According to information explained in this article [U.S. manufacturing sees shortage of skilled factory workers], the United States has had a shortage of qualified manufacturing workers for quite some time.  You can read the article in its entirety, but I want to highlights a few points from it so you can quickly see the challenges and opportunities facing our workforce.

• Our current losses have NOT left a surplus of skilled factory workers who have the skills needed for today’s manufacturing careers. On the contrary there are many factory workers who have lost their jobs because their manufacturing skills are out dated.

• The manufacturing industry does not have a shortage of workers who can run old-fashioned presses and lathes, but it does have a shortage of workers who can handle the new technology of the industry.

• Right now there are about 600,000 job openings in this industry, yet even with our record high unemployment rate the jobs remain open and unfulfillable.   This industry needs employees with specialized technical skills who can program in the numeric code called CNC, which is a code that instructs the automated production machine precisely how to do the work. Check out this conversation between two industry professionals; you will see it sounds nothing like the conversations that used to take place between machinists. 

• You can get the CNC skills needed by looking for training  and/or degree programs in machine tool technology from a community college or vocational school. More ROPs should consider offering these courses to high schoolers as well. (see the listing below)

• Just because the machinist needs to be more skilled does not mean this job is no longer a “shop job”.  Machinists will still work in noisy and somewhat unclean conditions wearing uniforms that get a little dirty, but these blue-collar guys will make approximately $4/hour more than their white-collar counterparts.

In closing, I’d like to take some words straight from the original article’s section called “New Recruiting Tactics”.  It says:

“The shortage has forced firms to adopt new tactics.  To fill slots, a few manufacturers have turned to hiring candidates who are untrained but have the inclination to work with their hands…. ‘We knew that we were not going to find the people with the right skills right off the streets,’ said Mark Pringle, director of operations at the plant. “So we tried to find people with the right aptitudes.’”

So, there you have it all of you who look forward to the re-birth of manufacturing in the United States.  We’ve got our work cut out for us.  My recommendation to anyone remotely interested in getting into manufacturing is this:  Don’t wait for the jobs to come back to your neighborhood before preparing for them.  You are now informed of the challenges and opportunities ahead, so get in school and prepare now.

Here are a few schools and training centers in California that offer CNC coursework.  If you know of any more, please let me know so I can add them to the list. You’ll need to brush up on those math (algebra), reading, and problem-solving skills to survive these courses.

Before you go, check out this youtube video:

I hope this helps get you moving in the right direction.  Blessings!
~ Michelle Walker-Wade

CLICK HERE TO SEE C-SPAN’S VIDEO OF THE COMMITTEE MEETING – (Make sure you’re watching the 2^nd of 3 meetings)

What are my thoughts on this matter?

I believe there should be some sort of condition for everyone receiving ‘extended’ UI benefits, however there must be additional considerations included. As one who has 10+ years of experience in adult education, I know many adult students who are low literacy, low skill and therefore do not have enough literacy to comprehend the GED textbooks, which start at about 5th grade reading level. These students require a fair amount of additional support services and time before they can even tackle the GED curriculum. GED is not necessarily purposed to BUILD literacy skills as much as it is to show proof that you have them.

Secondly, if a person is out of work because the work they’ve done most of their life is now obsolete, that person needs job re-training along with GED test preparation, and will need to accomplish both in the limited amount of time provided in the UI extension. This is a unrealistic expectation.

Thirdly, many adult students – who are retirement age – and have qualified for extended UI benefits along with job retraining benefits under other training benefit plans often attend school/training just as a means to delay receiving their social security for 2 years, yet having no intention to return to the workforce. These folks are a challenge in the classroom because they are there for the wrong reasons and they do not take the training seriously.

On the flip side, I personally know of many people who are “comfortable” only depending on their unemployment income and who have not made any real effort to find employment. They did, however, start looking for work when they were unsure if the December extension would pass.

Something needs to be done to get folks moving and engaged back into the workforce but requiring GED for UI isn’t it.

Well, CALIFORNIA (along with 6 other States) have banned this practice, and 19 more States in progress of banning it as well.  This is good news for millions of unemployed and under-employed individuals.   If any employer attempts to have you sign a release to run your credit report, make sure you tell them about the California credit check law, signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown in October 2011, and went into effect Jan. 1, 2012.  This law protects MOST, but not all.

CLICK HERE  to check out MarketWatch’s video clip entitled: States Start Banning Credit Checks

Here is a list of jobs that fall into the exception-to-the rule category:

Jobs that allow a credit check include:

• A position in the state Department of Justice
• A managerial position
• A position as a sworn peace officer or other law enforcement job
• A position for which the information is required by law
• A position that involves access to specified personal information
• A position in which the person is a named signatory on the employer’s bank or credit card account
• A position that involves access to confidential or proprietary information
• A position that involves regular access to $10,000 or more of cash

If interested, you can read the full bill,  AB 22,  at: http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_22_bill_20110920_enrolled.html

• The county unemployment rate is 15.9% while Alameda County is 9.3%?

And..

The top 3 fastest growing jobs are:

• Personal and Home Care Aides ($9.86/hour),
• Information Security Analysts, Web Developers, and Computer Network Architect – ($36.11/hour)
• And other personal care and Service Workers such as beauticians, barbers, disability care workers, and food service workers – (pay rate varies)

Looking at the unemployment rates and taking into account the dramatic difference between the rate of pay for the 3 top fastest growing jobs, you must notice that unless you’re interested in spending the time and money needed to gain very technical skills, the quickest route into the workforce appears to be some sort of personal care.  Personal care jobs are often viewed as “low-skill” jobs; and as you can see from the rate of pay that these type jobs generally are low paying jobs as well.  While you many not want to make a life-long career in such low-skill/low-pay jobs, I encourage you to go ahead and enter (or re-enter) the workforce through the door that is open.

Getting in the workforce will help you:

1. Develop even more skills (particularly soft-skills which employers say are 87.5% of almost every job).
2. Build your confidence level and your general feelings of usefulness.
3. Send a message to your family and friends that you are still workforce-minded, thereby minimizing the amount of time available to do random activities that really are  low priority time-busters.

I have found, particularly in the 209 area code, the conditions of the job market have many people so despondent they’ve found solace in doing “random activities“.  What I say to you is this:  make those activities count for something.  Use them to give you an edge into a new world or work. Unemployment benefits will not last forever. Just take a look at South Carolina’s new unemployment rules coming in 2012.  Under these  new rules, after a month of collecting benefits, the unemployed must now accept any offer for a job that pays at least 90 percent of what they used to earn. After 5 months, workers must accept a job that pays minimum wage, or $7.25 an hour. South Carolina’s unemployment rate has hovered around 9% for a few years (like California).

It won’t be long before other states plagued with high unemployment rates (like California) may look at similar alternatives.  I can take a hint; can you?

I felt for her and wished I could stay there long enough to do some workplace literacy vocabulary-building lessons, specially designed to prepare her to do well as a deli clerk. I know there is a real need to provide these types of literacy classes in my community. I can’t help but wonder how long this particular lady will be able to keep her job.  I do know that Workplace Literacy classes can help her succeed.

While you’re here, please take a moment to take my poll “What Components of a Résumé Make the Biggest Impact? “.

Read related articles:

Things That may Cause Your Résumé to Get Ignored  (Workplacelit4adults)

Article: Survey: U.S. Workers Feeling Overwrought and Unproductive – Latest News – Workforce. By Garry Kranz

HOT POINTS OF THE ARTICLE

Nearly 30 percent of employees readily concede being “too stressed to be effective” at work for at least five days in 2011.

Two-thirds of U.S. workers reported feeling fatigued and that they have no control over what happens in their workplace.

Due to current economic crisis, employees are being asked to do more work, work longer hours than they have in the past, and under more stress than they did in the past.

Such stress creates a domino effect:

• Increased conflicts with co-workers
• Increased difficulties balancing work and personal obligations
• Increased worries about job security
• Increased absenteeism,turnover, and productivity losses

So, what’s the good news?  24 percent say the increased stress does not have a negative impact on their job effectiveness.

MY OUTLOOK

Those of us who have a job in times like these should consider ourselves blessed (or lucky – however you see it).  I’d rather be on this side of the stress than to live with the instability of joblessness and unemployment benefits. I’m relieved that our government finally agreed to some sort of extension of unemployment benefits for the 13.9 million people in the country who are currently out of work, many of whom receive a combination of federal and state unemployment benefits. But don’t get too comfy with this extension; the devil is in the details.

When participating in a collaborative work team…

• you will probably feel like your work is being challenged.
• you may have to defend your point of view.
• you may feel confused at times.
• you may watch or be involved in something that looks and feels like an argument.
• you will learn just how differently people interpret a data, something that is said, and information that is read.
• you may find yourself “shutting down” (but don’t do it).
• you may have to take a deep breath and hang in there until the final outcome is reached.

So, why put yourself through all of this?

Collaborative teams produce the most innovative, holistically solid solutions to problems that occur in the course of business.  Additionally, collaboration is the best way to address and resolve any systemic problems that may keep a business from being as profitable as it could be.

Something you can keep in mind is this: collaboration always happens between people, so good communication is vital to the success of the team.  Good communication is the only way to clear up misconceptions and will make the difference between a successful project and an unprofitable use of time.

So, hang in there with this one. You can do this.

~ Keep your head up! Michelle Walker-Wade

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• From Princeton to Prison; that’s quite a big leap isn’t it? Does it not make you wonder why the sociologist responsible for publishing such a comparison did not use a more mainstream demographic selection? Princeton accepts only about 10% of it’s applicants.

• Check this out… Just a few scrolls down this image you will see figures comparing the number of African Americans in prison Vs. in college. This is one of those things that made me go “Hmmmmm…?” asking myself just why this publication singled out African Americans, showing no other race or nationality of people.

• And just in time for Occupy Wall Street’s Student Debt Refusal Campaign, take a look at the spending figures:  1 year in NJ State prison $44k; 1 year at Princeton $37k. At this rate, a student borrowing student loans could have a principal balance of $148k on a 4-year plan, and $185k on a 5-year plan – and don’t forget to accrue interest. The result could be a monthly student loan payment of $1050-$1310 per month.  Ouch, right?

I do appreciate seeing these figures; I only wish they were more realistic, making them useful in the eyes of young adults and low-skilled workers of every race and nationality. Nonetheless, it’s a good read… Enjoy.

Created by: Public Administration

I went home, started working as an accounting clerk and went to school part-time studying accounting. I continued working in the field of accounting for several years while preparing to do more meaningful work.  I eventually got there.

Years later I do not regret it one bit. I’m degree’d in Liberal Studies and Business Communications, and have hard-core skills and work experience that allow me to fund into ministry work. Having graduated from a Holy Names University, a private, Catholic institution, I took out even more student loans.  I am still paying for my education, but in my situation I believe I glorify God by paying my loans.  However, (just as an FYI) I neither agree nor disagree with the Occupy Study Loan initiative – but I certainly understand.

Related Articles:

• Occupy Wall Street Moves Into New Phase With Student Debt Refusal Campaign
• America’s Financial Institutions and Student Lenders — Attention: OWS “Occupy Student Debt” Committee Has Something to Say
• Occupy Student Loans???
• Marketplace Ministry – Christian Young Adults Get in Position