CBIA focusing on workforce solutions

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Over the last 20 years, the preparation of a skilled workforce has consistently been one of CBIA members’ top concerns. The CBIA Education Foundation is pursuing both long- and short-term solutions to employers’ workforce needs:

by working to improve the quality of education so that graduates of the state’s public schools have the skills and knowledge needed for today’s highly technical jobs, and

by helping employers obtain grant funding and other resources to train their employees.

The association is also collaborating with the National Association of Manufacturers’ Center for Workforce Success on a careers awareness campaign to counteract outdated perceptions about manufacturing that have discouraged people from pursuing careers in the industry. The year-long campaign aims to expose young adults (ages 18 to 28) and students to the high-tech, high-wage careers in advanced manufacturing. The campaign’s components will include:

marketing materials highlighting modern manufacturing careers;

opportunities for educators and students to visit, job shadow and intern in modern manufacturing facilities;

a technology-company expo to expose educators and students to cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and careers;

a National Manufacturing Day, featuring company tours for visitors from their communities;

workshops on advanced-technology education, hosted by industry for math, science and technology teachers; and

efforts to work with the machining and CAD (computer-aided design) programs in the state’s vocational-technical high schools to ensure that their curriculums and equipment meet current manufacturing requirements.