Celebrating 100 Years With AGMA/ABMA
On May 12th, the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA), along with members of the American Bearing Manufacturers Association (ABMA), celebrated their 100th anniversary in Amelia Island, Florida. I had the pleasure of addressing approximately 240 attendees from around the world about our efforts on youth engagement and workforce development. Like us, and many other American manufacturers, the AGMA/ABMA membership has identified growing their future workforce as one of the most challenging areas going forward.
I was honored to have been selected for this topic, as it is very important to all of us here at Precision Plus. I expressed to them that changing the outdated perception of manufacturing jobs in the United States is our first hurdle before we can hope to recruit the best and brightest of the next generation. No longer is “Dark, Dirty, and Dangerous” typical. These shops, for the most part, have been replaced with clean, well-lit, organized, and safe production facilities. Changing these preconceptions will take time, but it will happen much more quickly if we all join together. The playbook targets educators, students, parents, and lastly, our elected officials charged with creating policies and laws that support and protect our industries. Working together is key.
The next step, once we have captured their attention, is to open the doors of our once “private” facilities and reveal the reality of what we do. We need to publicly promote our use of advanced technology and our role in perfecting the skills necessary to succeed in this very competitive global economy. We must also be prepared to make long term investments in the next generation; youth apprenticeship programs and summer internships are vital to showing these students the rewarding career opportunities in manufacturing today. We can no longer sit back and complain about the lack of job candidates – we must be willing to show them the opportunities and back it up with paid training opportunities that allow them to see for themselves.
I am grateful for the opportunity that the AGMA/ABMA offered, and I look forward to continued work with the organization to advance this conversation and rebuild the economic engine that helped make America great. I ask all of you to take a few minutes and ask yourself, “Are we ready to get involved and make a difference?”
Feel free to reach out to me at any time, regardless of industry or location. Together we can change the world.
