THE AUTOMATION FEDERATION NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Infantino
(919) 990-9287
jinfantino@automationfederation.org
Automation Federation Moderates Panel Discussion at Piedmont Triad High School Counselors Retreat
Research Triangle Park, NC (9 October 2008) – As part of its commitment to manage the activities of the Advanced Manufacturing Cluster for the Piedmont Triad Partnership in North Carolina, the Automation Federation recently participated in a Piedmont Triad High School Counselors Retreat at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.
The Automation Federation works with the Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP) to create new, high-skill, high-wage jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector, and to educate the community about career opportunities in the automation profession. The panel session at the retreat focused on industry needs and workforce development opportunities for students in the region. The audience included high school counselors, community college representatives, and career-technical educators.
The panel discussion, held 2 October, was moderated by Bob Crigler, Business Development Manager for the Automation Federation and Advanced Manufacturing Industry Cluster Director for the PTP. Featured panelists included Brad Kemmerer, President of ABCO Automation, Inc.; Lance Kress, Senior Vice President of nCoat, Inc.; Bill Rhue, Senior Manager of Communications and Operations, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Steve Trastelis, Corporate Vice President of Microfibres, Inc.; and Mike Dunn, Operations Manager of TurboCare, Inc.. The panelists represent companies that specialize in automation systems, nanotechnology coatings, consumer products, specialty textiles, and precision machining, respectively.
The panel discussion covered several important workforce development topics, such as soft skills and technical skills needed in advanced manufacturing and automation careers; career paths available to advanced manufacturing and automation workers; and issues concerning workforce demographics.
Manufacturing represents about 20% of the economy in North Carolina, according to Crigler. “It’s critical that we develop innovative and significant programs and activities to improve the advanced manufacturing workforce in this region and other parts of the country. The Automation Federation and PTP are working on a number of initiatives. We’re working on skills gap analyses and developing solutions to bridge the gaps that we find, we’re establishing a network for manufacturers, educators, and other stakeholders to connect on the issues. We’re also working with educators to expand the number of competitive student robotics teams in the region and implementing communications programs that bring information about advanced manufacturing careers into the schools,” he said.
Through the panel discussion, manufacturers were able to communicate the importance of primary, secondary, and continuing education programs to their businesses. As a result counselors became more aware of high-skill, high-wage jobs currently in demand in the region.
“The successes that we’re having in our initiative with the PTP are important for the future work of the Automation Federation,” said Automation Federation Chairman Steve Huffman. “We plan to utilize our experience here as a model to help the profession in all areas of the country, and eventually around the world.”
For more information about the PTP, visit www.piedmonttriadnc.com. For more information about the Automation Federation, visit www.automationfederation.org.
About the Piedmont Triad Partnership
The Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP), one of seven regional economic development partnerships in North Carolina, is the economic development organization representing the 12-county Piedmont Triad region. The PTP is the lead organization for the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) initiative, which supports the development of an integrated regional economic development and workforce development strategy for the Piedmont Triad. The Piedmont Triad, the nation's 37th-largest metro region with more than 1.5 million residents, includes the counties of Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin.
The Automation Federation manages the activities of the Advanced Manufacturing Industry Cluster Roundtable for PTP. The Automation Federation works with PTP to create new, high-skill, high-wage jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector.
About the Automation Federation
The Automation Federation is a global umbrella organization under which member associations and societies engaged in manufacturing and process automation activities can work more effectively to fulfill their missions, advance the science and engineering of automation technologies and applications and develop the workforce needed to capitalize on the benefits of automation. The Automation Federation is working to become the “Voice of Automation.” For more information about the Automation Federation, visit www.automationfederation.org
