MiMfg Magazine March 2017 | Page 12

Bring PRIME ® to Your Town
12 MiMfg Magazine March 2017

Take the Lead on Your Town ’ s Talent

Manufacturers throughout the state and across the country are facing a serious skills gap — it ’ s impacting who they hire , how they hire , and even if they can hire . Despite paying above-average wages , offering great benefits and an exciting , technology-focused career experience , manufacturing faces a dual challenge :
1 . Pipeline — A generation of baby boomers retiring from the workforce and not enough new workers with the right skills entering the field to replace them
2 . Image — Millions of energetic young people who view manufacturing and similar skilled trades as jobs of last resort due to an educational system which highlights the four-year degree as the only true path to a long-term career
Some experts predict that more than 3.5 million new manufacturing jobs will be needed over the next ten years . Over 50 percent of those could go unfilled due to the industry-wide skills shortage .
MMA is working with the SME Education Foundation and the Manufacturing Institute ’ s Dream It Do It ® initiative to develop a solution capable of turning around any local community . It ’ s called PRIME ® .
Why PRIME ® ?
As the legitimate purchasers of the ‘ product ’ the educational system produces — talent — employers must maintain an active role in the development of curriculum and the selling of the real-world career opportunities available after graduation .
“ Technical skills sets are available worldwide , but the resources to build locally can only be developed locally ,” says Bruce Schafer , vice president of manufacturing for Cadillac-based Rexair LLC and a member of the MMA Talent Advisory Council . “ The need for new talent must be achieved with employer input , support , and focus . PRIME responds to the needs of employers and transforms the local education system to support local job creators .”
The PRIME program recognizes that manufacturers come in all shapes and sizes , creating customizable tools
Join MMA , the SME Education Foundation , and interested employers from across Michigan for an informational PRIME ® breakfast the morning of the MFG Forum on 4 / 25 / 17 in Novi . Attendees will :
• Learn what level of involvement fits their community needs
• Hear about the success PRIME ® schools have had in towns across America
• Connect with program coordinators to start local PRIME ® strategy sessions
that meet your community ’ s needs through three unique levels of commitment :
• BUILD — Establishes an exemplary center of excellence in advanced manufacturing education from the ground up , including curriculum development , equipment , technology , supplies , marketing , teacher development , extracurricular activities , credentialing , scholarships , and summer camps for younger students .
• BOLSTER — Expands and enhances existing curricula and capital equipment along with integration of the PRIME ® network .
• INTEGRATE — Existing high performing schools receive additional programming , curricula or equipment upgrades and benefit from full
Learn more about PRIME ® in the September 2016 issue of MiMfg Magazine at http :// mag . mimfg . org .
Bring PRIME ® to Your Town
RSVP Today !
Date & Location
Tuesday , April 25 , 2017 in Novi
Pricing
No cost to Michigan manufacturers
Registration
Online : www . mimfg . org Phone : 517-487-8521 E-mail : martin @ mimfg . org
integration within the existing PRIME ® network .
“ We are meeting with manufacturers to demonstrate how PRIME can effectively prepare their future workforce through an educational model that is uniquely tailored to local communities based on the express needs of local industry ,” says Brian Glowiak , vice president of the SME Education Foundation . “ By investing in PRIME , manufacturers can influence the educational process by offering insight into the technological and curricula requirements to train future qualified workers .”

Connect with MMA ’ s Mike Johnston , at 517-487-8554 or johnston @ mimfg . org , for more information and to schedule a meeting in your community with MMA / SME representatives . 6