May 2017 MiMfg
Think about a school like you would
a manufacturing facility. Schools develop
a product — students with skills for
specific career paths — to meet the needs
of local employers. In order to best use
existing resources, the learning process
should begin with schools identifying
the jobs employers have available, the
skills needed to do those jobs, and build
the curriculum accordingly. This is what
PRIME® does. We ask what problems
employers experience with hiring, what
skills are required for the available jobs
and work to build a curriculum to create
a talent pool matching the needs of
those who are hiring.
Let’s talk about the curriculum
development process. How
does it begin?
Cramer: We begin with a workforce
assessment. It starts with a roundtable
discussion and plant tour with interested
employers. Everyone from hourly
employees and shift supervisors to the
high-level company executives are
engaged in the process. We want to
assess their needs at every level and take
into account career advancement over
time. What technical skills, what
knowledge, what soft skills – problem
solving, teamwork, critical thinking
— what does someone hiring look for?
What do you need today? What do you
think you’ll need in the future?
We take that and follow it with real
survey data. Employers and employees
will rank current job needs, skill needs,
and anticipated future needs to provide
an overall picture of what types of talent
they can actually hire.
Once you have those questions
answered, what’s next?
Cramer: The development of every
PRIME® program depends on the
strategic plan. This really is a long-term
effort and it needs to be – the last thing
we want is to build something that
doesn’t meet the needs of employers or
benefits the career aspirations of the
students. That wastes resources, time
and redoubles the original problem.
When we go into a school, we’re
transforming how that school interacts
with students and local employers. We
train teachers to inspire students for
new opportunities. New equipment and
technology is purchased. We host events
to inform the student’s community
— teachers, counselors, parents —
about the benefits of a PRIME®
education. The more everyone moves
toward the common goal of getting
students career-ready upon graduation,
the more everyone is invested in seeing
the process succeed.
Also, SME and the PRIME®
program is working on this through the
whole process. We’ll never go into a
community and say “here’s the strategic
plan, good luck.” We say “here’s our
framework, what do you need, let’s
work together to make it possible.”
Why is PRIME® worth a look from
Michigan manufacturers? Michigan
schools? The students’ parents?
Cramer: PRIME® provides manufacturers
with a direct line into the school. It offers
them the chance to give something tangible
back to the community and keep their
business growing. Manufacturers will
always need talent — finding it will
always be a priority. By investing in a
Magazine 7
Get More!
Interested in starting a PRIME® school
in your community? Connect with
MMA’s Mike Johnston, at 517-487-8554
or [email protected], to learn more.
solution that is employer-driven, a
manufacturer is more likely to find the
right fit for the current job and the best fit
for long-term career paths at the company.
Schools should be invested in seeing
students succeed after graduation. The
learning experience should always have
a purpose behind it and in the K-12
system the primary purpose is to prepare
students for what comes next. When a
student struggles to find a career, that hurts
them, the school and the community.
We can help fix that.
Finally, parents want their children to
succeed and have a career that’s relevant.
That begins by taking the right classes
and learning relevant skills. PRIME®
doesn’t just work with local schools and
local employers, we are also partners
MMA Honored with SME 2017 Outstanding Partner Award
MMA received the SME Education
Foundation’s 2017 Outstanding Partner
Award during the SME International Awards
Gala, an annual award recognizing
organizations for their commitment to
strengthening the manufacturing workforce
and educating young people about the
unlimited career possibilities in manufacturing.
“MMA is excited about the potential
opportunities to boost the talent pipeline
and improve the image of manufacturing
careers to youth across Michigan,” says
Chuck Hadden, MMA president and
CEO. “Manufacturing is the largest sector
in the Michigan economy, and we’re
proud to partner with the SME Education
Foundation and the PRIME network to
deliver real talent solutions.”
Since combining efforts in 2016,
MMA and the Foundation have been
collaborating with manufacturers about
developing new PRIME® programs at
high schools across Michigan to inspire,
prepare and support the next generation
manufacturing workforce.
“From day one, the MMA has been
an outstanding partner, introducing us to
manufacturing leaders in the state who
are challenged with finding and retaining
MMA President & CEO Chuck Hadden, right, with
the SME Education Foundation’s Brian Glowiak
at the SME International Awards Gala where
MMA was presented with the SME Education
Foundation’s 2017 Outstanding Partner Award.
a skilled workforce,” said Brian Glowiak,
vice president of the SME Education
Foundation. “We are confident that
joining efforts with MMA will help
develop the pipeline of skilled technicians.”