Michigan legislative action thread
Posted on 05/27/2015 2:46:33 PM PDT by cripplecreek
MACKINAC ISLAND, MI -- Mike Rowe made dirty jobs look cool. Can he do the same for the tool and die industry?
The state today at the Mackinac Policy Conference annouced a partnership with Rowe and his foundation, mikeroweWorks, to produce videos that show students skilled trades are sustainable, good career paths. Rowe's videos, targeted to middle and high school students, will highlight industries like tool and die, health care, construction and welding.
"Closing the skills gap is not about creating opportunity. It's about making sure that people understand all of the opportunities that currently exist," Rowe said Wednesday. "Michigan is doing the right thing by getting the word out, and mikeroweWorks is honored to help."
(Video)Tool and Die - Pure Michigan Talent Connect
Videos featuring Tom Daldin of Under the Radar Michigan will target students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and focus on careers like manufacturing and agricultural industries. In total 11 videos are available. Watch them all here.
Rowe and his foundation aren't new to work like this. He's helped other states looking to bolster their skilled trades, and says some public relations is necessary to change the conversation about these types of careers, which are in demand.
Michigan's Talent Investment Agency Director Stephanie Comai said according to the agency's calculations, "we expect to have 6,700 jobs open every year from now until 2022 in the skilled trades."
Those are big numbers, and with an aging skilled trades workforce the state is working preemptively to help get some talent in the pipeline.
When Gov. Rick Snyder went to school, he said about half the students in his class would go to vocational training. Now, that's not as common. He's out to change that, in part through educating students and parents with these videos.
"I've been talking about the skilled trades for years now. It is a top priority for this administration, and it needs to be for the entire state," Snyder said.
Earlier this year Snyder created a new state department, Talent and Economic Development, and a new agency under it, the Talent Investment Agency. These organizations are focused on helping match Michiganders with in-demand careers and filling the career pipeline with qualified candidates.
"It is a talent issue in general. . . it's not necessarily a 'I need a specific person that can do a specific thing a specific way,' it's 'I need talented people that will learn how to do this that will grow with my company,'" said Talent and Economic Development Director Steve Arwood.
Doug Rothwell, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, said for the state's major employers, the talent shortage is real and applauded the state's effort to give students exposure to career options.
Talent is one of the topics that the Mackinac Policy Conference is focusing on. It runs through Friday.
For those who don't know, Snyder has not been too friendly to any industry that isn't green tech.
As usual Mike is right o the money
Thanks cripplecreek.
The foundry foreman says its hard work but its a good living if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty.
They have an aging workforce in a country were everyone is fixated on being educated for white collar jobs.
I wish Mr. Rowe well, but it’s going to be tough to persuade the free stuff crowd that it should work for a living and not depend on government handouts. Oh, the liberals say they want jobs, but far too many don’t really want to work. We’ve had countless job and job training programs, none of which have had any lasting positive effect. The only way to get people to work is to curtail the handouts. Then they will have to get up off their butts and do something.
Tool and Die used to be a good trade.
I’m not sure now with the advent of 3D printers for prototyping.
I nearly got into it 30 years ago but decided on Electronics.
That’s foundry work. Tool and die is precision machining.
Less a problem with the “free stuff” crowd than the “I’m above that” crowd.
In fact I have more faith in the free stuff crowd because I’ve seen many of them buck up and work when push came to shove. As it is, many are on welfare as a direct result of Obama and democrat policies.
Tool&dies are for production runs,not prototyping.
Yes,there is a need for die makers, stamping isn’t going anywhere soon.
The problem as previously mentioned is that young people are not learning
these trades.Shame,they pay well.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, some amazingly big parts came out of foundries. Locomotive parts come immediately to mind.
Being a machinist is a lot easier than it was before computers, but I imagine it still require a certain amount of math skills, which are sadly deficient in today’s students.
Gotta have white people to do all the work and support the 47%.
We’ve been talking them down for decades now.Gotta have kids go to the commi indoctrination centers and run up debt, for what a lot of them are worthless degrees.
A lot of them,if they can get a job,start in the 30k range, spend the same amount of time getting your journeyman papers, and start at least 45k.
A friend of a friend worked for the State of New Jersey. Not sure of her job title, but among her duties was matching welfare recipients with prospective employers. She was contacted by a company which made hardware for window treatments. This company needed a dozen or so employees for its assembly line. The company would train the employees and even pay for child care and transportation. So this woman found a number of prospective employees, set up the interviews and told these welfare recipients when and where to go.
Out of 25 people, only 2 bothered to show up for their appointments. The others all had excuses — I forgot, I overslept, I missed the bus, etc.
For many there is no incentive to work. I know quite a few who lost their jobs, couldn’t find another, so they started collecting disability or some other assistance. And once you start collecting, it becomes difficult to stop. It’s like an addiction. The only way to stop is to go through withdrawal cold turkey. Cut the benefits and people will have to make their own living if they want to continue eating.
True dat
Remember reading the history of all those Americans who starved to death before welfare? Neither do I. Because it didn’t happen.
Oh, yes, some big parts. One only has to do a bit of research about Mesta, a company that built a lot of the steel mill rolling machinery and a lot more. Like the 50,000 ton hydraulic press that had some 250 ton castings in it. Gears that had to be at least 25 feet in diameter or more. Oh yes.
I come from a family of engineers and my son is a good machinist and welder. I cannot see my garage floor for all the equipment - 3 metal lathes, vertical mill, 6 welders, 3 drill presses, 2 band saws & etc. Don’t yet have a small foundry furnace or forge, but it’s on the wishlist.
#19 Do you have a Dremel tool kit? : )
http://rebelsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dremel_tool_kits_4000-6-50.jpg
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