Highlighting efforts to close the manufacturing skills gap

The industry has been buzzing with the need to do something about the skills gap in manufacturing. For the upcoming Plastics News Executive Forum, this subject is at the forefront. The keynote address will be delivered by Gardner Carrick, senior director of strategic initiatives with Washington-based Manufacturing Institute. His address will be based on MI's 2011 Skills Gap study done in conjunction with Deloitte Consulting LLP. Now, a manufacturer within the plastics industry is doing its part. Machinery maker Milacron LLC of Cincinnati, has announced its own initiative to attract and cultivate talent. For college students, Milacron has announced that it will offer up to 10 $1,000 scholarships each year to help new Milacron employees pay for continuing with their postsecondary technical education. Milacron also is reinstating a program to provide co-op and apprenticeship training for high school seniors. The company is focusing on co-op programs with vocational schools in Southwestern Ohio, such as Great Oaks Career campuses, a system that serves 35 school districts in that region. The Manufacturing Institute also recently announced a partnership with the University of Phoenix to develop the next generation of highly educated and competitive manufacturing workers. Through this program, the groups will offer 20 full-tuition scholarships for undergraduate and graduate degrees. If you're a manufacturer, are you taking any steps in your company to address this need? We'd love to hear your comments.