Posts Tagged ‘manufacturing skills’

Prairie State College Starts Innovative Mobile Training Program

Wednesday, February 26th, 2020

At the Made in America trade show last October, I stopped by the booth of Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL and met Craig Schmidt. V. P. of Community and Economic Development and Jim Kvedaras, Consultant. They were at the show to publicize the launch of their new Mobile Training Center (MTC) program that will provide innovative ways to train and retain workers and minimize workplace interruptions. Craig told me, “We recently received an Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to create the MTC.  We used that grant and matching college funds to build two mobile training centers that can be moved at will to bring hands-on training to a company site.”

Last week, I checked back with Craig and Jim to see how the program was going.  He said they have been identifying manufacturers that would benefit from the program and will start the program at Ford Motor Company’s Stamping plant the week of March 16.  They have additional companies lined up.

He explained, “By using the MTCs, employers save the time and expense of sending employees off site to locations for industrial skills training, and workers will not be inconvenienced by having to commute to a community college campus or other location for training. We’ve been offering training in manufacturing skills about 41 of the 60 years since the College opened in 1958. Today, manufacturers need new ways to address the skills gap and retain their workers to be competitive in the global economy. Mobile training can provide some of those ways, and our local manufacturers wanted the training to be brought to them.”

“We’re the first in the area to have these,” he said. “Larger companies that operate three shifts around the clock will be able to provide equal and training opportunities to employees.  It’s all focused on advanced manufacturing. The top priority is to upskill current employees.”

He explained, “The MTCs are two 53 ft. highway truck trailers that are temperature controlled, Wi-Fi enabled, and handicap accessible.  The MTCs can come on demand, so that training doesn’t have to be confined to whatever facilities an employer can make available without shutting down production lines. The MTCs can be moved to other plant locations, providing training opportunities for more employees, and then moved to other employers.  Employers can work with the college to design a training curriculum based on their goals, while minimizing production downtime while the training takes place.”

Craig provided me with a brochure that explained that one trailer is a welding unit and the other is a manufacturing unit.  The welding trailer is “equipped with eight multiprocess welding stations and two virtual reality/augmented Arc welding simulation.” Students will learn “welding setup, operation, and troubleshooting using Miller multiprocess welders.”

The manufacturing unit is described as being equipped with the following equipment:

  • “Emco machines
  • Haas simulators,
  • Manual mill/lathe Combo machining centers
  • ABB Robotic operations for operation and troubleshooting
  • 3D printing capabilities”

The students will learn “PLC and electronics operation and troubleshooting using Siemens and Allen Bradley components” and be trained on “all CNC industry controls that are common to the market.”

The brochure states that MTCs offer:

  • “On-site, hands-on training using current technology
  • Customizable curriculum, including classroom instruction and practical application
  • Training that can be applied toward a college degree or as professional development
  • Lab exercises designed to enhance employee competence and performance”

The benefits to employers are described as:

  • “Minimize loss of production time and travel expenses
  • Increase engagement, efficiency, and retention
  • Maintain a competitive edge
  • Increase safety performance by uniform adherence to industry standards
  • Reduce the manufacturing skills gap”

Craig said, “We are also seeking company sponsorships to assist in offsetting the College’s match of the grant.  The College intends to put a portion of the sponsorship back into the community to promote manufacturing jobs to youth and train individuals who may not have easy access to education.”

I thanked Craig and Jim for the information and said that I hoped to see them at this year’s Made in America trade show in Detroit.  To learn more about the Prairie State College Mobile Training Center program, visit https://prairiestate.edu/MTC, call (708) 709-7722, or email mtc@prairiestate.edu.

When I browsed the College website, I learned that it also has a Department of Corporate and Continuing Education, which offers customized programs that are delivered either to company facilities or on their campus. Besides the typical business topics of business ethics, business writing, customer service, Secrets of Selling, and time management, the College also offers training in computer software and employee development topics.  The latter includes such topics as coaching and mentoring, leadership, and team building.

I was particularly pleased that the College offers training in Lean on such subjects as 5S Workplace Organization, Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma, and Total Productive Maintenance because becoming a Lean enterprise is key to being competitive in the global marketplace. 

All across the country, Community Colleges are taking the lead in providing education and training in the skills needed by today’s manufacturers.  What is still needed is more high schools restoring hands-on skills training at the high school level.  Let’s restore the “shop classes,” such as wood shop and machine shop and start mentoring middle school age children on the importance of choosing STEM careers. STEM careers include manufacturing because nearly all manufacturing today is based on advanced technology.

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FAME Develops World Class Manufacturing Technical Talent

Tuesday, February 4th, 2020

Over the past several years, I’ve written nearly 30 articles about programs that address the shortage of skilled manufacturing workers. Last Friday, I had the pleasure of being connected by a friend to interview Dennis Dio Parker, who heads up the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME). The purpose of FAME “is to be the driving force for developing global-best technical talent for manufacturing and other employers of technical workers.  FAME strives to be a powerful conduit between industry and education.”

Dennis told me that according to the 2018 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute Skills Gap and Future of Work study. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution is transforming the world of work through artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, automation, analytics, and the Internet of Things. Despite common fears, these technologies are likely to create more jobs than they replace—as illustrated by the tight labor conditions in the US and global manufacturing industry.”

While there was a shortage of about 500,000 unfilled jobs in 2018 due to the skills gap of manufacturing workers, the “study reveals that the skills gap may leave an estimated 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028, with a potential economic impact of 2.5 trillion.” The reason why 2028 is a watershed year for the age of workers is because the last of the Baby Boom generation (1946-1964) and the first of Generation X (1961-1981) would be starting to retire.

Dennis explained that the FAME Advanced Manufacturing Technician Program was an outgrowth of training that Toyota Motor North America provided for employees when they built their new manufacturing plant for vehicles in Georgetown, KY in 1987.  Dennis was one of the first 13 trainers hired to start the training in 1987 and he is the last one still working of the original 13 as he transitions to support transfer of the program after The Manufacturing Institute and Toyota Motor North America announced a partnership to hand-over operation and stewardship of FAME in September 2019.

Dennis added, “Toyota had the advantage of having a culture of continuous improvement, and we continually improve the program. The original vision was to have the training program set up at eight locations where Toyota has a manufacturing presence in North America. We wanted to have other manufacturers as partners in these regions to create a pool of skilled workers for all.  Part of our goal was to help solve the problem of the lack of skilled workers, but the problem is too big and endemic for one program to solve.  There are a lot of good programs, but FAME is different from the others in the way it is structured. This is an employer-led program, not an education-led program.”

When I asked how the training expanded out of Toyota, he said, “In 2005, Ernie Richardson and I made a proposal to Keith Bird, Kentucky Community Technical College Chancellor and Jim Kerley, BCTC President to build a new community college in Georgetown to introduce a new education program. The new campus design was established at NAPSC in 2006 and began operation with the first students in 2007.

With the campus in place, we completed development of the Advanced Manufacturing Technician program establishing an employer group to participate in it. I contacted Ken Carroll, then V. P. of the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, and worked with him to develop an employer collaborative to support the AMT program. We held the first discussions with other companies in 2008 – 2009, and by October we had formed an organization and elected officers. The first name was the Bluegrass Manufacturing Development Collaboration. (B-MDC)”

He explained why the program stalled, saying, “The Great Recession hit full force in 2009, and we decided to be inactive until business conditions improved. However, Toyota began the first AMT training class in August 2010 at the new campus. By 2011, business conditions had improved to the point that Ken and I decided that it was time to restart the B-MDC. On September 29, 2011, the group met again. We had invited a number of special guests to help relaunch the effort, including Jennifer McNelly, president of the Manufacturing Institute; Wil James, president of Toyota’s Kentucky plant; Dr. Vince Bertram, national president of Project Lead the Way; and Dr. Stanley Chase, a national expert on educational collaboration with business and industry. Since that meeting, the employers group supporting the AMT Program has been in continuous operation.”

Continuing, he said, “Other companies sponsored their first students in the AMT Program with the class of 2012 when 3M, Central Motor Wheel Manufacturing, and GR Spring added their students. In March of 2013 the re-born B-MDC elected new officers, installing Terry McMichael of 3M as President and Danette Wilder of SealingLife as Vice President.”

When I asked how the name was changed to FAME, he said, “The West Virginia Toyota plant started the AMT Program with their college and in close partnership with the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA). When West Virginia governor announced the start of the AMT Program, he also announced “WV FAME” as the name for the future group of manufacturers which would support AMT in West Virginia.  The “FAME” name was immediately recognized as a powerful promotional identifier for the whole Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathways effort, and with permission of the WVMA, we adopted FAME as the name for North American use, and the B-MDC voted to change the name of the group to KY FAME.”

He added, “On January 14, 2014, Governor Steve Beshear announced the formal incorporation of KY FAME as a state-wide organization with a state board of directors to guide it and direct support of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System adopted AMT as a state-wide degree track, available anywhere that a local FAME chapter formed. a KY FAME chapter.

Dennis expressed that the results of the training were so compelling that the FAME sites became a destination for educators and educational researchers, business and industry, and news organizations. The AMT programs in Kentucky began contributing to research and study efforts, and had over 1000 visitors from across the U.S. and six foreign nations.  It was judged by many national educators and workforce leaders to be the best 2-year technical program in the U.S.  

He said, “The results of the program and the publicity fueled the growth beyond what Toyota ever expected. It became more than what Toyota could effectively support.  Toyota wanted to maintain what they had, but wanted to establish it on a long-term basis. This is what led to the program being transitioned to management by The Manufacturing Institute. In order to help make this transition successful, I am now on assignment by Toyota for the next few years to manage the transition.”

Dennis explained, “There are currently 403 participating companies at 34 community college campuses and four universities in 13 states, and the numbers are growing every year. The reason for the success is that the employer, not the student, is the number one customer and the profoundly higher outcomes of FAME AMT graduates compared to traditional graduates.  The program incorporates the six professional behaviors, the seven essential behaviors, and the five professional practices, all soft skills, in addition to the manufacturing core exercises that are based on five Lean manufacturing practices.  As a result, the program provides globally competitive technicians that support the success of U. S. manufacturing. The program is a core pipeline for students to continue to Advanced Manufacturing Business and Advanced Manufacturing Engineer degrees. In the AMT program, students go to school three days a week, and work for their sponsoring manufacturer two days a week.  The students are paid for their work, and the student makes enough to pay their tuition, so they can graduate without any student debt.”

He elaborated on future strategies by saying, “We want to proactively change the equation for technical career pathways.  We have been partnering with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) to engage PreK-12 students in the career pathway because they have a comprehensive, seamless, and coordinated PreK -12 program nationwide.  Toyota and others are already providing plant tours to high school students in PLTW programs.  Currently, the PLTW national office supports FAME with development or material and other engagement activities and FAME supports the PLTW national office with PR and involvement with activities on a regional basis.

We also partner with the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) because they focus on encouraging young woman and minorities to choose STEM careers.  Their “Make the Future” program, developed at our request, is connecting girls to manufacturing.”

I told him this topic is dear to my heart as I have been a woman in manufacturing since starting as an engineering secretary at age 18. I concluded the interview by saying it was a pleasure to learn about FAME and hope that it will expand westward in the future all the way to California where I live.

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San Diego Has Largest Woodworkers Guild in U.S.

Tuesday, August 6th, 2019

On June 29,2019, I attended the San Diego County Fair held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds with my family as I have done annually for the past 20 years. One of my favorite exhibits is the fine woodworking exhibits, actually divided into two exhibits, one for hobbyists and professionals and one for students.  For the first time, I picked up a pamphlet about the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association (SDFWA) and a flyer for the Cabinet and Furniture technology program at Palomar Community College.

The pamphlet described the new woodworking shop in San Diego, open for all woodworkers to join. The shop is a membership based, non-profit, all volunteer shop run by the SDFWA.  I was able to interview Gary Anderson, Member Shop Chairman about the organization and its history.

Gary said, “The Association was started by Lynn Rybarczyk in 1981 after he had seen some beautiful custom furniture in the San Francisco Bay Area. At that time, woodworkers in San Diego had few opportunities to collaborate and had no way to show their work to the public. Lynn was motivated to present the idea of creating a fine woodworking exhibit at the San Diego County Fair to the exposition staff, who agreed to develop an exhibit as long as there was an active community woodworking organization to sponsor it. 

Fortunately, San Diego’s first retail store selling woodworking supplies, tools, and materials opened about the same time —The Cutting Edge. The owner allowed Lynn to set up a card table at the store during the grand opening, and Lynn began to sign up the members of what became the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association.

During 1981, regular meetings were held at local public schools to attract members. The San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association (SDFWA) was organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in early 1982, and by June of 1982, the first annual show, initially called The Southern California Expo Fine Woodworking Exhibit displayed 45 pieces selected from 95 entries, all submitted by SDFWA members.  The show was such a success that Fine Woodworking Magazine gave it a multi-page spread.”  

He added, “The exhibit at the Fair is now called the Design in Wood Exhibition, and has grown to display more than 300 entries. It has achieved national and international recognition and includes demonstrations by wood turners, scrollers, carvers, and model ship builders – all members of local organizations. A traditional woodworking shop at the exhibit produces red oak children’s chairs for donation to local social service organizations. More than 1,700 chairs have been donated over the past 34 years.”    

In answer to my question about the growth of the association, Gary said, “Membership steadily increased and peaked at 1690 members in 1999. There are actually over 200 woodworking guilds/associations in the US., but San Diego’s is the largest with about 1200 members.  As far as we know, only four have their own woodworking shop.”

I asked what the difference between a “guild” and “association,” and he said that the term “guild” is often used interchangeably with “association,” but guilds historically referred to individual craftsmen rather than company members.

He explained that most of their members are doing woodworking as a hobby, and only about 10% or less are professionals who make a living from woodworking.

Gary added, “Members have access to a variety of special interest groups that provide the opportunity to connect with experts in a variety of woodworking, such as carving, CNC machining, toy building, and women in woodworking.”

When I asked when the association opened the Member Shop, he replied, “We opened the shop in June 2017, and it is 4,000 sq. ft in size.  Membership provides access to just about every kind of power and hand tool and equipment that a woodworker would need to complete a project, including, saws, router, sanders, lathes, etc.  It also has an extensive library, design software, classes, and a 3D printer.”

He explained, “One of our reasons for opening the shop was that we were concerned about the diversity of membership, both with regards to age and ethnic diversity.  Before we opened our Member Shop, we were an association of “old white men,” above the age of 60. We recognized that we needed to attract more diversity in age and ethnicity. Now, we have a lot of young people joining as members. When the shop opened, only about 3% were female and now 40% of  our new members are female.” 

The SDFWA pamphlet listed two levels of annual membership:

Silver at $250/year, which provides 15 slots (a slot is one visit to the shop for up to three hours

Gold at $395/year, which provides 50 slots

When I asked if they also have an hourly rate like a “makerspace, he said, “no, you have to be a member to use the facilities.  We don’t have provision for using on an hourly rate.”

I told him that I had also picked up a flyer at the Fair for the Cabinet & Furniture Technology program at Palomar College and asked if the association has a relationship with the college

He replied, “We have an Informal, but students have to pay to be a member to use facilities.  Some of their members have taken or are taking woodworking classes at Palomar to get more training on to expand on the member shop classes.” 

When I asked if there are any other colleges in San Diego that have a similar program, he replied, “I don’t know of any other college that has a program as complete as Palomar, which is a nationally recognized program, but I did hear that SDSU has a small program as one of its instructors became a member.”

In answer to my question as to whether there are any high schools that have woodworking shop classes, he said that he heard that Oceanside High School has a program, but he didn’t know of any others. I told him that the San Diego Continuing Education Center on Oceanview Blvd. has a small woodworking shop and classes, and the MakerPlace on Morena Blvd. in San Diego also has a small woodworking shop and classes. After the interview, an internet search showed that Escondido High School also had a woodworking shop and classes

With regards to whether or not there are any local furniture manufacturers, he responded, “I don’t know of any furniture manufacturers in San Diego other than shops making cabinets. But, SDFWA President, Travis Good, recently visited a lumber supplier by the name of Bennett-Crone, and the vast amount of their business is with woodworking manufacturers in Mexico.

After doing search on the internet, I found seven furniture manufacturers listed in San Diego County, but three of the seven have addresses down in Otay Mesa, which is the industrial park on the U. S. side of the border with Mexico, and companies in this park usually have offices on the U. S. side and manufacturing plants on the other side of the border in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

There are two musical instrument companies that would utilize the woodworking skills of SDFWA members:  Deering Banjo Company in Spring Valley, and Taylor Guitar Company in El Cajon.  However, Taylor Guitar also has a plant in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico.

I thanked Gary for all of the information and arranged to visit the Member Shop soon. I enjoyed learning about the background of my favorite exhibit at the San Diego County Fair. If any furniture manufacturers doing business in China and other parts of Asia decide to return manufacturing to America, the San Diego region would have an abundance of skilled workers to staff their plants

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Unique Maker Skills Academy launches in California

Tuesday, June 25th, 2019

On June 11th 2019,  I received a press release announcing the launch of the Vocademy Maker Skills Academy (MSA) — a one-of-a-kind, hands-on skills training program. This intensive program covers many of the vocational, career, and soft skills that are no longer taught in our schools. The kinds of skills thousands of employers are seeking. The program is available to anyone over the age of 16, with no prerequisites, transcripts, or GPA requirements.  The first ten-student MSA team starts July 8th, so enrollment is now open.

It is well documented that there is a massive skills gap in traditional and advanced manufacturing in America today. In past articles, I’ve mentioned that an estimated one to two million good-paying manufacturing jobs are going unfilled due to a lack of people with the right skills. There are also thousands of young adult makers looking for effective alternatives to college. The press release states: “An ideal solution has not existed …until today. This truly unique type program addresses the desperate needs of thousands of employers.”

In 2016, I wrote an article about Vocademy when it was essentially a traditional makerspace open to the public and beginning to offer skills training classes to high school students during the day. During that visit, founder and president Gene Sherman told me, “I started Vocademy because I had witnessed the demise of hands-on skills teaching in this country over the past 20 years. Schools have done away with these critical classes that taught practical life skills like woodworking and metal shop. These were the classes where people learned how to use tools and technology and develop the mindsets necessary to create new and amazing things.

When I saw ‘makerspaces’ springing up, I wanted to combine that type space with teaching the kinds of skills that were previously taught in ‘shop’ classes. I wanted to create a place for those who want to use their hands, in addition to their minds ? makers, inventors, and dreamers. I believe that if our country loses its ability to make and build things, we will have lost what made America great.

I wanted to provide access to these tools, but with proper and practical instruction on how to use them correctly and safely. I wanted a place that teaches the most state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, not just traditional shop skills. I wanted to teach these important skills without the bureaucracy of academia because many more Americans should have the same opportunity to innovate, collaborate, learn, and create their dreams.”

 I visited Vocademy, located in Riverside, CA, on June 20th and interviewed Gene to find out more about the transformation from a makerspace to a skills discovery and training center.  Gene said, “Employers today are looking for those with a breadth of hands-on and soft skills. They want generalists and not specialists because the economy and workplace are changing at a rapid pace.  We have created the Maker Skills Academy to meet the needs of a career-centric workforce. Our goals are to teach real world skills, get our students career ready, and show them the amazing opportunities in the world of making. We’re looking forward to changing lives and creating the makers of the future. The program only takes six-months to complete. We do this by including over 90 fundamental classes in real-world subjects,” such as:

  • 3D Printing and Computer Aided Design
  • Laser Cutting and Engraving
  • Sewing and Textiles
  • Plastics, Vacuum forming, and Composites
  • Costume, Prop, 3D Papercraft, and Model Making
  • Fundamental Electronics, Soldering, Raspberry Pi and Arduino.
  • Robotics, Automation, and Hardware Programming.
  • Machine Shop Basics and CNC machining
  • Welding, Fabrication, and assembly
  • Wood Working.
  • Hand Tools, Power Tools, and support equipment 
  • Life and career soft skills for manufacturing, engineering, entrepreneurship and many other jobs

He emphasized that “by including the soft skills classes employers are seeking, the Maker Skills Academy is the perfect way to prepare for jobs in advanced manufacturing and other maker careers.

And unlike any other training programs or schools, MSA students will also have access to using our equipment every single evening to practice their skills, collaborate, create amazing resumes, and build capstone projects.”

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As Gene led me on a tour of their facility, he explained, “Classes have minimal theory or history and lean heavily toward hands-on, practical skills learning. There are only eight to ten students per MSA team. We have a high instructor-to-student ratio for effective and intimate learning of skills. Our modern facility has over $500,000 of traditional and state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.

During the tour, I saw that Gene had upgraded the 3D printing lab with all industrial machines rather than the hobby-type machines previously in the lab.  He had also upgraded to industrial sewing machines from the home-type machines he had previously, and there were now two cutting machines in the laser workroom. There were two new park bench projects in the fabrication workroom that the students had built themselves to utilize their metal fab and woodworking skills. He showed me the Little Free Libraries projects that are being placed in front of homes in neighborhoods, which are the capstone projects for the woodworking class.

Gene said that the Maker Skills Academy is perfect for those looking for:

  • a unique alternative to college, with real job and life skills
  • an ideal learning program to explore a multitude of maker skills
  • an effective pre-engineering program before entering university
  • an intensive course in maker skills for entrepreneurs or inventors
  • a set of job skills that will make STEM or maker careers future-proof

The website provides the following description of what is included in the Maker Space Academy program:

  • Six months of subjects and classes designed by industry experts and based on real-world needs of companies.
  • All raw materials, tools, and supplies the student will need for the classes in this program.
  • Six months of maker lab access with use of all equipment the student has been trained to use. 7-days-a-week, 5-10pm.
  • A Vocademy Maker Academy work shirt, basic measuring and hands tool set, a shop apron, and safety glasses.
  • An incredibly creative environment, surrounded by other makers, students, and engineers.
  • An Intellectual Property (IP) free facility. Student developed products or inventions are the property of the student.
  • A unique learning experience for anyone seeking to become more valuable to the world.
  • To develop an amazing set of skills for a career, personal enrichment, or for entering engineering schools.
  • Student graduates will receive Vocademy Certificates of Completion for every subject completed.
  • The opportunity to collaborate and work on your projects or ideas using modern and traditional industrial equipment.
  • To create an incredible resume full of projects, practical skills, and hands-on experience.

I asked what was expected of students, and Gene replied, “There are no mid-terms or finals. Students must commit to classes, self-guided learning, and the creation of projects. They sign a Commitment Pledge to put forth their best effort to ensure a successful learning experience. Students must be willing to continue self-guided depth learning and skills practice during maker lab hours and personal time. And, students are expected to complete a final capstone project for their maker portfolio/resume either solo or as part of a team.”

When I asked what his future goal is, he said, I want the Maker Skills Academy to be the choice of manufacturers for training employees, both existing and those being hired.  I want the MSA to be considered as the “Olympic training center” for manufacturing skills. I envision local manufacturers becoming partners with Vocademy for their employee training.”

I told him that I hope he realizes his goal because programs like his would go a long way in solving the skills gap and attracting the next generation of manufacturing workers.  It is critical that we get back to being a nation of “makers” as manufacturing is the foundation of the middle class, and our middle class has been shrinking for the last 30 years as we moved more and more manufacturing offshore.   

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Workshops for Warriors Aims to go National

Tuesday, January 10th, 2017

On December 9, 2016, I revisited Workshops for Warriors to find out what had been accomplished in the past four years since I had toured the facility during their first Manufacturing Day on October 5, 2012 and met retired naval officer Hernán Luis y Prado, founder and president of Workshops for Warriors (WFW).

The article  I wrote in 2012 described how Hernán and his wife had self-financed the training they began providing in their own garage while Hernán was still in the service and how they moved into their first small building in 2011. Their first outside funding came from Goodrich Aerostructures, in Chula Vista, California, and they moved into a building twice the size in October 2011. Over the years, Goodrich Aerostructures has donated nearly $1 million in equipment and materials to help WFW build out its class offerings.

Hernán spent over an hour with me on this visit and told me that in January 2016, WFW became approved as a licensed school in California and is the only accredited school training veterans in the manufacturing skills of machining and welding. He said, “Workshops for Warriors (WFW) is a Board-governed 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization that provides quality hands-on training, accredited STEM educational programs, and opportunities to earn third party nationally recognized credentials to enable Veterans, Wounded Warriors, and Transitioning Service Members to be successfully trained and placed in their chosen advanced manufacturing career field. Through the generosity of private and corporate donations, WFW is able to provide training at no cost to the Veterans, so that they can focus on school and not survival.”

The WFW website states that they address two challenges: “The need for lifelong employment among Veterans transitioning from the service, and the limited pipeline of skilled workers in the advanced manufacturing industry. According to a 2015 Ford Foundation report, more than 2.3 million advanced manufacturing jobs in the United States are unfilled due to lack of skilled labor.” Their current 10,000 square feet building has 11 CNC machines, 18 welding booths, capable of handling 120 graduates per year. Their goal is to have 45,000 square feet with 40 CNC machines and 40 welding booths, capable of handling 450+ graduates per year.

I asked if their curriculum has expanded since 2012, and he said that WFW teaches:

  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Computer-Aided Manufacturing
  • Machinery Repair and Maintenance
  • CNC and manual Machining and Turning
  • Welding and Fabrication

He said that students are now able to earn nationally recognized portable credentials from The American Welding Society (AWS), the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), Mastercam University,

SolidWorks, Immerse2Learn, and the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3).

According to the website, Workshops for Warriors graduates are now employed by such companies as:  BAE Systems, Barrett, Benchmade, Cubic Corporation, Fox Fury Lighting Solutions, Gates Underwater Products, Gehring, General Dynamics NASSCO, Rogue Fitness, SpaceX, SPAWAR, and UTC Aerospace Systems.

Hernán said, “Workshops for Warriors is already making significant, lasting improvements, and we are building a better, stronger future for veterans, their families, and the U.S. economy by:

  • Reducing unemployment for veterans.
  • Meeting U.S. market demand for more trained, certified manufacturing workers.
  • Enhancing economic stability in the San Diego region.
  • Supporting growth of the U.S. manufacturing sector.
  • Helping more veterans successfully transition to civilian life—with hope and a renewed purpose through a secure civilian career path.”

When I asked what his biggest challenge is, he said reliable funding is number one because:

  • Students cannot use GI bill benefits
  • Classes are free to Veterans
  • Facility costs are $200,000 per month
  • Average cost per student per semester is $20,268
  • With a needs based living stipend provided, student cost per semester is $30,268

He said it is a five step process to receive Federal funding, and they are in the middle of step 4 (Operate as a licensed school for 2 years and pass BPPE audit). They hope to be able to accept Federal funding by April 2019.

I asked how they are funded now, and he responded, “We keep costs and overhead low so that 83% of our donations go straight to training veterans. We have machinery donated or on loan to us. We receive donated or discounted materials (computers, software, metals, tools), and we have time donated by some of our instructors and staff. We collaborate with other nonprofits, and we receive private donations from manufacturing industry leaders and foundations, as well as individual financial donations. We have seven members on our Board of Directors and twenty-seven on our Board of Advisors.”

The list of donors and sponsors has grown to such a long list of companies and organizations that I would not do justice to all of the partners to provide only a partial list. It would take up a whole page to list just the companies and organizations that have donated over $10,000 since 2014.

I asked Hernán what his plans for expansion are, and he said, “Workshops for Warriors is a nationally viable advanced manufacturing training pipeline that is ready to be scaled and replicated across America. Once the GI Bill is accepted at WFW, we will be self-sustaining and ready for expansion.” He added, “WFW has proven metrics and data for investors since 2011. We have audited financials since 2012 that are available on our website.”

Hernán introduced me to some of their new staff:  Amanda DiSilvestro, Marketing Manager, and John Jones, the new Director of Development. Hernán said, “John served with me in Iraq, and when I saw him years later in a wheel chair and learned that he lost both legs after I had returned home from Iraq, John was one of the reasons that I started Workshops for Warriors. We are honored to have him on our team.”

John said, “I had to retire from military service due to the injuries that I sustained during my second deployment. I worked in the nonprofit arena for ten years, ranging from Major Gifts Officer, Executive Director, and National Spokesperson for various military charities.  I wanted to work with an organization that had a more direct impact on the lives of veterans and chose to join Workshops for Warriors.”

John explained that they have begun a two year Capital Campaign to raise $21 million to expand nationally. He said, “We have raised 18% of our goal. Phase 1 of building our first of three buildings is scheduled to be completed by fall 2017. Our current San Diego headquarters will become a Train-the-Trainer and Veteran Incubator facility. Our plan is to create 103 WFW facilities across the USA located in areas with high military transition populations and advanced manufacturing training nodes. Our formal Capital Campaign will be launched at a special gala on April 20th on the U.S.S. Midway.”

He said, “Our program is called Rebuilding America’s Advanced Manufacturing Force. The purpose is to eliminate Veteran unemployment and underemployment, replenish the lack of talent pipeline for the manufacturing industry, and make a social and economic impact (individual to family to community to the Nation.)”

The national program will include:

  • Train-the-Trainer Blueprint
  • Sustainable Model Development
  • Strategic Partnership for National Footprint
  • Tuition/Scholarships
  • Staff & Top-Tier Teachers
  • Job Counseling & Placement
  • Land acquisition
  • Equipment, furniture & fixtures
  • New and renovated construction

Hernán told me that they have several short testimonials on their website from some of their graduates, but he showed me a video by Scott Leoncini and his wife about the impact on their family from graduating from WFW and becoming an instructor, which can be viewed here.

Before I left, I was invited to attend their Fall Graduation Ceremony event for machinists and welders the next week on Friday, December 16, 2016, which I did.

At the ceremony, Hernán said that they had 36 Veterans, Wounded Warriors, and Transitioning Service Members graduate from with nationally recognized credentials from the above-mentioned organizations. Each of the graduates was introduced as they came forward to receive their certificates. After this ceremony, Workshops for Warriors has now trained 338 with a combined 1,400 credentials. A video of the graduation ceremony is available here.

At the graduation ceremony, Summer Jamison, Market Director Executive Director of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., announced that they were donating $75,000 to WFW toward their Capital Campaign.

Also, Tiffany Rau, Public and Government Relations Manager, Southern California, presented Workshops for Warriors with a $40,000 grant from the Tesoro Foundation at the graduation ceremony. The funds will be used to help the school purchase a new Haas Automation Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) Mill VF-2, a piece of equipment that supports hands-on learning of CNC machining.

The featured speaker at the ceremony was Ira E Friedman, Education Manager, Precision Tools, for The L.S. Starrett Company, a long-time sponsor and donor to WFW. I was so inspired by his speech that I requested a written transcription and feel compelled to quote a few excerpts. Mr. Friedman said, “Suffice it to say that you will be honored all the days of your life for your service. This investment that you have made in yourselves at Workshop for Warriors will change your lives and the lives of your families and friends forever. I would like to ask you all one question today. What contributions will you make to humanity and how will you help to change this world as a result of your experiences at Workshops for Warriors? To reach your full potential, you will need to have good friends, mentors and especially teachers. This select group of people will prove to be your gyroscopes, your guidance system and when you look back over your shoulder, your life’s treasures!”

After giving good advice about being a mentor, a friend, and contributing member of society, he shared his personal story of how his elementary school teacher mentored him and changed his life. He was nearsighted, had a lisp, and was severely behind in reading and writing. Instead of having to write a story about a canoe, his teacher instructed him and helped him build a 1/4 model of a canoe as his assignment. When it was a success, he realized that he wasn’t “dumb” after all. His teacher helped him get his eyes tested to get glasses and therapy to eliminate his lisp. He went on to being successful in Junior High and High School, even captaining the Wrestling Team. He went on to college and was one of 28 students selected for a full ride to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

In conclusion, he said, “Mr. Jenkins saved my life! This one individual invested in me and was the catalytic ingredient to my success in life. I have gone on to become a productive member of society, (married my childhood sweetheart 50 years ago) and most of all started to give back the precious gift that was given to me so many years ago, that of becoming a Mentor and Teacher. As I fade into the twilight of my career in Metrology some 64 years later, I owe the magic ingredient to Mr. Jenkins.

You see I had the fuel within me all along, he found the spark to ignite it. Finally, I will charge you all today with this one request. Whether you become business owners, NASCAR builders or a Metrology nerd like me; Teach Someone, Mentor Someone-Anyone. Do what Hernán and Workshops for Warriors has done for you and what Mr. Jenkins did for me – change the world!”

 

You can help change the world by donating to the Workshops for Warriors Capital Campaign.

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