West Virginia Executive Spring 2019 | Page 59

Bridging the Gap Building a Manufacturing Workforce Photo by Robert C. Byrd Institute. KRISTEN UPPERCUE The growth of West Virginia’s natural gas industry is bringing with it ample opportunity for revitalization in the man- ufacturing industry—and the need for a skilled workforce. West Virginia sits on a wealth of nat- ural gas, including the Marcellus Shale basin, which holds 141 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas—enough to last into the next century, according to Forbes. Natural gas can be used to man- ufacture everyday products like plastics, paint and clothing and has domestically transformed the U.S. economy by creating jobs throughout the country, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. The growth of the natural gas industry has opened the door for new businesses to enter West Virginia, thus creating more manufacturing jobs. While there are about 1,000 manufacturing positions available in the Mountain State, Explore the New Manufacturing reports that there are not enough trained professionals here to fill those jobs. To offset this shortage of skilled workers and help the state take advantage of the economic growth opportunity within these industries, organizations around the state are stepping up to the plate with programs to educate and prepare the workforce for opportunity. Apprenticeship Works, Ex- plore the New Manufacturing and Step Up for Women Advanced Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship are just three of the available programs designed to help fill the gap for these burgeoning industries. Apprenticeship Works For the last 30 years, the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) at Marshall University has offered customized training and quality technical services to manufacturers. To help fill the need of companies that re- quire a more robust training program, RCBI launched the Apprenticeship Works program for manufacturers in 2016. This program, which is partially funded by a $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Depart- ment of Labor American Apprenticeship Initiative, holds active apprentices in 16 states in many occupations, including quality technicians, 3-D printing and press operation. Apprenticeship Works is valuable to the manufacturing industry because it trains new hires and incumbent workers in more than 20 advanced manufacturing occupations. This program also encour- ages residents who are looking for a new career—especially veterans, youth and women—to get involved. “We have three apprenticeship pro- grams for disadvantaged youth, veterans and women,” says Lucinda Curry, director of workforce development at RCBI. “We are encouraging them through pre-ap- prenticeship training to learn more about manufacturing as an industry and about the careers and career pathways in man- ufacturing for good, living-wage jobs.” This program strives to build and expand manufacturing sector appren- ticeships nationwide by offering on-the- job training, related technical instruction and courses that teach people skills, qual- ity and safety. As the apprentice moves through the program, he or she moves up a wage progression scale to demon- strate competencies and complete related instruction. Curry believes the apprenticeship pro- gram benefits not only the employers and employees involved but also the state as WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM SPRING 2019 57