Industry Focus
We will focus upon industries that have a significant impact on our economy.
Manufacturing may be characterized into three general segments: process, discrete or hybrid. Process industries are particularly strong in areas that produce fuels or chemicals such as the Gulf coast or Delaware. Discrete industries are particularly prevalent in automotive regions such as Michigan. Our region is characterized by a particularly robust hybrid industry segment with food, beverage, pharmaceutical and consumer products manufacturing.
Hybrid industries require a wider range and shallower depth of certain technical skills than may be the case for process or discrete industries. Process and discrete industries may be represented by a relatively small number of very large global companies (eg: Ford, Caterpillar, Dupont, Exxon-Mobile), while hybrid industries tend to be smaller and more diverse in their manufacturing processes (eg: Mars, Turkey Hill, Pepperidge Farm, Bayer, Avon). As a result, the training opportunities for hybrid industries have not been under-developed.
Many hybrid industies utilize particularly sophisticated packaging operations. Workforce data shows that packaging jobs are often among the largest job classifications in a particular hybrid industry segment. South Central Pennsylvania has a significant number of packagers and packaging jobs. By focusing upon packaging operations, we find a common denominator that unites food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical device, and similar operations within our region.
Packaging operations are undergoing dramatic technological change, much as machine tool operations changed several decades ago. These changes are brought about by the ever increasing affordability of high speed computing platforms that have enabled new mechatronic designs. These new designs require that maintenance personnel acquire advanced, multi-disciplinary skills and knowledge.
Our initial focus will be upon industrial maintenance and mechatronics as it relates to packaging operations for hybrid industries.
Local Educational Providers
We will deliver training through the local educational system
Industrial maintenance and mechatronics is a rapidly advancing technological field. Survey work conducted in 2004 showed that the gap was significant and widening between the training needs of the industrial base and the capabilities of local career and technology centers, community colleges and universities.
It is important that students in the educational system have access to programs that lead to today's good paying jobs. If the educational system does not keep up with advancing technology, appropriate educational opportunities will not be available.
Although it would be expeditious to utilize commercial training vendors to deliver advanced training programs to incumbent workers, this would reinforce the widening gap between industry need and educator capability. It is our intent to continue to challenge and develop public educators and to use the public education systems at the high school, community college and university level to deliver training to incumbent workers whenever possible.
Collaboration & Partnership
We will collaborate to develop educational partnerships
The resources necessary to deliver high quality training and education in industrial maintenance and mechatronics are broad in scope, expensive and subject to rapid obsolescence. We recognize that every school cannot afford all of these resources. If every school tries to offer the same programs of study, the quality of all will suffer.
We believe in developing partnerships and articulation agreements among schools so that the resource burden may be shared and each school can offer a high quality portion of a larger program.
Flexible Execution
We will offer flexibility to meet worker needs
Industrial maintenance workers are in short supply, high demand and work changing shifts with planned and unplanned overtime. Workers often find it impossible to complete classes that require keeping to a fixed schedule.
We will use e-learning and flexible laboratory scheduling to accommodate the scheduling needs of our students. Classes will be offered at central locations or at the job site, as employer needs dictate.
Lead with Training
We will focus on training first
In order to have the fastest possible impact for industry and to provide financial support for educational programs, we will focus on training first, followed by the educational pipeline. All training will articulate for full or partial college credit, allowing those receiving incumbent worker training to later pursue an Associate Degree, a Bachelor Degree or other college credentials.
Aim Over the Horizon
We will target our educational offerings to world-class operations
We will aim our educational offerings at the needs of world-class operations. World-class operations exist within our region, but many of these companies were going elsewhere for training assistance. By looking-over-the-horizon at emerging needs for skills and knowledge and building programs that meet these needs, we will ensure that graduates will be prepared for jobs of the future. While not every company requires world-class skills today, the availability of world-class programs will provide incentives and encouragement to innovate and improve. Training programs will be modular to allow companies to avail themselves of as little or as much as they desire. |
