• Negative Public Image/ Lack of Career Awareness and Information
• Too Few Workers in the Pipeline
• New Workers Entering Manufacturing Lack Basic Foundation Skills
• Difficult to Hire and Retain Limited English Proficient Workers
• Inadequate STEM knowledge/skills development for technicians and pre-engineers (middle skill jobs)
• Workplace Requirements Outpacing Skills of Current Workforce

I liked the way the meeting was structured - rather than focusing on the challenges we started as if they were agreed upon.  We were given a list of strategies that exist and may address one or more these challenges.  Then we considered barriers in the way of implementing these strategies to move toward overcoming the challenges.  Then we considered ways to measure whether or not the strategy was actually working.  Rather than focus on all 6 challenges we broke into groups and focused on the challenge that each participant felt was the most important.

Like many problems, these are pretty big to tackle - many of them lead right back into primary education.  Kids, in the general sense, aren't coming out of High School able to do math, write coherently or problem-solve.  There are no longer shop (vocational) classes in schools, so no one comes out with basic vocational skills, either.  OK, so that's where we stand now - given that it's unlikely we will be unable to change this without a major societal, systemic change to worldviews (Hey, people!  Education and skill-building are good!  Let's support our schools!). 

So, for now, how can a group of manufacturers, educators, bureaucrats and workforce development specialists address these challenges?  The people at this meeting did have some ideas.  I heard "let's not reinvent the wheel" probably 5 times.  Basically, the idea is to use what's already working and expand it.  There were a number of strategies people seemed to feel show promise and have apparently successful pilot projects or successful implementation in other areas.  Oregon Pathways for Adult Basic Skills Transition to Education and Work (OPABS) was a strategy that may help address more than one of the above challenges.  Another was Project Lead-the-Way.  There was an idea that Career Fairs, Expos and alliances could be used as a way to help change the public image of manufacturing.  There was some talk of redefining the "manufacturing" industry sector to "technology and innovation."  Rather brilliant, that.  Unlikely, though.  People were clamoring for greater partnerships, networks and alliances.

More work is required before a workable Action Plan is developed.

- Monty