6 MiMfg Magazine May 2017
PRIME ®: Developing Career Pathways for the Next Generation
By Brett Gerrish • MMA
Is your business one of the thousands across Michigan panicking about the lack of talent in your community ? If you ’ re like the rest , there ’ s good reason to worry . Michigan ’ s next generation is no longer leaving the state in droves , but the skills they have either don ’ t match the jobs available or they don ’ t have the interest in manufacturing careers — both are bad for your company ’ s future !
Michigan ’ s tool and die industry is just one of manufacturing ’ s many sectors experiencing a stunning shortage of talent . Consider the following , according to the Center for Automotive Research :
• 54 is the average age of a tool and die manufacturer
• Two-fifths of the nation ’ s tool and die industry is in Michigan or Ohio
• As much as 75 percent of the current tool and die workforce could turn over in the next 5-7 years
• Zero jobs in advanced tool and die manufacturing can be done without skilled training
Does your industry look similar ? If yes , then your business can ’ t afford to wait on talent .
The SME Education Foundation ’ s Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education ( PRIME ®) program connects local employers with local educators to create local talent solutions using curriculum customized for the needs of manufacturers .
Michigan manufacturers ’ interest in the program has been immediate as MMA and the SME Education Foundation travel the state to share the intricacies of why PRIME ® works . One main reason is the unique curriculum , customized specifically to meet the needs of the local manufacturers .
For more on how the curriculum is built , MMA sat down with Josh Cramer , senior educational program manager for the SME Education Foundation and the person leading SME ’ s curriculum development process . Cramer explained what happens from the time employers create a PRIME ® school to when it is
Josh Cramer ( second from right ) is senior educational program manager for the SME Education Foundation . He overseas the development of localized , customized curriculum for each PRIME ® school . Here Cramer and SME Education Foundation Vice President Brian Glowiak ( left of center ) meet with interested manufacturers about the development of new curriculum for their PRIME ® school .
ready for the students whose futures could be shaped by it .
At the Heart of PRIME ®
What is your role in the PRIME ® program ?
Cramer : I ’ m responsible for overseeing the development of localized , customized curriculum for each PRIME ® school . This includes working with both sides of the partnership — employers and educators — on the program ’ s strategic plan , engaging with manufacturers , and developing the best practices that frame every PRIME ® school .
How can a manufacturer interested in PRIME ® begin participating ?
Cramer : It starts with a conversation . If you have a need to develop a pool of available talent , people truly passionate about the opportunities available in manufacturing , we want to help you . The great part about PRIME ® is it succeeds through the collaboration , engagement , and discussions happening at the local level . Every school is built on that same foundation , but that ’ s where the similarities can end .
A program in Kent County could look very different from one in Wayne County , just like how a Jackson PRIME ® school may look different from one in the Upper Peninsula . PRIME ® is tailored to meet the unique needs of your business in accordance with state and local education standards . Your PRIME ® school will go as far as you , the employer , want to take it .
If a PRIME ® school works in one place , why not simply copy that model elsewhere ? Why is the customizable method of curriculum development the best method ?
Cramer : We get that question a lot from educators . They ’ ll ask for our model and think the solution is as simple as providing a set of courses with ready-made curriculum attached . Unfortunately , fixing a problem like Michigan ’ s skilled trades challenge isn ’ t that easy . When a solution is very standardized and rigid , you actually end up decreasing its success . This is because you can miss out on providing students with the skills required to get the jobs available in their community if your curriculum is based on what worked somewhere else .
It ’ s all about problem solving and matchmaking . If a school is turning out welders because they think that ’ s what an employer needs , but employers are looking for automation technicians , the problem still exists because the jobseekers are mismatched with the career options .