Smith Foundry supports MN Advanced Manufacturing Partnership
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Smith Foundry supports MN Advanced Manufacturing Partnership


(In the picture above, Shane Fjerstad, Outreach Director of MnAMP, gives an introduction to the program.)
 
I recently had the opportunity to represent Smith Foundry at the MN Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (MnAMP) consortium held at St. Paul College. 

MnAMP has been working with Colleges, Technical Schools, and Industry Leaders to allow students to gain and practice technical skills in the classroom and on the job.  The programs help students develop career pathways, gain credit for prior learning, and realize improved job placement; develop updated academic programs; form collaborative partnerships between academia and industry; and provide dual training & apprentishipment programs in areas like machining, mechatronics & welding.
 
Due to the challenges that both colleges and employers are experiencing in recruiting qualified students and employees, a collaborative partnership that focuses on recruitment and retention is more important than ever.  By 2025, there is an expected 3.5 Million new jobs in the sector that will need to be filled, and 2 Million of those are expected to go unfilled.  MnAMP plays an important role in trying to close that gap.

As part of the LEARN-WORK-EARN program, this MnAMP consortium provided the opportunity for academia and industry to help address this skills gap.  During the workshop, an overview was provided of the MnAMP grant, career pathways, apprenticeship, college program achievements, and industry recognized credentials.  In addition, a tour was given of the manufacturing labs and state of the art equipment at St. Paul College.
 
Benefits to employees/students include gaining year-round employment in their field of study while going to college, graduating with a college diploma or degree virtually debt free, and mastering skills and earning wages with a company during training.

Benefits to participating industry leaders / employers are manifest, but include:
 
1. Enhanced Recruitment & Retention:  Established training programs set your business apart in finding and keeping committed employees.
2. Optimized Productivity:  On-the-job training facilitates the transfer of knowledge and standardized skills from your experienced employees to others.
3. Increased Flexibility:  Program options make it possible for employees to attend classes around their work schedule.
 
The Industry Partners list reads like a who's who of great industrial companies, with the likes of Toyota, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, GE, Caterpillar, Harley Davidson, and others, which illustrates the imperative placed upon these types of programs by US industry.
 
MnAMP's mission, to create an active approach to building employer-college partnerships that aim to restructure and accelerate the U.S. workforce education system, is vital to our country's future success.  Business leaders in the community, like Smith Foundry, are an important part of that partnership.  I was proud to have been a part of the workshop.
 
Corey Bacon
Plant Metallurgical Engineer

 

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