipped to fill American jobs that are open and readily available today."
MSSC would like to add its congratulations both to Snap-On and Gateway for their role in this historic Presidential visit to Kenosha. Both organizations are represented on the MSSC Board of Directors.
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MSSC joins Advance CTE effort to support Perkins CTE Act
 MSSC joined Advance CTE's campaign to support the bipartisan "Dear Colleague"
letter that urged the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education to maintain strong investment in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
Sponsored by Representatives Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn Thompson (R-PA), the "Dear Colleague letter" garnered 140 signatures from Members of Congress across 38 states. Last month MSSC reached out to its local Congressman, Don Beyer (D-VA) to support funding for the 1984 act which provides Federal funds for vocational and technical training programs for both youths and adults. On April 6, his letter was submitted to the chair and ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee to request continued investment in Perkins in the Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations Bill.
The strong bipartisan support shown for CTE in the House shows the respect and approval for Perkins funding and we can expect a similar "Dear Colleague" letter from VA Senators, Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner in the coming weeks. Reaching out to your local Representative and Senator to express your support for CTE Federal funding is important for the success of the next letter and the maintenance of Perkins funding for FY 2018.
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U.S. manufacturing keeps expanding at robust pace
 As reported by NACFAM, "The manufacturing index has increased in six of the last seven months, underscoring building optimism among factory managers.
America's factories continued to expand in March, demonstrating momentum in an industry that struggled for the better part of the last two years, according to the latest data from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)."
"This increase underscores building optimism among factory managers. In the U.S., the ISM measure of export orders climbed to the highest level since November 2013, indicating improving global demand."
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U.S. manufacturers confidence at 20-year high
 According to an article from American Machinist,"
The National Assn. of Manufacturers reported that the results of its quarterly
NAM Manufacturers' Outlook
survey show optimism increased to 93.3% during Q1 2017, a record high in the survey's nearly 20-year history. The rise corresponds with an increase in manufacturing activity, NAM noted, and is based on widely shared confidence that the Trump administration will provide relief from government regulations, tax reform, and significant investments in U.S. infrastructure."
"For the past 20 years, NAM has surveyed its 14,000 members each quarter to gain insight into their economic outlook, hiring, and investment decisions and business concerns."
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New NSC report cites growing skills gap in service sector
 According to a recent National Skills Coalition (NSC) report, "There are approximately 20 million Americans employed in key service-sector industries who lack foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, or digital problem-solving. These skill gaps serve as an invisible drag on productivity, often limiting workers' ability to climb the career ladder and increasing employer costs.
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MSSC COMMUNITY NEWS
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NCMI graduates its 100th Certified Production Technician
MSSC congratulates North Carolina Manufacturing Institute (NCMI) on its 100th
Certified Production Technician (CPT) success story.
According to a press release from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, "Since the official launch date of the NCMI initiative in April 2015, over 100 individuals have had their lives and their families' lives transformed. On average, 88% of graduates have full-time employment within 1 to 2 months of graduation, with most of them at local employers who have partnered with the Institute. The NCMI was created by partners including the Centralina Workforce Development Board, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC), and leaders from the Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development in Rowan and Cabarrus counties. Last year, the Institute expanded into Iredell County. Mitchell Community College, Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce, Statesville Chamber of Commerce, and both economic development agencies from Statesville and Mooresville all joined the effort."
As one of the NCMI employer partners' recruiters said, "CPT hires are much more confident and immediately have a basic understanding of what is going on in the plant. This makes them catch on to things much more rapidly than a new hire without this certification."
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Workforce development project helps Vets in PA
 According to the Carlisle Sentinel, "the Employments Skills Center in Carlisle will offer courses this fall to honorably discharged veterans and others to help them become MSSC-certified logistics technicians and certified logistics associates. A one-day lift truck operator class will be also be offered.
As a Manufacturing Skill Standards Council authorized provider, the Employment Skills Center will offer the CLT and CLA instruction and certification. The certifications demonstrate mastery of core competencies required for higher-skilled front-line material handling workers across the supply chain."
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April 2017 MSSC Student of the Month
 Congratulations to DeShon Mills for being April's MSSC Student of the month!
DeShon earned his Full CPT at the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College during the Fall of 2015. Having been out of high-school for only a few months, he knew he wanted more than his fast-food position. He lacked opportunity for advancement, he felt like he lacked a future.
DeShon wanted to find a position that could lead to a career, so he could afford a reliable car and be able to support himself.
His hard-work, dedication and continued hunger for learning made him stand-out in class. In a completely new environment of learning, he was able to grasp the concepts due in large part to the user-friendly set-up of the class and modules. During proceeding interviews, he was identified as someone with extremely high potential, which ultimately led to a terrific starting position - one that exceeded many entry level positions. He attribute his success to the MSSC program - without which, he said he would still be working a register at the local fast food establishment from a year ago.
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