Steve Harrington joins MSSC as California Senior Advisor
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MSSC’s network of Senior Advisors is expanding from coast to coast to give our network of centers local level support as well as at the state level. Our organization is excited to announce the addition of Steve Harrington as the Senior Advisor for the state of California. Steve’s impressive background and experience in the technical education space makes him a great addition to our growing team! View his bio below:
Steve Harrington is the Industry Liaison for the National Center for Supply Chain Automation. In this role, he is responsible for the development and oversight of a national industry leadership team consisting of supply chain executives and logistics industry stakeholders. He has 28 years of experience in supply chain operations most recently as the West Coast Logistics Manager for the Perrigo Co., a Fortune 500 generic drug manufacturer. Steve is past President and Chairman of the Distribution Management Association of Southern California (DMA), a 250 member logistics industry association he developed, organized and lead. He is a two time "Spirit of the Entrepreneur" award winner for his work in the field of economic development. He is a graduate from Cal State University Fullerton with a degree in Business Administration.
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Meet the New MSSC Headquarters Staff!
Not only is our network of Senior Advisors growing, but also the MSSC Headquarters staff! The additions to the marketing team include Vincent Klingmeyer & Tyler Kennedy, both Marketing Coordinators. Each of them come to the table with a plethora of experience from both the client relations side, social media, and journalism.
On the operations side of our organization we have added Elizabeth Steinbach, Operations Coordinator, who is ready to assist and support your center with all orders and procedure related questions.
In addition, MSSC has just signed a consulting contract with Dr. Apryl McDonough as part-time Research Associate for Leo Reddy, MSSC Chair, President and Founder. She has a Ph.D in Education Leadership & Management, an MBA, and currently works with the Manhattan Strategy Group and Blue Ridge Technical and Community College.
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Warren County Career Center Announced Master Training Center for Ohio
On September 14, 2021 MSSC issued a press release to inform the public that Warren County Career Center in Lebanon, OH was selected as a MSSC Master Training Center for the state of Ohio.
Effective that date, Warren County Career Center will be authorized to offer training to instructors to deliver MSSC’s hands-on Certified Production Technician Plus (CPT+) program using the highly innovative, portable “Skill Boss” training and testing device invented by Amatrol, the nation’s leading manufacturer of industrial technician training equipment.
To register to attend this instructor training or for dates please visit our website. Stay tuned for more state Master Training Centers launching for this year and next as MSSC builds out a nationwide network of these Centers, as MSSC de-centralizes in its instructor training program.
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NJMEP using MSSC Certifications to meet New Jersey Worker Shortage
With an increase in the national demand for domestic manufactured products, it’s well-known that many states are having difficulty fulfilling their quotas, and according to New Jersey Business Magazine, the Garden State is among that group. Several manufacturing organizations, however, are striving to help address prolonged obstacles, such as the state’s manufacturing worker shortage. One of the organizations, New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), wishes to address the so-called Garden State manufacturing career perception problem. According to a NJMEP representative in the article, there’s a false belief that there’s a lack of manufacturing employment opportunities there, while it’s actually the opposite case, as there’s about 11,000 manufacturers in New Jersey that employ some 245,600 workers who earn an average wage of $92,097.
MSSC is one of the NJMEP’s chosen partners for aiding in the training for of these needed workers, as they utilize both the Certified Production Technician (CPT) and Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) programs, as well as the hands-on CPT+ certification using the Skill Boss Manufacturing device invented for MSSC by Amatrol.
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Manpower Survey Prioritizes Short-term Tech Skills Training
Of special interest to the MSSC Community: Manpower Employment Group Q4 “U.S. Employment Outlook Survey” finds that HR leaders are “prioritizing leadership development and technical skills training (with preference for shorter programs of 6 weeks or less).” In North America, but not elsewhere globally, diversity and inclusion training are among the topmost prioritized programs. U.S. reports highest hiring prospects with global talent shortage showing no signs of slowing. To attract talent, employers are giving top priority to skills development, increased wages, and greater work flexibility.
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Reshoring On Track to Hit Record Highs in 2021
If current economic trends continue, the U.S. is projected to see a growth of over 220,000 job openings come as a direct result from a national push to strengthen the domestic supply chain. A new report released by the Reshoring Initiative claims the U.S. is on track to see an unprecedented reshoring surge with about 62,500 of those jobs (28%) concentrating around chips, EV batteries, PPE, pharmaceuticals, and rare earths — all areas in which the Biden Administration has been emphasizing U.S. production. The report predates a Ford Motor Company Sept. 27th announcement declaring a $11.4 billion EV-centered investment plan that includes a new mega campus in Tennessee and twin battery plants in Kentucky, and will create nearly 11,000 jobs.
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Over Half Million Robots
Efforts surrounding warehouse automation in the global supply chain industry are at an all-time influx due in part to the e-commerce megatrend and ongoing labor scarcities. ABI Research, a global tech market advisory firm, is forecasting that worldwide mobile robot shipments in warehouses will have a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of almost 40% from 2021 to 2030 and exceed 500,000 global shipments in 2030. In addition to the boom of robotic solutions such as headphone-enabled voice-picking and human effort-reducing exoskeletons, there has also been an explosive expansion of Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) as parcel shipping reached 95 billion in parcel volume globally in 2020 and is expected to double by 2026. ABI Research’s full “Smart Warehousing” report can be purchased here.
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Manufacturers Can Bounce Back in 2021 With These IT Initiatives
With Industry 4.0 being the new standard when it comes to the state of advanced manufacturing, Insight Enterprises Inc. has released an ebook, “Manufacturers Can Bounce Back in 2021 With These IT Initiatives,” detailing areas of focus that should be prioritized by those operating in the manufacturing industry, including automation solutions, cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity. This ebook addresses how to best adopt industry 4.0 standards to build stable resilience, all while maintaining necessary rigid security measures. The free ebook is available to download by all interested parties. MSSC has embedded nine Industry 4.0 technologies in its Certified Production Technician Plus (CPT+) program.
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New America - Supporting Community College Students with Quality Jobs
New America, a Washington, DC-based policy think tank, hosted a thought-leadership webinar, “Supporting Community College Students with Quality Jobs,” on October 7th with an aim to better address the increasing disparity community college students face with opportunities for federal work study (FWS) and paid internship placements. According to research done by New America, most of the federal work study money flows to selective institutions, leaving community colleges with only 11 percent of FWS funds, even though they enroll around 40 percent of the undergraduate population, and since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, community colleges have had the largest drop of enrollment in comparison to all other types of academic institutions. In the recorded webinar and in an accompanying brief, “Federal Support for Subsidized Jobs at Community Colleges,” New America lays out possible funding streams that could be considered when addressing this national problem.
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Build Back Better Act passes the House Education and Labor Committee
The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee passed its portion of the Build Back Better Act, which includes $3 billion in funding through the Perkins Basic State Grant funding stream, with an additional $1 billion in funding for the existing Innovation and Modernization fund, for a total of $4 billion to be distributed through Perkins V. In addition, the bill includes two years of free community college, a $500 increase to Pell grants, K-12 school infrastructure, workforce development programs, teacher residency programs, school leadership programs, and Part D of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). CTE and workforce development organizations have called on the Senate to maintain or exceed these levels in the Build Back Better Act.
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Senate Confirms James Kvaal as Undersecretary of Education
The Senate confirmed James Kvaal as the Undersecretary of Education for the U.S. Department of Education (ED), in a 58-37 vote. This is the third highest position at ED. In his capacity as Undersecretary, Kvaal will oversee the Administration’s higher education work- including federal student aid. Previously, Kvaal was the president of the Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS). He also served in the Obama Administration as the deputy domestic policy adviser at the White House and deputy undersecretary at ED. Please read more about Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s statement on Kvaal’s confirmation.
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US Department of Education Names National Blue Ribbon Schools
U.S. Secretary of Education announced the 325 schools that were selected as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021. The selection is based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among subgroups. Additional criteria were added for this year’s secondary school applicants to describe the “curriculum supports college and career readiness (e.g., dual credit courses, college prep classes, Career Technical Education (CTE), apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship opportunities, industry-recognized credentials). This may also include student leadership, community and civic responsibilities, entrepreneurship skills, or work-based learning opportunities that align with essential or emerging careers.”
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Emergency Connectivity Fund Program Applications Available
The FCC announced an initial wave of $1.2 billion to support 3,040 schools, 260 libraries, and 24 consortia across all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The funding will support 3,081,131 devices and 774,115 broadband connections and help connect over 3.6 million students who, according to their schools, would otherwise lack devices, broadband access, or both. A second application filing window will open on September 28, 2021 and close on October 13, 2021. During this window, applicants can submit requests for funding for purchases through June 30, 2022, to meet the needs of learners, school staff, and library patrons who would otherwise lack access to basic educational opportunities and library services.
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Career Readiness Metrics Framework
Advance CTE, in partnership with Education Strategy Group, released a standard for improving CTE program quality and expanding access to career pathways from the middle grades to adulthood. Career Readiness Metrics Framework: A Continuum of Actionable Measures of Career Development and Readiness pushes career preparation systems and stakeholders to go beyond traditional accountability systems to select, refine and prioritize metrics that can be used to monitor learner progress and success.
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DOL announces Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship
DOL appointed 29 members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship. The advisory committee will promote greater awareness of the benefits of apprenticeship, increase alignment between apprenticeship opportunities and workforce and education systems, expand apprenticeship into new industries and occupations and ensure equity for under-represented populations. The List of Committee members can be found here.
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Statement on Supply Chain Disruptions
The Biden Administration released a statement on supply chain disruptions and plans to address them. One of the steps is for the Department of Commerce to improve data collection, by conducting a voluntary survey of industry participants to both diagnose chokepoints in the supply chain and offer firms data that can help them adapt their production processes to adjust to the supply shortage.
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DOL Announces Funding for Registered Apprenticeships in Critical, Nontraditional Industries
Funds are now available for up to four new contracts to Industry Intermediaries in order to launch, promote or expand Registered Apprenticeships in critical industries impacted by COVID-19 and industries that have not traditionally used apprenticeships to meet employer and sector needs. The request for proposals is geared toward intermediaries looking to expand apprenticeship opportunities in industries disproportionately affected by the pandemic, increase opportunities for under-represented populations and leverage existing resources to support and sustain programs at the local and national levels. This grant will be administered by DOL’s Employment and Training Administration.
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DOL Announces Funding to Expand Job Opportunities for Women in Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations
$3.3 million in grant funding to recruit, train and retain more women in pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeships programs, as well as nontraditional occupations is available. These grants were awarded to organizations in California, Mississippi, New York, Texas and Wisconsin, and were administered by the DOL Women’s Bureau and Employment and Training Administration. Information about grant recipients can be found at the Department of Labor website.
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Racial Equity in CTE
Brave Dialogues: A Guide to Discussing Racial Equity in Career Technical Education provides tools to become better equipped and motivated to begin and continue in discussions to right the wrongs in CTE and to support state CTE leaders in creating an environment in which their state teams, local intermediaries, business partnerships and more have the language and comfort to discuss challenges and opportunities related to racial equity in CTE. This new resource is a part of the Making Good on the Promise Series confronting the negative aspects of CTE’s legacy and defining the key challenges learners face today.
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“Optimizing Labor to Combat Worker Shortage” Industry Week, 09/09/2021
Data from videos can provide insights that help production workers improve skills, diagnose problems, and work collaboratively with management. Using technology to free up workers’ “brains” can give them more time to have ideas on the way to improve the workplace and processes.
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Coalition for Career Development Center Announces Policy Forum, 3-4:30 PM, Oct. 13, “Prioritizing Career Planning.”
Save the Date! Career Readiness Engagement Policy Forums: Pillar 1: Prioritizing Career Planning Wednesday, October 13th, 2021 3:00pm – 4:30 pm EDT. MSSC and CCDC Chair Leo Reddy will give opening remarks. Efforts to increase career readiness are critical to improving post-secondary readiness—therefore career development activities should begin no later than middle school and require all students to develop and maintain a personal Career and Academic Plan that aligns career and life goals to academic, post-secondary, and career pathways.
The following agenda is tentative and may be modified prior to the event.
3:00 p.m. - The Five Pillars for Creating High-Quality Career Development Systems 3:10 p.m. - Establishing Effective State Career Development Systems
3:50 p.m. - Policy Challenges and Solutions: Federal, State, Private Sector
4:25 p.m. - Next Steps – How Do We Make This Happen?
If you have any questions about this event, or would like to get involved with the Career Readiness Engagement Policy Forums, please contact Spencer Murray at smurray@ccd-center.org.
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Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) Website
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