ii Bloomberg Businessweek Case in the News sos Training Day Authoni Carol Hymowit mes Michoel Logsdon. a Workforce Initiatives at JPMorgan opportunities in manufectunng? Louisville auto mechanic, hadnt Chase & Co which helps fund says been in a classroom in 40 years KentuckianaWorks as part of a when his company went out of bus $250 To ensure that its ciculum million commitment to support meets employers' needs, Kentuck ness in 2015, but he was keen to training for manufocturing, health anaWorks, which has an anual learn something new. He enroliled in care, and other middlie-income jobs. budget of about $700,000, enisted a free program for blue-collar work KentuckienaWorks other funders local manufacturers, Including Car- ers at KentuckianaWorks, a regional include the Loulsville Redevelop-dinal Aluminum, Ford Motor, and job-services group that offers edu ment Authority, the Nationial Fund i Kellogg to help design two training cation and training courses and for Workforce Solutions, and sev programs: the five-week CPT course and a basic two-week version connects stuadents with prospec eral foundations tive employers. In five weeks, he Over the next decade, 3.4 million Both programs are intensive and got certified production technician manufacturing jobs are expected to have trained people age 18-60 Only (CPT) training and was hired weeks become available as baby boomers 56 percent of those who start one later at Atlas Copco AB, the Swed retire and economic growth spurs stick with it to the end, but those work opportunities, according to who do usually find jobs quickly I had a long Interview, but a 2015 study by the ManufacturSince 2014, when the training was ish too-and-equipment maker it wasn't until. I talked about the ing Institute, a Washington-based launched, 973 graduates have courses r'd taken and showed my think tank, and Deloitte LLC But a been hired at partner companies grades that they wanted me." says skills gap could result in 2 million of at an average salary of about $13 Logsdon, 59, who now repairs tools those jobs staying unfilled, Work an hour. Cindy Read, deputy direc used by atomakers and equip- ers are most lacking in computing tor of KentuckianaWorks, says most and technical skills, as well as basic math and problem-soliving the bring factory Jobs back to the U.S. study found. More than 80 percent and get credentials, and then you from overseas, but many blue f 450 US. executives surveyed stick it out on a job and are willing collar workers are hurt more by said the gap will affect their abil- to learn, you can move up quickly ity to meet customer demand, and tion Unskilled assembly-line work 78 percent said it wil make it more metal fabricator with 350 employ- has been replaced by so-called difficult for them to use new tech ees that makes commercial roof advanced manufacturing jobs that nologies and increase productivity. products and heating, ventilation, ment manufacturers Trump are entry-level production jobs, "but if you've had the discipline to train Donald promises to a lack of skills than by globaliza- That's the case at KCC Cos., a require some computer, informa- tion technology, or other technical If you're wrapping 300 Her and air-conditioning units. The shey chocolate kisses a minute, you knowledge In Detroit, Loulsville, need to know how to use a robot, Works graduates in the past year. Grand Rapids, Mich, and other and if you're making tiny instru The basic training they get sets manufacturing hubs, many employ ments for medical equipment, you them apart from other entry-level ers can't find workers with those need to understand mechatron candidates, and once they're hired company has In Detroit, Louisville, need to know how to use a robot, Works graduates in the past year skills. ics," says Fred Dedrick, president we can expand their knowledge. Manufacturing jobs are here and chief executive officer of the says Michael Kopp, a KCC recruiter but you National Fund for Workforce Solu He attends at least one session of and growing in numbers can't just show up at a plant after tions, a nonprofit that works with every course to meet trainees and high school and get hired any 32 job-training programs across the talk about the company. Kopp also some special country. "Some big companies have keeps in touch with instructors. "Not zed training and certifications, closed and left devastation, but everyone we've hired has worked it's inaccurate to say there aren't out" he says, "but our retention 323
