MSSC Certified Forklift Technician Certification Goes Hands-OnMay1

In response to the needs of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA), MSSC has added a hands-on assessment requirement for individuals seeking its Certified Forklift Technician (CFT) Certification. The potential certificants must first pass the written assessment to secure a MSSC CFT Assessment Verification Form; they then need to present this to a participating Forklift Dealership who will administer the hands-on assessment which covers all 20 key work activities in the MSSC's National Forklift Standards. For more information on CFT, please contact Helen Smythe, Marketing Coordinator, MSSC at hsmythe@msscusa.org.
 
MSSC Visits Governor Ron DeSantis Department of Education TeamMay2

This April, CEO, Neil Reddy, MSSC paid a visit to Governor DeSantis's Department of Education team to discuss ways in which MSSC can benefit their advanced manufacturing and logistics workforce and talent pipeline development under Gov. DeSantis's Executive Order 19-31. W hich would begin the process of making Florida the number one state for workforce education. For text, see this link. 
Reddy has outlined ways in which MSSC can assist in reaching Gov. DeSantis's  EO 19-31 goals:
  • Partner in Opportunity Youth "work based" initiatives: academy, pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and Career Source "Opportunity Youth" WIOA funded programs
  • Develop Secondary and Post-Secondary workforce pipelines
  • Key partner for Economic Development programs for disaster impacted and the President's Opportunity Zones initiatives
  • Veterans and Active Duty
  • Equity programs for rural and urban populations
  • Pre-release and returning citizen populations and "First Step Act"
Texas Workforce Commission Grant Includes CPT+ Skill BossMay3

TWC has a program called "Jobs and Education for Texans" (JET) which is a model state program for enabling community colleges and high schools to purchase training and training equipment that support industry-recognized certifications. Our TX Senior Advisor, Wes Jurey, and our Regional Training Solutions Provider, Tech Labs, worked with the Superintendent of Mineral Wells ISD to secure JET funding for MSSC's hands-on CPT+ Skill Boss and CLT programs. TWC just responded with a $175,000 grant. Our congratulations to Mineral Wells ISD and the MSSC Team in TX for this successful outcome.    
Community News
Governor Mike Parson Visits Advanced Manufacturing Job Fair at Ozarks Technical Community CollegeMay4

Starting in 2013, Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) in Springfield, MO joined our community of MSSC Authorized Assessment Centers to prepare tomorrow's workforce for lucrative careers in manufacturing.  By establishing partnerships with local industry such as CNH Reman and United Poly Systems, OTC has created a pipeline to employment for the students who have earned our Certified Production Technician Certification (CPT) on the OTC campus.
This month Governor Mike Parson visited the Advanced Manufacturing Job Fair at OTC to announce the creation of 500 new training opportunities with our Certified Production Technician (CPT) certification.
The CPT credential will be available statewide at all public two-year institutions and participants who complete the CPT have the potential to earn an annual starting salary of $30,000.
This is a very exciting development in the state of Missouri! To view the full press release from the Governor's office follow this link. Also, to learn more about course offerings at OTC visit their website https://workforce.otc.edu/

MSSC Center Staff Spotlight: Ronnie Patton, Senior Director of Customized Training, Sandhills Community College (SCC)- Pinehurst, NCMay5

Examples of successful programs at our MSSC Centers takes dedicated staff that are prepared to guide their students in starting their career pathway in Manufacturing and/or Logistics. Meet Ronnie Patton, Senior Director of Customized Training, Sandhills Community College (SCC) & the Palmer Advanced Manufacturing Center in Pinehurst, NC.  
Patton's background in industry as a former employee of Unilever made him the perfect advocate to drive the importance of having more Advanced Manufacturing course options on campus at SCC, which included our Certified Production Technician (CPT) Certification. The SCC Continuing Education and Workforce Development Division has seen a 48% increase in enrollment in Advanced Manufacturing c ourse offerings over the past 6 years due to Patton 's efforts. 
Taking it a step further, high school students can earn college credit while earning their CPT at SCC. Patton is also a strong advocate for helping those in the military earn scholarships. Click this link to learn more about the pilot program at SCC.   For more information about SCC's course offerings follow this link  http://www.sandhills.edu/advancedmanufacturing/


Left to right: Steve Price, local sales engineer from the Haas factory outlet; Kennard Youngs, U.S. Army officer and student in CNC Machining; Ronnie Patton, Senior Director of Customized Training and Advanced Manufacturing

Indiana Student Opens Door to Career Options with CPT Industrial Manufacturing Technician (IMT) ApprenticeshipMay6
 
The Industrial Manufacturing Technician (IMT) apprenticeship is a nationally recognized apprenticeship registered with the U.S. Department of Labor that trains front-line manufacturing production workers in all sectors of manufacturing. An 18-month (3000 hour) program, the IMT is based on the CPT world class standards and is fully customizable for employers unique training needs.
Watch this brief video to find out how one student in northern Indiana is using the CPT-based IMT youth apprenticeship program to open the door to many manufacturing-related career options in his future.   For more information on establishing an IMT youth apprenticeship program in your area, contact Catherine Feeney, Sr. Marketing Manager, MSSC at cfeeney@msscusa.org
HEA Industrial Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship Program


Policy & Trends
Gateway to Careers Act IntroducedMay7

Bi-partisan legislation, Gateway to Careers Act, was re-introduced. This makes grant funding available on a competitive basis to institutions that are working in partnership with industry stakeholders, community-based organizations and other entities to better serve students experiencing barriers to post-secondary access and completion. The bill can be found via this link.
Workforce Preparation Resounding Theme at Reagan Institute SummitMay8

Career Readiness was a major focus at The Reagan Institute Summit on Education. Sen. Alexander (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, made the case for expanding eligibility for Pell grants to both individuals who are incarcerated as well as learners in short-term credential programs. Representative Foxx (R-NC), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, made the case for strengthening workforce preparation opportunities in order to ensure that learners do not accrue significant amounts of debt without a credential to show for it. Overall, the theme of the day was that support for career preparation in high school and college is widespread. The link to the Institute can be accessed via this link.
 
Rethinking Correctional and Reentry Education Includes CTEMay9

U.S. Department of Education hosted a convening on Rethinking Correctional and Reentry Education: A Second Chance at Learning with the purpose of highlighting and advancing the "conversation around the administration-wide goal of rethinking education for incarcerated individuals." A common theme by state and local leaders was that CTE plays an important role in educational programming for those who are incarcerated. Information on opportunities to promote collaboration across Perkins V and WIOA can be found at,  Coordinating Across Perkins V and WIOA , a brief from Advance CTE and the National Skills Coalition. Click this link for more information.
Skillful State Network Announces ExpansionMay10

The Skillful State Network, a Markle Foundation Initiative, announced its expansion to 26 member states. The Network's efforts are to create a labor market in which skills learned anywhere are valued and people can rapidly and affordably access the information and training needed for good jobs in the digital economy. The governors in the Skillful State Network have made workforce development a state priority and are committed to acting on proven practices that enable their residents and employers to thrive. Information on the Skillful State Network can be found at https://www.skillful.com/policymakers
Campaign to Double the Investment in CTEMay11

The CTE community launched a campaign to double the investment in CTE and invites everyone to join in asking employers to sign onto a statement that supports doubling the investment in CTE . The signatures collected from employers will be a critical component to building visibility and support for CTE with members of Congress. Check out the website www.ISupportCTE.org to find the one pager, a toolkit and resources that you can use and modify to spread the word about the campaign.  
Robot Mimicry or Mastery? The End of Bench Manufacturing Is NearMay12

Ken Pulverman, Chief Marketing Officer of Parsable, explores the role of humans and robots in manufacturing and question how humans can move from robot mimicry to "robot mastery." Manufacturers need to carefully consider where they can leverage the full potential of humans and turn them into robot masters, and design the support systems that will help them best work with each other and with the increasingly sophisticated machines around them. Every company should be gathering complete data on their work processes to determine when and where automation will make sense. The full text of the article can be found on the Industry Week website.
Grant Funding Resources
U.S. Department of EducationMay13

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