Lane County Manufacturers Take Steps to Address Coming Skills Shortages

Despite the current economic situation, Lane County manufacturers realize that there are still skills shortages looming, particularly in their technician level workforce (machinists, CNC operators, welders, drafters, engineering technicians and electricians). Sixty seven percent of the area’s manufacturing workforce is over the age of forty five. To address this challenge, the Lane Manufacturing Skills Alliance is undertaking numerous initiatives, including: Manufacturing Education Forums, a “Made in Lane County” campaign, a manufacturing careers website, and a training needs assessment and gap analysis.
Last year, Lane Workforce Partnership received a two year grant to strengthen the technician-level workforce pipeline for manufacturers in Lane County. The grant allowed Lane Workforce Partnership to establish the Lane Manufacturing Skills Alliance, a business driven group that oversees all the manufacturing initiatives in the area. Fifty seven manufacturing business representatives and forty one educators are now involved in various projects, including:
Manufacturing education forums
These forums are opportunities for both manufacturing educators and manufacturers to discuss issues of mutual concern such as maintaining career and technical education programs, emerging skills in manufacturing and training and workforce gaps in manufacturing.
A “Made in Lane County” campaign
This is a campaign that is centered on a presentation that includes behind-the-scenes photos of workers in local manufacturing companies and the products that are made locally. The presentation is shown at career fairs, in the schools, to educators and to various local boards to increase awareness of manufacturing in our community.
Company tours for students
Regular tours are coordinated for students, faculty and other interested parties at local manufacturing plants. Some of these tours are given in conjunction with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), giving students a chance to mix with working and retired engineers.
Development of a manufacturing careers website
This website will serve as a clearinghouse of information of interest to local manufacturers, students and jobseekers. Manufacturers will be able to access a local training; information about local high performance consortia activities; and interactive forum and a repository of training resources developed by local manufacturers. Students and jobseekers will be able to access information about Lane County high wage, high demand manufacturing occupations and explore profiles and photos of local manufacturers that hire these occupations. The website will go live next month.
Manufacturing careers outreach at schools and career fairs
The Lane Manufacturing Skills Alliance organizes local manufacturers to participate in career fairs and to speak to manufacturing classes. A manufacturing skills competition for high school youth will be organized next year.
Manufacturing training needs assessment and gap analysis
A training needs assessment was sent to over 600 area manufacturers in December 2008. Seventy-five manufacturers responded to the survey. The needs assessment focused on the key occupations of: Welders, Machinists, CNC Operators, Drafters, Electricians, Engineers and Industrial Machinery Mechanics. The results are currently being aggregated and a gap analysis is currently being conducted. A final report will be available in June, 2009.

A Lane County manufacturing summit is planned later this year and will showcase the group’s accomplishments. To find out more information about the Lane Manufacturing Skills Alliance, contact Robin Scott at robins@laneworkforce.org or Dave Oatman and doatman@comcast.net.