Metalforming Matters

Jody Fledderman, Batesville Tool & Die President and PMA Chairman, was recently featured in a U.S. News & World Report story on how job training programs are helping manufacturers replace an aging workforce. The article cites the results of a new Accenture study with the Manufacturing Institute on the skills gap in the U.S.  manufacturing sector.  The study referred to the growing skills gap as “storm clouds on the horizon that could indeed dampen growth” and showed that more than 75 percent of manufacturers surveyed reported a “moderate to severe” shortage of skilled workers.  At the same time, the survey pointed out that most companies surveyed plan to increase U.S. based production in the next five years. Throughout the country, communities are beginning to recognize the opportunity to train individuals for these higher paying jobs. And that is where PMA Chairman Jody Fledderman comes in.  He participates in a program in Bates...

President Obama signed the new workforce training bill into law today, as anticipated.  PMA and our One Voice partner, NTMA, have long been supporters of efforts to get the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ("WIOA") passed and signed.  Get more information on the new law in our press release below -  One Voice Cheers President Obama’s Signing of Workforce Training Bill Manufacturing Associations Hope that New Legislation Will Help Combat Sector’s Growing Skills Gap Washington, DC - The National Tooling and Machining Association and the Precision Metalforming Association, together known as “One Voice,” today applaud President Obama’s signing of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (H.R. 803) . The bipartisan bill, which passed both the House and the Senate by wide margins, updates the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and covers dozens of job training programs.  The legislation, “WIOA,” is part of ongoing efforts to close the skills gap...

The latest PMA Business Conditions Report is out.  The July 2014 data reveals that a smaller number of surveyed metalforming companies predict that economic activity will improve during the next three months than predicted growth in June 2014.  At the same time, a larger number of companies predict steady or declining conditions. Read our press release about this month's results below - Business Conditions Report: July 2014   CLEVELAND, OH—July 21, 2014—According to the July 2014 Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report, metalforming companies expect a slight decline in business conditions during the next three months.  Conducted monthly, the report is an economic indicator for manufacturing, sampling 122 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada. The July report shows that 28% of participants predict that economic activity will improve during the next three months (down from 31% in June), 58% expect that activity w...

This past week, the United States House and Senate nearly unanimously passed a revamp of federal workforce training programs, and the bill is expected to be signed by President Obama soon. The bill authorizes more than $50 billion over six years for programs that aim to help youth and veterans seek the skills they need to be hired in today's STEM workforce. The overhaul eliminates 15 programs found to be duplicative or dormant since Congress last worked on the issues 16 years ago. Many credit the passing of this bill to the examples of already exiting private and public partnerships that pair workers with employers in need. An article published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune hightlighted the story of PMA member Erick Ajax, owner of the precision metal company, E.J. Ajax. According to the article , Ajax has hired a number of employees who might have been overlooked by others, after ensuring that they get the proper training.  Working with nearby Hennepin Technical ...

The skills gap in the manufacturing sector continues to be a hot topic in the news. A recent  article posted on the Monster blog  describes how the modern resurgence of manufacturing is being held back by this major challenge for U.S. manufacturers.  Monster, best known for their online platform for job seekers, publishes blog posts on employment trends in various sectors including manufacturing.  “Contrary to popular belief,” author Bret Silverberg wrote in the July 2, 2014 article, “the demands of the manufacturing industry today require significant technological expertise.” PMA member Drew Greenblatt, president of the Baltimore, Maryland-based Marlin Steel Wire Products , shares his experience with the evolving manufacturing sector in the Monster piece .  “People think of the production lines, and what people did in the 1920s,” he is quoted as saying.  “That’s out of date. It’s not measuring what’s really happening in American manufactur...