Manufacturing in Education Conference – September 22, 2017

Riverside, CA – Regional manufacturers will meet with top school administrators and stakeholders to discuss building a K-16 pipeline for apprenticeships and jobs in the region. The event, co-sponsored by the Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire (MCIE), and Alan Braggins, Deputy Sector Navigator for Advanced Manufacturing in the Inland Empire/Desert Region, will be held on Friday, at the Mission Inn in Riverside. Register here for the September 22nd event, MFGcouncilie.com/events.

Manufacturers want to inform the educators about their specific needs whether it is CTE or for credit. And manufacturers want to learn what options are available, that other manufacturers are enjoying, to help them find and retain talent.

A panel representing manufacturers, including Judy Lopez, President of Microdyne Plastics in Colton, Luz Roldan, California Steel Industries (CSI) in Fontana, and Nicole Rice, Policy Director, Government Relations, California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA), Sacramento, will present the issues faced by manufacturers as they search for qualified candidates to fill open jobs.

Ideas and solutions will be presented by Bill Rayl, President and Executive Director of the Jackson Area Manufacturing Association (JAMA) in Jackson, Michigan. Through after-school programs, summer camps, and in-school learning opportunities, starting in kindergarten, JAMA has helped students imagine themselves as future manufacturers, engineers, inventors and entrepreneurs.

In 2005, JAMA launched the Academy for Manufacturing Careers (AMC), with skilled trades related technical instruction and customized training programs designed by manufacturers. Each summer they host a number of K-12 programs including: “I Can Make It Camp,” and “Machining U.”

“Manufacturers, in the Inland Empire, have real needs for highly skilled applicants and employees,” stated Rod Hoover, Manager of Human Resources at California Steel Industries, and board member of the MCIE. “Career Technical Education (CTE) has been proven to be more effective at getting individuals the skills they need to get a job or be promoted in a manufacturing environment as opposed to generic vocational for credit courses. Vocational training needs to start in high school, or before, to give the “non-college bound” students good, needed, and highly paid career options.”

An open discussion forum will be led by Braggins for an exchange of programs already in place or under development for meeting these needs in our region.

“There are kids out there who don’t know that great paying jobs are waiting for them in the manufacturing industry in our region,” stated Molly Burgess, Executive Director of the MCIE. “We are hoping that this conference will help increase awareness in the community that manufacturing isn’t a dirty job anymore. With advanced manufacturing and robotics, a lot of kids, who would like to work with their hands, should start exploring this option starting in grade school or junior high.”

Interested parties may register through Wednesday at 4 p.m. by visiting the MCIE website at MFGcouncilie.com/events.

The Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire (MCIE) supports and provides education on manufacturing topics to manufacturers, employees, students, and the community.

The Council provides a strong, unified voice when communicating with regional, state and national entities on issues impacting the region. Programming is designed to help manufacturers find solutions for issues including: employment and training, research, regulatory compliance, import and export, and funding.