Barry Butters Invited to Speak at the 2015 Youth Apprenticeship Forum on April 23 in Wisconsin Dells

April 26, 2015

Barry Butters Invited to Speak at the 2015 Youth Apprenticeship Forum on April 23 in Wisconsin Dells

Michael Reader

On Thursday, April 23, 2015, Scott Fromader, Youth Education Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), the Division of Employment and Training (DET) , the Bureau of Workforce Training (BWT), and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), led a state-wide “Youth Apprenticeship (YA)” Conference in Wisconsin Dells, to address strategic plans for Wisconsin’s talent development that include youth apprenticeships as a catalyst for the success of this endeavor.

Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at Precision Plus, was asked to be a panelist during the conference.

Wisconsin’s workforce, education and economic development partners have intentionally aligned strategies and resources to address the labor shortage and skills gaps. Collaborative workforce models such as YA and registered apprenticeship can be scaled, expanded and “bridged” to build sustainable local talent pipelines for employers and skilled employment opportunities for students and job seekers. Demand driven models like Wiscosin Fast Forward and the Blueprint for Prosperity have funded almost 20,000 training opportunities for students, job seekers and incumbent workers to gain market-relevant skill sets and employment opportunities. Let’s set a vision for what the YA practitioners in WI can do to leverage the capabilities of collaborative networks and successful workforce models.

The day-long conference covered a myriad of topics which, in one way or another, affect the development of successful youth apprenticeship programs in the State of Wisconsin.

Jim Chiolino, DWD Equal Rights Division, Labor Standards Bureau Director, Joy M. Gander, CPCU, ARM, Principal, Gander Consulting Group, LLC, and Joseph Moreth, DWD, Workers Compensation Division, Bureau of Insurance Programs Director, addressed child labor law, insurance and workers’ compensation impacts and implications. The session’s moderator was Amy Phillips.

Ann Westrich, Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Education Director, Career Prep/YA/K-12/Articulation, spoke about existing and upcoming articulation agreements with Wisconsin’s technical colleges, or the ability to earn transferable college credits while completing a youth apprenticeship certification. Cathy Crary was the moderator.

Karen Morgan, DWD-DET, Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards (BAS) Director and Jamie Bernthal, DWD YA Program Coordinator, talked about strategies for placing youth in registered apprenticeship programs.

Robin Kroyer-Kubicek, Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Career Pathways Education Consultant, addressed youth apprenticeships, work-based learning, certification and academic and career planning as discussed with DPI.

Scott Fromader, DWD-DET, BWT, WIA Youth Education Consultant, explained both the Workforce Investment Act and the Workforce Innovate and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Programs in detail. The moderator for this session was Phil Koenig.

Phil Koenig served again as moderator for the session on how social media impacts the world of workforce programs. The session’s panelists were Andre Small, DWD-DET, BJS, Business Service Section Chief, Meghan Spranger, DWD Office of the Secretary, Communications Specialist Advisor, and George (Dom) Tervalon, DWD-DET, BJS, Employer Consultant Specialist.

Shelly Harkins, DWD-DET, Office of Skills Development Program Outreach, Barry R. Butters, Director of Education & Training, Precision Plus, Elkhorn, WI, Tania Kilpatrick, Career and Technical Education Coordinator and YA Regional Coordinator, CESA 6, Jill Preissner, YA Regional Coordinator Sheboygan Area YA Consortium, Cyndy Sandberg, YA Alternate Regional Coordinator, SC WDB YA Consortium & YA Coordinator, Jefferson County YA Consortium, Kristine Niehus, Director, Human Resources at CL&D Graphics, and Paul Liethen, School District of West Salem, Technology Education were panelists for the program entitled “Wisconsin Fast Forward: A Blueprint for Prosperity Through Education and Business Partnership Collaborations.” The core message centered on collaborative efforts between school districts, technical collages and businesses to “provide high school pupils with industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields,” and how DWD’s programs bring it all together. The moderators were Cathy Crary and Lori Uttech-Hanson.

Lisa Perkofski, DWD-DET, BAS, Apprenticeship Training Representatives, Area #8: Outagamie, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago counties and Ben Stahlecker, DWD-DET, BAS, Apprenticeship Training Representative, Area #4: Adams, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Portage, Price, Taylor, Vilas, and Wood counties, led the workshop entitled “Registered Apprenticeship: A Strategic Advantage for Today’s Workforce,” or anticipating industry needs by having apprenticeships programs available for students in advance. Jamie Bernthal was the moderator.

Meredith Dressel, DWD-DVR, Bureau of Consumer Services, Deputy Director, provided an overview of DVR services, including “initiatives to promote employment opportunities for youth with disabilities.” The session was entitled “Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Transition Youth Initiative and promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) Grant. The moderator was Scott Fromader.

Cathy Crary, DWD-DET, BWT, Youth and At-Risk Programs Section Chief, Tom Martin, Southwest WI YA Regional Coordinator, Cyndy Sandberg, South Central WI YA Alternate Regional Coordinator and Jefferson County YA Coordinator, discussed YA program budget, legislative, policy and administration updates.

Finally, facilitators Jamie Bernthal and Amy Phillips, DWD YA Program coordinators, led a discussion giving YA consortiums an opportunity to highlight best practices and exchange ideas.

Participants left with valuable takeaways to implement.

Educational Development

April 24, 2015

STEM Education Event at Advanced Manufacturing Center on April 22, 2015 Features Elkhorn Area School District PLTW Students and Teachers, State Legislators and Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch

Michael Reader

In fall of 2014, Project Lead The Way (PLTW) announced a pilot program with a curriculum specifically designed for elementary school children, to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics arts (STEM). PLTW has had a solid record for rigorous and comprehensive curricula available to children from middle school through high school. Elkhorn Area School District was an early adopter of the elementary grades pilot program, the PLTW Launch Curriculum, which gives students an opportunity to explore and apply STEM sciences early on.

Dr. Joshua Schultz, Affiliate Director of PLTW at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), extended an invitation to Elkhorn Area School District PLTW students, as well as teachers and administrators, to participate in a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development event and reception at the Advanced Manufacturing Center in Milton, WI on April 22, 2015, to celebrate the district’s accomplishments and receive a special recognition. Also invited were State of Wisconsin legislators, PLTW officials, Barry Butters from Precision Plus, and Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch.

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As planned, Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch was at hand to hand the special recognitions. So were William White, Vice President, Project Lead The Way Midwest Region, Jason Tadlock, District Administrator for the Elkhorn Area School District and Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at Precision Plus

Students included Cullen Gahart (3^rd Grade), Matthew Prokes (4^th Grade), Natalie Petersen (5^th Grade), Lesly Rodriguez (6^th Grade), Gwen Nicholas (6^th Grade), Wendy Remeeus (6^th Grade), Elizabeth Wallace (11^th Grade, Justice Bachtell (12^th Grade), J.P. Griswold (12^th Grade) and Kathryn Lieffrig (12^th Grade). Teachers present were Eryca Card, Linda Frankenberg, Alex Hutson, Barry Butters and Jerry Iserloth. Jason Tadlock and Chris Trottier represented the administrators.

Teachers and administrators were asked to talk about their STEM initiatives, and to showcase their efforts to support education, their students, and reiterate the importance of STEM education policy decisions in Wisconsin. In addition, students from the Elkhorn Area School District displayed their projects and shared the value and lessons learned through their PLTW coursework.

The agenda included a continental breakfast, introductions and welcome by Tania Kilpatrick, CESA 6, an overview of PLTW in the Midwest Region by William White, presentations by Jason Tadlock, Barry Butters, Eryca Card and students, and by Thor Misko, Vice President of Development at PLTW. Dr. Joshua Schultz closed the program with final remarks about the event and the program.

And thank you, Elkhorn Area School District, for the shout out on their Facebook Page!

Community Involvement Educational Development

April 2, 2015

Third Annual Manufacturing Career Panel at Elkhorn Area High School on February 18, 2015, Draws a Large Crowd of Students

Michael Reader

For the third year in a row, Precision Plus in partnership with Elkhorn Area High School, presented a Manufacturing Career Panel to more than a hundred high school students from several area schools.

The event, which took place on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at Elkhorn Area High School was organized to explain to students what 21^st century advanced manufacturing is and how it has changed over the last decades, to dispel old manufacturing myths, to talk about manufacturing career opportunities, and exciting educational opportunities available for students in the area.

The program was moderated by Mike Reader, President and Owner of Precision Plus, and by Barry Butters, the company’s Director of Education and Training. A shout-out was given to JoAnne Pella, Career Advisor of Elkhorn Area High School, for her contribution and dedication to make the panels possible.

The panelists were distinguished industry leaders Dennis Giesler, General Manager of Parker-Hannifin Quick Coupling Division, Dawn Tabat, COO of Generac, Geoff Martin, Principal and Senior Leader of GE Healthcare Partners, and Rick Lofy, Lean Six Sigma Instructor at Gateway Technical College. Click here to see their expanded bios.

All four panelists drew from their own experiences in manufacturing, sharing the broad spectrum of opportunities that exist within the industry at all levels. They all spoke about the next generation of advanced manufacturing professionals, and how they are looking at that generation, which included the students present, to carry the future. All speakers agreed that we live in an exciting time, when things are changing faster today than in the history of the world. And that these fast, dynamic, changing times require problem-solving, creative-thinking individuals who can move with the changes and have the ability to rapidly adapt and progress through collaboration and continuous improvement. Success now and in the future, they concluded, will be driven by the purpose, culture and passion of those individuals and companies who are committed to make a difference.

Industry News

March 30, 2015

Feeding the Employee Pipeline: WCEDA Panel Discussion on Efforts to Create a Viable Workforce for the Future

Michael Reader

A panel discussion entitled “Feeding the Employee Pipeline,” was organized and presented by the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance (WCEDA) on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at the Geneva National Golf Club.

The purpose of this panel presentation was to bring together educators and industry leaders to better understand the present shortage of a skilled workforce and its future implication, to learn about the solutions and initiatives currently in place that address that shortage, and find out how collaborative efforts are essential for creating a viable workforce. Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at Precision Plus, was invited to be a panelist.

Derek D’Auria , Executive Director of WCEDA, moderated the discussion. In his introduction, D’Auria referred to data collected for a Harvard University study, which indicate that 33% of jobs in the future (as early as 2018) will require a 4-year degree, 57% will require a technical skill, and 10% of jobs will be able to be filled with unskilled employees. He also pointed out that currently in Wisconsin, 65% of all high school graduates set off go to a 4-year college after high school graduation, but that only 25% earn a bachelor ‘s degree, leaving the rest typically with a lot of debt, and resorting to part-time jobs.

First to address the audience was Karen Burns, Manager of the Walworth County Job Center. Burns summarized all the programs that are available at this agency—from learning interviewing soft skills, to working on resumes, to lining up candidates with programs, to working in conjunction with Gateway Technical College and employers.

The second speaker was Dennis Winters, Chief Economist, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Winters presented several slides showing a growing disparity between jobs and the workforce, and the implications, should the situation remain status quo. He contrasted the job seeker position from 50 or 60 years ago, with the one from today, by saying “You can’t expect now to finish high school and run a machine: understand technology, run it, and don’t break it!”

Winters also spoke about the “Wisconsin Fast Forward” program, a blueprint for prosperity, based on employer-need base training. He emphasized the importance of postsecondary training and continuous improvement, and concluded with the following statement: “Education and training must be part of your lifestyle for the rest of your life.”

Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at Precision Plus., was the first panelist to speak. He pointed out that a manufacturing company can expand their brick and mortar and get new equipment, but without people to run it, the expansion is senseless. Given this situation, Mike Reader, President and Owner of the company, hired Butters to build an awareness campaign to make this happen. As an example, Precision Plus has established internship and youth apprenticeship programs, actively participates in several career and technical education (CTE) committees at the high school and college level, and has sponsored industry field trips for students. Butters also teaches an engineering design and development (EDD) course through Elkhorn Area High School and regularly engages with other companies to encourage their involvement.

The next panelist was JoAnne Pella, Career Advisor of Elkhorn Area High School (EAHS). Pella outlined the programs that are in place at the school, such as co-ops, career panels, that will guarantee that all students be exposed to academic career pathway guidance. By mandate, all students will have to have gone through career guidance. She pointed out, however, these initiatives have been long in place at EAHS, and each added option only enhances their existing program. Pella also talked about a career advisor consortium, held at Gateway Technical College, where advisors from several high schools in the area meet once a month to review their programs and exchange ideas.

Debbie Davidson, Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development at Gateway Technical College, talked about the initiatives in place at the school that address the needs of employers in the area. She particularly talked about their CNC Boot Camp program, which has been offered to adults for several years, but to entering high school seniors just for the last three years, with great success. Students go to school during the summer for six weeks. Then, during the fall semester, they attend school in the morning and Gateway in the afternoon. In the spring, they split their day by attending school and participating in a paid internship at a local manufacturing facility. At the end of the program, students not only have a high school diploma, but also a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, a Manufacturing Skills Standard Council (MSSC) Safety Certification, 15 Gateway school credits, and six months work experience to put on their resume.

Davidson mentioned that through a collaborative effort, which included Precision Plus, the CNC Boot Camp will be offered at the school’s Elkhorn Campus as of July of 2015.

Kevin Paluch, Vice President of the Geneva National Golf Resort, addressed the shortage of properly trained hospitality/culinary arts employees. Due to the nature and the location of the business, the company generally hires a short-term workforce that may not be best prepared to provide a superior experience for their clients. He also alluded to an earnings threshold that will determine whether the younger generation (less than 25 years of age) chooses to work or stay at home. The incentive to go beyond that threshold depends on their qualifications and ability to perform hospitality and culinary jobs properly. Paluch reiterated the need for schools to expand on this type of training.

Rich Gruber, Vice President of Mercy Health System spoke about what his group has done to address the skills shortage. In an entity that employs about 6,500 people, there are regularly 1,500 jobs to open, and these include a range of occupations, from health care to plumbing to food service. Proactively, the organization has established several programs within the system, such as a residency program for primary care physicians, and certified nurse assistant (CNA) program that works with local high schools and colleges. This year alone, Mercy Health System will have graduated over 900 CNAs.

Gruber also spoke about options for junior high and high school students: “The earlier they are exposed to career choices, the better,” he suggested. Schools must be able to provide tools to explore different careers as early as 6^th or 7^th grade. “Capturing inquisitive minds is essential,” he added. Gruber made clear, however, this could not happen without collaboration and constant conversation with schools at all levels, as well as with fellow health systems, and observed solutions need to be fueled by creativity and outside-the-box thinking by all the partners involved.

Bob Kopykdlowsi , Principal of Badger High School, then addressed the perception issue experienced by many parents and the community at large. He stated that convincing parents that a 4-year degree may not be the only career path available for their students, presented a hurdle, and he suggested that typically the community does not recognize alternate career paths as viable. His school offers many options for children to explore career opportunities.

Tristan Steiner, a senior at Badger High School, spoke about his experience from a student-perspective. Tristan has always been interested in math and science, but did not know how to apply his interest to a career choice he would not regret later. Beginning in his sophomore year, Tristan was able to get a taste of different careers options by taking targeted classes, which eventually led him to realize that he would like to become an electrical engineer with a focus in renewable energy sources. Tristan also had the opportunity be an intern at Precision Plus, where he was able to experience a number of aspects of the business. Being able to study the design of parts and programs for machines, confirmed the choice he made was valid.

The program then opened up to questions and comments that explored topics such as externships–or teachers going into the field to experience the environment, the importance of schools having advisory committees to drive their curricula, the advantages of going to a 2-year college before joining a 4-year institution, and changing the mindset of the community.

A video of the entire presentation is available below:

Educational Development

March 24, 2015

Precision Plus Delves into Remote Problem Solving and Instruction

Barry Butters, Elkhorn, Elkhorn Area High School, Fred Ganter, PLTW, Precision Plus, Project Lead The Way, remote teaching, reverse engineering projects, Wisconsin

Michael Reader

Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at Precision Plus, teamed with Elkhorn Area High School’s Project Lead The Way (PLTW ) teacher Fred Ganter to give his Introduction to Engineering and Design (IED) students a chance to reverse engineer some obsolete components.

The premise of the project was that if an older machine had a component fail and a replacement component was no longer available, then a component replacement would have to be machined. To machine the component a print would be needed.

The students were broken into groups and assigned components to first sketch and then measure. The students then used Autodesk CAD Inventor software to model the components and finally develop a working print of the part.

Throughout the project, however, teams had a chance to interact and be coached remotely by Barry Butters, who is a certified PLTW Engineering Design and Development (EDD) instructor. He regularly logged in, in real time, into the system in order to view and discuss the progress of the projects with each individual team.

Industry News

March 21, 2015

Precision Plus’ 360-Degree Holistic Approach to Closing the Manufacturing Skills Gap

360-degree, approach, Barry Butters, educators, Elkhorn, holistic, legislators, manufacturers, manufacturing., Precision Plus, Precision Plus Inc., skills gap, slide presentation, video, Wisconsin

Michael Reader

Faced with the reality of a shortage of qualified individuals with high manufacturing technology skills, Precision Plus of Elkhorn, Wisconsin launched a 360-degree holistic initiative to address this deficit from all angles–or a game plan to create a pipeline of next generation machinists.

With all the attributes of a David vs. Goliath-type story, the initiative seemed futile at times. However, two years into the undertaking, the David in the story has become an amalgamated and tenacious force of educators, students, manufacturers, organizations, associations, and legislators who are bound to make a difference and close the skills gap.

The video above features a slide presentation created by Barry Butters, Director of Training and Education at Precision Plus In this presentation, Butters lays out the thirteen steps currently in place at Precision Plus which make up the “Playbook for Workforce Development.”

Please contact Barry Butters via email or phone to arrange a presentation at your facility, or to tour our plant and classrooms and learn more about this initiative.

Educational Development

February 15, 2015

Chinese Educators Visit Precision Plus To Learn About Classrooms Within Manufacturing Facilities

AMIO International English School, Barry Butters, China, classrooms in manufacturing facilities, delegation, DynEd, educational initiatives, Elkhorn, Precision Plus, Shandong, teachers, Weifang, Wisconsin

Michael Reader

On Tuesday, February 10, 2015, a delegation of educators from the AMIO International English Schools located in the City of Weifang, Shandong, China, visited and toured Precision Plus Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training, facilitated the tour.

AMIO’s Principal Ms. Haizhen Wang, teachers Ms. Xiuxiang Wu and Ms. Xinhua Feng, and Marketing and Recruiting Manager Ms. Chongjuan Han, were led by Mr. David An, AMIO’s Managing Director. The delegation came to the Elkhorn, Wisconsin area to observe how high school classes are conducted in the U.S.

AMIO International English Schools have an impeccable reputation not only for teaching the American English language as a skill, but also for their notable efforts to understand native customs, traditions and the semantics that go along with learning the language. AMIO is a private school based on the educational initiatives of DynEd.

The delegation stopped at Precision Plus to learn about how the company combines hands-on training and disciplined onsite classroom teaching.

Industry News

January 31, 2015

PMPA Continues to Be At the Center of the Precision Manufacturing Industry

Barry Butters, Columbus, Dale Wittlieff, OH, PMPA, PMPA Management Update Conference, PMPA National Technical Conference, PMTS, Precision Machined, Precision Machining Technology Show, Precision Plus Inc., Products Association, San Antonio, Speaking of Precision Blog

Michael Reader

For over eighty years, the Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA) has played a key role in the journey of the industry. The PMPA is truly a 360-degree trade organization comprised of industry leaders who understand that having an active and strong manufacturing industry is vital to the overall strength and stability of our economy. Through a full-range of programs and services, the PMPA helps its members “meet their operational challenges and focus on new business opportunities.”

With plenty of involvement opportunities at all levels of membership–active, associate, technical or affiliate, the PMPA attributes the success of the organization to its members and their ongoing involvement at all levels.

Precision Plus is vested in this organization, actively participating in several committees at the national level including Strategic Planning, PMTS (Precision Machining Tool Show), Management Update, Government Affairs and Quality, as well as playing an active role in the PMPA local Wisconsin chapter.

Precision Plus will be represented at the PMPA Management Update Conference taking place in San Antonio, TX from February 27 through March 1^st, and the Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS) in Columbus, OH scheduled for April 21-23, 2015.

Jeff Lemmermann, Precision Plus’s CFO and CTO is scheduled to speak at the Management Update Conference on the subject of hacking.

Then, preceding PMTS, Precision Plus’ Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training, and Dale Wittlieff, Director of Quality and Continued Improvement, will be at hand at the 2015 PMPA National Technical Conference, also taking place in Columbus from April 19 through the 21^st. Along with Robin Rutschlling of Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc., and Rich Nast of Bracalente Manufacturing Group, Butters will share actionable steps during a program titled, “How to Deal With the Skilled Training Issue.” The panel will provide real-world examples of “what their shops are doing in their communities to draw the best and the brightest into our industry.”

Dale Wittlieff will assist in a presentation entitled “ISO-9001:2015; A Look over the Horizon.” Although this revision will not become official until the end of 2015, this session aims “to provide insight as to how you can best prepare for this change,” learning about key changes, understanding what is needed to comply, and hearing examples on how to implement the new requirements.

Click here for more information on the PMPA, and timely information industry updates on their Speaking of Precision Blog.

Community Involvement

January 21, 2015

Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training To Receive Annual “Friend of the Elkhorn Area School District” Award

2015, Barry Butters, congratulations, educational initiatives, Elkhorn, Elkhorn Area School District, Friend of the Elkhorn Area School District, January 16, Precision Plus, Wisconsin

Michael Reader

Congratulations to Precision Plus’s Director of Education and Training Barry Butters, who has received a “Friend of the Elkhorn Area School District” award. The awards will be presented on January 26, 2015 at Elkhorn Middle School. The award is a framed picture created by a West Side Elementary student.
Precision Plus proudly supports local educational initiatives.

EVENT UPDATE:

Barry Butters receives “Friends of Elkhorn Area School District” award.

Community Involvement Industry News

January 15, 2015

2015 Manufacturing Career Panel To Be Held on February 18 at Elkhorn Area High School

Michael Reader

The third annual Manufacturing Career Panel will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at Elkhorn Area High School. In partnership with Elkhorn Area H.S., Precision Plus will lead a panel of manufacturing experts who will talk to an audience of over 200 students from area high schools about bright and challenging manufacturing career possibilities. The event will take place from 1:00 to 2:35 p.m.

This year, four manufacturing industry leaders will participate as panelists, with Mike Reader of Precision Plus as Master of Ceremonies. All four panelists have demonstrated their tenacious spirit to succeed and will share their experiences and insights with the students.

Dawn Tabat, Chief Operations Officer – Generac. Ms. Tabat, currently oversees manufacturing, logistics, global supply chain, quality, safety, information services and human resources. She began her career at Generac with a summer job on the assembly line. Tabat credits her corporate success to welcoming and making the best of opportunities as they presented themselves—a trait, which she strives to pay forward. With 2013 revenues of $1.5B, Generac Power Systems is a manufacturer of backup power generation products for residential, light commercial and industrial markets.

Geoff Martin, Principal and Senior Leader – GE Healthcare Partners; Service Line Leader for GE’s Hospital of the Future Solution. Mr. Martin leads implementation teams who provide transformational solutions for organizational redesign and governance enhancement of healthcare institutions. GE’s Solutions focuses on increasing access, decreasing costs, and improving quality in healthcare through a combination of consulting and technology.

Dennis Giesler, General Manager- Parker Hannifin’s Quick Coupling Division. Mr. Giesler has led the Quick Coupling Division—the world’s largest manufacturer of quick couplings–since 2008. The company also produces hydraulic and pneumatic couplings in a variety of sizes, materials, and end configurations to accommodate a broad spectrum of design requirements as well as offering hydraulic swivels, check valves and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.

Rick Lofy, Lean Six Sigma Instructor at Gateway Technical College, and Coordinator, CNC Summer Youth Boot Camp held at IMET Center in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Mr. Lofy will explain the boot camp program, and the benefits for students with regard to skills and knowledge, and work experience. Additionally, he will address the boot camp’s expectations and hours.

Mike Reader, President of Precision Plus Mr. Reader who has presented on our first two panels and is the chief organizer of the event. He along with Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at Precision Plus, have dedicated themselves to bringing the world of manufacturing to students of area schools through field trips, job shadows, internships, youth apprenticeships, and informational panels.

This event attracts high-caliber students who are up for the challenge offered in today’s high-tech manufacturing arena. Fourteen high schools have been invited to participate:

Badger High School (Lake Geneva, WI)
Beloit Memorial High School (Beloit, WI)
Big Foot High School (Walworth, WI)
Burlington High School (Burlington, WI)
Delavan Darien High School (Delavan, WI)
East Troy High School (East Troy, WI)
Faith Christian School (Williams Bay, WI)
Richmond Burton High School (Richmond, IL)
Union Grove High School (Union Grove, WI)
Waterford High School (Waterford, WI)
Westosha Central High School (Salem, WI)
Whitewater High School (Whitewater, WI)
Williams Bay High School (Williams Bay, WI)
Wilmot High School (Wilmot, WI)

For more information about the event, please contact Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at Precision Plus via phone or email.

Manufacturing helps to drive Wisconsin’s economy as a top contributor to the state’s real GDP ($50 billion in total output in 2013) and by employing16 percent (465,000) of the state’s workforce. While manufacturing was hit by the recent recession, it is making a fast-paced recovery. Reports indicate that the sector has recovered at least half of its jobs initially lost in the downturn, with the latest economic forecasts predicting continued employment growth and recovery into 2016. Manufacturing is expected to add nearly 19,000 jobs by 2020 (Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin). Many of these jobs will require skills to support the technologically evolving and lean operations of manufacturing companies.

Manufacturing in Wisconsin will continue to be a prime source of employment as we have more workers in this career field than any other state. In addition, the manufacturing sector provides some of the best-paying non-managerial jobs, particularly for those with less than a 4-year college degree.

To view recaps of previous events, please click on the year: 2013 – 2014

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Tag : Barry Butters