NAM Applauds National Skilled Technician Certifica
Washington, DC, September 26, 2006 – The National Association of Manufacturers today praised a nationally-recognized certification program for skilled “production technicians” developed by the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC).
“This is a breakthrough with great implications for the future of manufacturing in the United States,” NAM President John Engler said. “Introduction of this certification program underscores growing recognition that America must do a better job of training and educating our workforce to remain competitive in the global economy.”
Engler further explained that the shortage of skilled workers and a looming skills gap are among the biggest challenge facing U.S. manufacturing. “In survey after survey, our members tell us they are having real difficulty finding qualified applicants. We believe this new certification program will help address this growing skills gap by making it clear to workers what skills they need to work in manufacturing, and at the same time enable manufacturers to identify applicants who have the requisite skills.”
“The skills learned in the MSSC certification program will help to increase productivity and innovation in all manufacturing sectors,” said James McCaslin, President & COO, Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Chair of the MSSC Board of Directors. “The program will provide highly skilled workers who are flexible, agile and able to meet future manufacturing needs.”
According to the NAM’s 2005 Skills Gap Report, 90 percent of respondents to a survey identified a moderate to severe shortage of qualified skilled production employees including machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors and technicians. Engineers and scientists are also in short supply.
“There are two important problems the MSSC system addresses,” said Keith Romig of the United Steelworkers, the chair of the MSSC’s labor caucus. “The first is that many workers in our industries do have the skills they need to perform their jobs at a high level. What they lack is any formal means of certifying the fact, either to their current employers or to prospective future employers. Furthermore, as noted by the previous speakers, our educational system is not training a sufficient number of new workers in these vital industrial skills.”
John Rauschenberger, Manager of Personnel Research & Development for Ford Motor Company, said that as workforce competence looms ever larger as a serious challenge to industry, nationally-recognized certification will provide a basis for documenting competency across all sectors. “This unique system is the definitive nationwide program for creating a much larger pool of production workers with strong cross-cutting, multidisciplinary competencies that has the flexibility to adjust to rapid change,” Rauschenberger said. “MSSC’s industry-led and federally-recognized skill standards remain the most authoritative and comprehensive definition of the skills and knowledge needed in manufacturing today and into the foreseeable future. The MSSC system will be a major benefit for manufacturers both large and small who require competent employees to remain competitive.”
“If manufacturing in America is to continue its global leadership in innovation and productivity, education and training reform must be a top priority on all fronts,” added Engler. “The 21st Century workforce requires a different kind of education – and it’s time that we start better preparing our young people for these careers.”
