Manufacturing careers campaign expanding across America

Source: Manufacturing Digital

Date :6/8/2007 9:30:58 AM

Dream It. Do It. is aimed at attracting young people to manufacturing careers and expanding their educational and training opportunities to meet a growing demand for skilled workers.

Governor Mitch Daniels joins the coalition of business leaders, educators and others with an interest in the economic future of Southeast Indiana in support of the new program.

Developed by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Manufacturing Institute, Dream It. Do It. began in Kansas City in 2005 and has spread to regions in Virginia, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, Washington State and Illinois. In partnership with Indiana’s Region 9 Workforce Board, the SE Indiana campaign comprises a 10-county region that includes the cities of Columbus, Greensburg, Seymour, Madison, North Vernon, Lawrenceburg and Batesville.

“Southeast Indiana is a role model for regions seeking to improve their global competitiveness by creating a skilled workforce,” says NAM President and CEO John Engler. “America can’t compete without skilled workers. Eighty percent of NAM members are having trouble finding qualified employees for today’s dynamic, high-tech workplace – and this problem is getting worse as the Baby Boom generation retires.”

Nationally, the skilled worker shortage is reflected in a 2005 Skills Gap Report commissioned by the NAM and The Manufacturing Institute:

• 90 percent reported a moderate to severe shortage of qualified skilled production employees such as machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, technicians;

• 83 percent reported shortages are currently impacting their ability to serve customers.

Dream It. Do It. helps young people identify what they are passionate about and find fulfilling careers in manufacturing, where the average annual compensation nationally is $63,000 –20 percent higher than in the rest of the economy. There are more than 600 advanced manufacturing companies in Southeast Indiana, and they report a need for more CNC operators, engineers, technicians, machinists and general production workers.

“This program will help build on our recent successes with the Cummins expansion, the new Honda plant and dozens of other economic development projects in southeastern Indiana,” says Governor Mitch Daniels.

“Thousands of advanced manufacturing jobs are -- or soon will be -- available in Southeast Indiana, and they need to be filled with a workforce that is regionally trained,” says John Burnett, chairman of Dream It. Do It. SE Indiana. “Dream It. Do It. SE Indiana will align our education, workforce and economic growth strategies so that more individuals can be aware of and participate in the great opportunities afforded by careers in advanced manufacturing.”

“Cummins made the decision to locate our new light duty diesel engine plant and invest $250 million in Columbus, largely because of the commitment by all stakeholders to support the Dream It. Do It campaign in Southeast Indiana,” says Joe Loughrey, president and chief operating officer of Cummins, Inc., and chairman of The Manufacturing Institute. “Dream It. Do It. excites young people about careers in modern manufacturing and helps them prepare for the growing technical demands of the workplace. Our region will need an additional 2,800 skilled individuals when Cummins’ new plant and Honda’s new auto plant open here in 2008 -- and the Dream It. Do It. campaign will help Southeast Indiana meet the increased demand for those skilled workers.”

“Dream It. Do It. is the unique and home-grown initiative of the NAM’s Manufacturing Institute. The launch in SE Indiana brings us one step closer to making Dream It. Do It. a national campaign that will inspire more young people across the country to prepare for and pursue a career in advanced manufacturing. We commend Joe Loughrey for leading the way in Indiana,” Engler concludes.