Government officials are paying more attention to manufacturing these days. It’s now politically prudent to preach the merits of reshoring, near-shoring, and the return of the “good manufacturing job.” Of course, this also puts more scrutiny on manufacturing as an industry. Are these good companies, are they really providing good jobs, and are they helping communities grow?
Posts Tagged ‘Education’
No votes for education?
October 24th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell
By: Vicki Bell
The current survey on thefabricator.com’s homepage asks which issue in the upcoming presidential election is most important to site visitors. It’s no surprise that the economy, including taxes, debt and deficit, and jobs, is the No. 1 concern with 55 percent of the votes.
Of the 13 remaining choices listed, 12 have earned one or more percent. The only choice that hasn’t received a single vote as of this writing is education.
Setting aside the fact that education likely may be among the choices of those who selected the option “several are of equal importance to me” (24 percent), it honestly concerns me that not one person chose it as most important. Have we simply become comfortable with the status of education in the U.S.? (More about this later.) Do we think that unless the others issues are addressed—for example, job creation—education doesn’t matter all that much? (more...)
A skilled-labor crisis, or crisis of character?
September 19th, 2012
By: Tim Heston
By: Tim Heston
The Chicago teacher’s strike has a silver lining. It has gotten us talking about problems in education. These are problems metal fabricators are all too familiar with, thanks to the ongoing skilled labor crisis. Last weekend This American Life aired a show that asked a question that’s so basic it’s a little embarrassing that we have to ask it: What do our children really need to know to succeed?
'Manufacturing is wealth creation'
March 14th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell
By: Vicki Bell
I've said it before, and I'll say it again … the very best part of my job is hearing from readers. It doesn't matter whether the reader shares my views or thinks I’m 'out to lunch.' What matters is that he or she feels strongly about the topic and takes the time to share his or her view. Each comment contributes to the ensuing conversation and provides further food for thought.
Responding to last week's "Stamping News Brief" e-newsletter, a reader from Oregon shared his views about technical training in the U.S.
The newsletter featured comments provoked by the blog post "Adding technical training back into high schools," in which a commenter took businesses to task for discontinuing apprenticeship programs and now looking to educational systems to ramp up training on the taxpayers' dime. (more...)
Adding technical tracks back into high schools
February 29th, 2012
By: Vicki Bell
By: Vicki Bell
Ever read something that makes you see red? Occasionally, I do. In fact, this happened to me Tuesday morning as I read an article on msnbc.com with the headline "Some employers want return of vo-ed training."
My first reaction? "No kidding; this is old news." The metalworking industry has been bemoaning the demise of vocational training programs for years. However, it was a paragraph later in the article did not sit well with me. The sad thing is, it may be true. (more...)
College isn't for everyone
August 26th, 2011
By: Dan Davis
By: Dan Davis
The technology press is all atwitter about the resignation of Steve Jobs as the day-to-day leader of Apple. The hullabaloo is probably warranted given that his company's products have revolutionized the world. The Apple® I was the first personal computer, forever influencing the way people communicated and conducted business. The iPod® turned the music industry on its head because a music collection was now as mobile as the music collector. The iPhone® is a smart phone that's destroying other market segments, such as mobile gaming and global positioning systems. Meanwhile, people still are trying to wrap their heads around what the iPad® means to everyone's personal and professional lives. Arguably, Jobs might have the best resume of anyone alive today.
Class of 2011
April 27th, 2011
By: Vicki Bell
By: Vicki Bell
Are you graduating from college this year, or do you know someone who is? This year's graduates may have something to celebrate besides their newly earned degrees. According to a report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers plan to hire 19.3 percent more recent graduates this year than last. (more...)
Educating the workforce instead of training
April 1st, 2011
By: Dan Davis
By: Dan Davis
"You train a dog. You educate a person."
That's the note an industrial technology educator sent to us after reading a recent "Fabricating Update" e-newsletter that contained comments lamenting the lack of skilled workers in the U.S. We received 10 or so responses, but that one sentence really has stuck with me. I think it captures the public's mindset about manufacturing. (more...)
U.S. No. 1, but for how long?
February 2nd, 2011
By: Vicki Bell
By: Vicki Bell
Yesterday I was happy to read an article that said the U.S. is No. 1 in manufacturing, out-producing China — No. 2 — by more than 40 percent. It's an interesting article that chronicles what's happening in manufacturing: U.S. factories are closing; American manufacturing jobs are reappearing overseas; and China's industrial might is growing each year. (more...)
The U.S. gets its report card
December 10th, 2010
By: Dan Davis
By: Dan Davis
In case you didn't know, we're raising a generation of kids that aren't as sharp as their peers around the world.
That's the story according to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) released Tuesday by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. In 2009 the group gave a set of standardized tests that weigh reading comprehension, mathematics, and science to half a million 15-year-olds in 65 countries. (more...)
