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In response to the needs of America’s manufacturers, the NAM launched the National Center for the American Workforce in January 2008. Vision: An educated and prepared manufacturing workforce for the 21st century Mission: To advance public policies and public and private investments to ensure an educated and prepared manufacturing workforce, positioning American manufacturers with a competitive advantage in the 21st century global economy. The Center will initially focus on: Marketing manufacturing, re-establishing public recognition of the critical role American manufacturing plays in ensuring national security and securing the nation’s leadership in the global economy. Developing the cyber presence for manufacturers, using technology to “meet young people where they are” and connecting industry and educators to promising practices in recruitment, training, retention, and advancement. Building and deploying partnerships and initiatives to expand the talent pool for manufacturers. Early targets will include: at-risk youth, separating military personnel, transitioning workers, welfare recipients, women. Developing an NAM-endorsed skills certification system to support career pathways and education curriculum. Developing measures of capacity and quality of educational and job training programs for manufacturing occupations in demand. Creating and deploying a Career and Technical Education agenda for the 21st century, expanding promising practices in secondary and post-secondary education. This includes expanding the community college system’s role in manufacturing education. Expanding successful strategies in developing the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce. Expanding entrepreneurial training and support networks to encourage innovation, driving new product design and features. Developing and deploying the workforce development strategies necessary to support new manufacturing technologies and sector growth, e.g., building the alternative energy workforce.

KEY DOCUMENTS

• Building Tomorrow’s Workforce: Promoting the Education & Advancement of Hispanic Immigrant Workers in America - 5/27/2008 (PDF)
  During the next decade, one out of every four new workers in the United States will be an immigrant from Latin America. While some of these newcomers speak English well and enter the United States with strong academic credentials and skills, most do not. Funded by the Lumina Foundation, a study was led by Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) and supported by its partners, including the Manufacturing Institute. A report of the study presents promising employer/community college partnerships that expand access to higher education and benefit low-skilled, immigrant Hispanic adults. Partnerships examined in the report met three basic criteria: results with students, employer engagement, and participation of community colleges.
• National Center for the American Workforce Overview - 4/16/2008 (DOC)
• Tough Choices or Tough Times - 1/11/2007 (HTML)
  On December 14, 2006, the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce unveiled recommendations calling for substantial changes in the American education and workforce system. Members of the Commission included John Engler, William Brock, Roderick Paige, Richard Riley, Joel Klein and Susan Sclafani, among others. To read more about the report, Tough Choices or Tough Times, visit the National Center for Education and the Economy website http://www.skillscommission.org/.
• Framework of Competencies by the Advanced Manufacturing Industry - 5/24/2006 (PDF)
• Nation Loses More Than $3.7 Billion Annually From Inadequate Basic Skills - 9/12/2006 (PDF)
  Community colleges bear the brunt of an inadequate high school education by providing students with remediation. It costs taxpayers and students $1.4 billion dollars to provide remedial courses to recent high school graduates each year. According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, the expense of remediation includes the public resources supporting remedial coursework at two-year institutions, tuition costs and the opportunity cost of lost time and wages. Seventy percent of ninth graders finish high school in four years, but only half of these students graduate with the skills necessary to receive postsecondary training. For an estimate of how much remedial education costs your state, visit the report Paying Double: Inadequate High Schools and Community College Remediation.
• To the Point: Education and Workforce Readiness - 3/9/2006 (PDF)

KEY LINKS

• Workforce³One
  Workforce³One is a collaborative effort that represents the merging of national, state, and local leadership into one system committed to embracing and installing a demand-driven culture in the publicly funded workforce system. You will find tools, resources, and live web events that offer workforce development solutions.