Training

I admit to some bias against school. From about fifth grade on, our educational system and I were rarely on speaking terms. Think oil and water rather than peas and carrots. Needless to say, I left at my earliest opportunity. Aside from that thing with my daughter pulling the fire alarm, my kids were far better students. So when it came time for them to make the big decisions, I kept my opinion to myself and did what most parents do these days: Encourage them to get their college degrees.

Vincennes University and the Porter County, Ind., career center are partnering for an early college program. Students seeking careers in precision machining will benefit from a completed addition to the career center and an equipment grant from Vincennes University that provided more than $300,000 in new CNC equipment, manual/conventional equipment, tooling, cabinets, benches and tables.

By 2025, nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population is expected to be 60 years of age or older. With this demographic preparing to exit the workforce and enter retirement, what can be done to retain people's knowledge and pass it down to the next generation of employees? After all, a good portion of the knowledge that our "employee elders" possess is not written down or stored on computers—it's in their heads. This is especially true in the manufacturing sector.