Workforce Development & Training

A hands-on educational program designed to spread awareness about careers in manufacturing, Camp CHAMP debuted as part of the Leyden Student Summit held last month at East Leyden High School in Franklin Park, Illinois. Of the 170 middle school students who signed up for the two-day summer career-oriented educational event, 30 chose to experience first-hand what it takes to make pens out of wood using tabletop machinery. The students watched and assisted with various operations as they moved from one station to the next. There was a tabletop lathe, a rotary grinder, a tabletop milling machine, an assembly station, a laser marking machine and, finally, an inspection system.

Companies continue to face unprecedented workforce challenges. In the manufacturing sector, meeting the demand to find, recruit, develop and retain qualified, skilled employees has become a business imperative that requires a holistic, highly strategic approach to workforce development.

Jeff Badger, Ph.D., a.k.a. The Grinding Doc, describes his three-day High Intensity Grinding Course, which he developed to provide grinders an in-depth understanding of production grinding along with the knowledge and tools to make significant, long-term improvements to their grinding operations.

CTE Publisher Dennis Spaeth interviews Terry Iverson, president and CEO of Iverson & Company, about the latest developments with Champion NOW, the organization he founded to help change perceptions about manufacturing careers.