01/08/2008
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by Aaron Wood
Economic Development Council for Central
IllinoisA rapid shift in innovation
has caused a change in the required skill set for manufacturing
employees.
An employee stares intently at a computer monitor,
carefully scrutinizing diagnostic software, adjusting minute settings
according to up-to-the-second conditions. Highly trained, this employee
is qualified to monitor and control every aspect of the workroom
environment, from sophisticated computer processes to the sensitive
workings of intricate machinery. Naturally, one might assume that this
individual is a PhD scientist or an engineer with a master’s degree and
20 years of experience in industry. One might be surprised to learn
that this worker is an illustration of the modern manufacturing
climate.
Quite plainly, manufacturing is evolving.
It is no longer solely the world of cavernous factories and dirt and
grime; workers no longer go home covered in grease and soot. Not to say
that employees don’t work up a sweat or that vast spaces aren’t needed:
large manufacturing is still a critical component of the economy on a
local, state and national scale. However, specialized manufacturing has
developed naturally, out of progress and necessity. Rapid technological
innovation and productivity increases have caused manufacturing to
become intensively specialized. With explosions in computing power and
automation, the very definition of the factory has become blurred, and
facilities often resemble scientific labs more than the traditional
notion of a manufacturing facility.
Such changes
demand a workforce with an expanded skill set, and employees now need
more than a desire to work with their hands. Employees must now possess
well-developed technical skills, creativity and logical problem-solving
capabilities. These rapid changes have increased demand for talented
labor, and specialized manufacturers are seeking prospective employees
for jobs that offer family wages and excellent benefits.
That
is where the Specialized Manufacturing Strategy Group of the Economic
Development Council steps in. One year ago, the EDC organized 11
strategy groups to develop existing comparative advantages of the
Greater Peoria Region and create jobs through business expansion,
retention and recruitment. Each group focuses on a particular advantage
and consists of volunteer professionals working to bolster the local
economy. According to EDC Chief Operating Officer Vickie Clark,
“Manufacturing is one of our region’s key job growth areas, and the
Specialized Manufacturing Strategy Group is a critical component in our
efforts to retain, expand and recruit companies in this business
sector.” With workforce development as one of its main concerns, the
Specialized Manufacturing Strategy Group is a diverse committee that
represents a wide variety of interests in the area of specialized
manufacturing.
Members of the
strategy group include representatives of manufacturers large and
small, educators at the secondary and post-secondary level, and
professionals who work with manufacturing firms. Together, they aim to
demonstrate the attractiveness of employment in modern manufacturing
and supply local firms with quality employees. Their initiatives
include collaborative efforts between firms and educators, internal
training and public policies to facilitate educational improvements.
For instance, Advanced Technology Services (ATS)
and Illinois Central College collaborate to offer the Multi-Skilled
Technical Career Program, a 40-week certificate course that prepares
students to maintain mechanical and electrical production assets.
According to Jessica Bulfer of ATS, students spend 32 hours a week on
their education, developing practical skills under experienced
teachers. The program commenced with a group of seven students, and
another 17 comprise the second class. ATS and ICC are optimistic about
the potential growth of the program; a third wave of students will
begin this fall. The program targets high school students, displaced
workers and members of the military, and loans, grants and the GI Bill
can be used to defray the cost of
tuition.
On the secondary educational
level, PERFECT (Peoria Educational Region for Employment and Career
Training) administers and coordinates career and technical education
programs in the area, and the program has oversight in District 150
high schools, as well as schools from Dunlap to Princeville. PERFECT,
in partnership with area businesses and the union construction
industry, offers services ranging from career day events for students
to job shadow experiences for teachers.
Of
particular interest is the Construction Industry Work-Based Learning
Program, a vocational curriculum that allows students to spend one week
at various apprenticeship schools engaged in hands-on activities and
construction-related coursework. The program includes OSHA safety
training, blueprint reading, estimating and project management, and
students are able to participate in internships at local union
contractors in their chosen vocation.
Elsewhere,
several additional programs in place assist high school students
pursuing their education and help them transition to a career in
specialized manufacturing. As a private firm collaborating with the
educational system to cultivate skilled employees, Excel Foundry and
Machine works with Pekin High School to incorporate students into its
labor force through work-based learning. Additionally, Peoria Promise
has the potential to be incredibly beneficial for specialized
manufacturing. A program for residents of Peoria who graduate from a
public high school, Peoria Promise will subsidize educational expenses
at ICC and help Peorians obtain degrees and certificates as they train
for work in modern manufacturing.
Family-wage jobs
and excellent benefits are available to those who obtain employment in
specialized manufacturing; however, the rapid shift in innovation has
caused a change in the required skill set for manufacturing employees.
Through the work of the Specialized Manufacturing Strategy Group,
central Illinois is readying its future workers for meaningful
employment, thereby bolstering the local economy and strengthening our
comparative advantage in specialized manufacturing.
For additional information on the Specialized
Manufacturing Strategy Group, contact Sally Hanley, Business
Development Director at the EDC (309-495-5953, shanley@edc.h-p.org).
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