Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/245761
On the web To learn more about the alliance or to become a member, visit www. newmfgalliance.org. the industry's biggest hurdles. "I think my biggest heartburn is manufacturing has always had a negative connotation, that they weren't well-paying jobs, that there weren't good careers in manufacturing," Kettler says. "We've got to promote just how manufacturing has grown over the years in both technology and in skillsbased jobs." Manufacturing is "filled with hightech equipment that takes skilled, knowledgeable people to run the equipment," Kettler says. "We really need to create our workforce," Kettler says. "If we're not out doing it, who is going to do it? So, if you truly care about manufacturing, it is incumbent on us to continue to drive that positive view and change that view of manufacturing for the 21st century." Kettler says that along with technical skills, employers are looking for workers strong in so-called "soft skills," such as communication and work ethic. "That's been one of our key strategic initiatives for the last couple of years," Kaiser said at the New North summit presentation of the Vitality Index. "It's a difficult issue to get your arms around because it's hard to measure. We're committed to continuing down a path to try to figure out a solution to this and work with both the K-12 and the secondary schools to try to figure out how we can improve this area." These employability skills are often thought of as secondary, Peacock says. "What I hear from employers is, 'If kids had some basic knowledge and skills, I can teach them what they need to do to be a good employee, as far as building something or making something, but I can't teach them those interpersonal skills to the level that they need to have them by the time they show up here.' " The alliance's Development Task Force worked for a couple of years creating a leadership academy for frontline production workers, using a survey of members to target the most-needed soft skills. Lakeshore Technical College offered the first peer leader training programs and now NWTC is offering them as well. "That's one of the keys of this organization, is hearing the voice of manufacturers," Franz says. "When you think that 23 percent of all our jobs are in manufacturing, it's critical that we have people thinking as a whole about the workforce." The future R eggie Newson, secretary of the state Department of Workforce Development, says the alliance's collaboration with educators is a best practices model Manufacturing Vitality Index To see a copy of the report, visit www. newmfgalliance.org. for other Wisconsin regions keeping an eye on what's happening in the New North. "That's why we like to spend so much time up there working with them," says Newson, who has spoken at the alliance's Manufacturing First conference. "They really are setting the stage for what we want to do statewide." Franz would like to see membership grow by 30 percent in the coming years to help give the alliance a stronger voice with the state. "Our goal is that every student and parent will know that manufacturing is a viable career choice and that awareness is critical for them to make good decisions," Franz says. "We don't expect every child to go into manufacturing, but they need to be exposed to know what those careers are, and then they can make that choice. "We're excited about the future because we've seen that the messaging is resonating. We just have a lot more to do." – Associate editor Nikki Kallio is a member of the NEWMA Communications Task Force. "What I hear from employers is, 'If kids had some basic knowledge and skills, I can teach them what they need to do to be a good employee, as far as building something or making something, but I can't teach them those interpersonal skills to the level that they need to have them by the time they show up here.'" – Lori Peacock , Green Bay Area Public Schools career and technical education partnerships and programs coordinator and a member of the alliance's K-12 task force w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m January 2014 • / insight on manufacturing | 13