PRECISION MACHINED SOLUTIONS | (262) 743-1700

Precision Plus Interns are Featured on Geneva Lake West News

Michael Reader

Precision Plus interns Britt Campbell, Markus Gudel, Eric Bain, Martin Korsholm,  and Brad Killen were featured on a recent issue of the Geneva Lake West News in two articles, which were published on January 9th.

On “Manufacturer confronts worker shortage,” LGWN’s Chris Schultz interviews Mike Reader and Barry Butters to report on the state of the manufacturing industry, and the shortage of skilled personnel to fill jobs, preventing companies such as Precision Plus from expanding. Precision Plus is taking a very active role in reversing the trend, and has established internship programs for high-school and college students, while expanding on educational and in-house training programs.  The article features some of the interns from Precision Plus’ pilot summer program, and follows their progress within the industry.

On “Badger benefits from Precision internship,” Chris Schultz chats with Britt Campbell of Badger H.S., who also races a Mazda Miata race car.

In both instances, the emphasis is on educational proactivity to empower the manufacturing industry.

Precision Plus in Elkhorn, Wisconsin Kicks Off Manufacturing Month With a Plant Tour Open To Everyone

Michael Reader

In recent years, the possibility that a career in manufacturing could offer a great future, has become something of a well-kept secret.  In spite of the downturn in the economy, jobs in manufacturing abound, but the skills gap continues to widen.

In October of 2012, a nationwide initiative by U.S. manufacturers was launched to showcase this industry which is the backbone of this country.  The initiative was called “Manufacturing Day.” This year, the initiative continues to gain momentum.  In Wisconsin alone, more than 450,000 careers are in manufacturing, and Governor Scott Walker has officially declared October, “Manufacturing Month.”

The initiative addresses the shortage of skilled professionals from many angles, with a focus on education and awareness.

Precision Plus is delighted to actively participate in this endeavor.  To kick off Manufacturing Month, Precision Plus is hosting an Open House at its premises located at 840 Koopman Rd. in Elkhorn, Wisconsin on Thursday, October 3rd starting with an information presentation at 6:30 pm and a plant tour at 7:00 pm.  Everyone is invited.

On Friday, October 4th, Precision Plus will host several high school groups for tours and information on manufacturing.

As always, Precision Plus welcomes individuals, groups and organizations to tour our facilities.  Please contact Barry Butters, Director of Education & Training at (262) 743-1700 to schedule a time, or email him at buttersb@preplus.com.

Precision Plus Invites Walworth County High Schools in Wisconsin To Attend A Plant Tour to Celebrate Manufacturing Day

Michael Reader

On Friday, October 4, 2013, and to celebrate the 2nd Annual National Manufacturing Day, Precision Plus of Elkhorn, Wisconsin will host local high school groups for a plant tour and informal conversation about the manufacturing industry and its career opportunities.  Please contact Barry Butters, Director of Education & Training at (262) 743-1700 for more information, or email him at buttersb@preplus.com.

Precision Plus Welcomes Barry R. Butters as Director of Education and Training

Michael Reader

Precision Plus’ Efforts to Fill the Skills Gap:  Third Installment.

In a continuing effort to stay ahead of a widening manufacturing skills gap, Mike Reader, President of Precision Plus has hired Barry Butters as Director of Education and Training.

Butters has been in the education field for 27years, teaching mathematics and engineering courses as well as serving as a high school principal.  He has taught every course in the high school math curriculum including both Advanced Placement Calculus AB & BC and Advanced Placement Statistics.  Butters has also taught Statistics at George Williams College.  More recently, he began teaching a course called “Introduction to Engineering Design,” which is an engineering course in the “Project Lead The Way” curriculum.  Project Lead The Way is a national Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program aimed to increase the numbers of engineers in the USA.  The course work is designed to get high school students involved in real engineering work at a younger age and to attract more students to the engineering field.  “I will be using best practice in education to bring employees up to speed as quickly as possible through a variety of training techniques,” said Butters.

Butters’ duties at Precision Plus include: new employee training for those with no machining experience, cross-training existing employees, developing educational platforms for the various CNC machines and measuring tools, and acting as ambassador for the manufacturing industry.  Reader has repurposed a room at Precision Plus to serve as a classroom to conduct training.  Butters has lofty goals for the training at Precision Plus  His intentions are for the classroom to be used for:

  • To give employees, interns and students an opportunity to obtain certifications from the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)
  • To establish Precision Plusas a testing center for MSSC certifications.
  • To teach employees, interns, and students the mathematics related to the machining industry.
  • To teach employees, interns, and students blueprint reading, including geometric dimensioning and tolerance.
  • To teach employees, interns and students the skills necessary to use measuring devices including all kinds of micrometers, drop indicators, gages, calipers, optical comparators, roundness testers, automated optical systems such as OASIS, and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs).
  • To train employees, interns and students in the use of the Part Maker program.
  • To train employees, interns and students in the use of 3D CAD software.
  • To offer a CNC Lathe class to local high schools students.
  • To offer the Project Lead the Way course Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) and Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) at Precision Plus for local high school students.  The courses could be offered in the evenings as necessary.

Barry Butters, Director of Education & Training, speaks to a second grade class at Westside Elementary School class about the field of CNC Machining and Engineering.

Butters’ efforts to get manufacturing and its opportunities on the minds of the community and young people include organizing an open house to mark National Manufacturing Day.  The open house will be held on Thursday, October 3rd at 6:30 pm and is open to all.  On Friday, October 4th, National Manufacturing Day, Precision Plus will offer tours of its facility to local high school students.

In 2012, Mike Reader kicked off the first annual career panel, held at Elkhorn Area High School.  “Our mission is to continue to expand this opportunity, and I think it speaks volumes to Mike Reader’s vision that manufacturers need to take an active role in promoting their own industry,” said Butters.

Butters will be visiting area schools to speak to students about manufacturing and promoting its opportunities.  Most recently he visited a second grade class at Westside Elementary School.

You can reach Barry Butters at buttersb@preplus.com.  He is willing to take any suggestions or simply talk about what is being accomplished at Precision Plus

Precision Plus of Elkhorn, WI Hires Ten Interns During Summer 2013

Michael Reader

Precision Plus’s Efforts to Fill the Skills Gap:  First Installment.
By Barry Butters

Mike Reader, President of Precision Plus is attempting to do his part to fill the skills gap in the manufacturing industry. He explains that there is no shortage of work and that Precision Plus is ready to commit to expansion. However, he adds, “One of the greatest impediments to our expansion project is the lack of a large enough work force with the skills necessary to meet the new demands of  CNC machining.”

As a result, Mike Reader has felt a sense of urgency to act and take steps to become part of the solution.  Reader’s involvement stems from a personal goal to help local, state, national and global communities understand the manufacturing industry as a whole and its employment opportunities.

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Committed to the movement, Mike Reader and Precision Plus have begun to put the gears in motion:

Late in 2012, Mike invited twenty-four area administrators, guidance counselors and educators to tour Precision Plus and to discuss the manufacturing opportunities available for high school graduates in the area.

Following that meeting and together with Elkhorn Area High School, Mike organized a career panel comprised of manufacturing professionals.  Panelists included Dan Murphy, Regional Sales Manager at Rem Sales, LLC, Darlene Miller, President and CEO of Permac Industries and Vice President of Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA), John Murphy, President of Morris Midwest, LLC, Olaf Tessarzyk, Managing Partner of ZPS America, LLC, and himself. In spite of a severe winter snow storm, 180 students from three area high schools (Geneva Badger, Williams Bay and Elkhorn) attended the event.  For one and a half hours on February 27, 2013, the panelists and students engaged in a genuine discussion about the state of the industry and the possibilities manufacturing has available for young people finishing high school.

The career panel meeting stimulated a great deal of interest from students which led to Precision Plus’ hiring of ten summer interns, who joined Precision Plus on June 10, 2013.

Three of the interns were college students pursuing engineering majors:  Markus Gudel, attending University of Wisconsin—Platteville, and Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Charlie Dall and Mike Reader, Jr.  Four of the interns were graduating high school seniors, who would begin their undergraduate engineering schooling in the fall:  Bob Dall and Brad Killen who would attend University of Wisconsin–Madison, Martin Korsholm, who would attend Purdue University,  and Jon Stopple, who would attend University of Wisconsin–Platteville.  The other three interns were high school students from Richmond Burton H.S. and Elkhorn Area H.S., Ryan Reader, Carson Filko and Jordan Barr.

The interns came to Precision Plus with high-achieving academic records and outstanding characters. The goal was to immerse them in the real operations of the precision CNC machining industry, as they rotated through each department and the four machining platforms.  They learned to help with set-ups and operated the machines doing off-sets and verifying the components were within tolerances.  The interns also participated in three outings as they toured the  Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) machining facilities, the SC Johnson Integrated Manufacturing and Engineering Technology (iMET) Center in Sturtevant, and the Snap-on Tools facility in Kenosha.

At the end of the internship, it was obvious that these interns took away more than just hand-on experience, but an understanding of the value of manufacturing, committing to become ambassadors for the manufacturing industry.

Precision Plus looks forward to the next crop of interns who will continue to help forging the future of the industry.

T-1 to Elkhorn Area High School’s Manufacturing Career Panel!

Michael Reader

Tomorrow, Wednesday 27, 2013 marks the launch date of the Elkhorn Area High School Manufacturing Career Initiative!  The event will take place at the Wehner Auditorium at Elkhorn Area High School at two scheduled times:  from 1pm until 2:30pm and from 7pm until 8:30 pm. Students and parents are welcome to participate.  The event will feature a panel of manufacturing executives who will answer questions from the audience.  The panel is comprised of these manufacturing executives:  Daniel J Murphy, Regional Sales Manager for Rem Sales, LLC, Darlene M. Miller, President and CEO of Permac Industries, John T. Murphy, President of Morris Midwest, LLC, Michael J. Reader, President/Owner of Precision Plus, and Olaf Tessarzyk, Managing Partner of ZPS America, LLC.

The driving force behind this initiative, however,  is Business Education Teacher JoAnne Pella, who understands the importance of manufacturing in the business matrix who insists in teaching it to her students and educating their parents about the possibilities of 21st Century manufacturing.

As of the end of the day today, more than 200 students are planning to attend this conference and we look forward to having two exceptional sessions.

For more information, please contact JoAnne Pella via email, or by phoning her at 262-723-4920, extension 1637.

 

 

The subject of the meetings will be skills gap occurring in manufacturing today

An Infographic That Tells The Story of America’s Skills Gap: A Growing Crisis for Skilled Labor

Michael Reader

A picture is worth 1,000 words. There is a growing crisis for skilled labor and this infographic by WorkBoots.com tells the story.

 

Workboots.com, plain and simple, supplies work boots to those who need them.  Their job does not stop there, however.  They simply understand that with a limited number of people available to replace the retiring skilled labor force, it is not only their industry that might suffer, but also our country as a whole.  To address this dire situation, Workboots.com has partnered up with Skills USA to bring awareness to it.  They have also designed the infographic above to make the point loudly and clearly.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce, helping each student excel.  SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.

Let’s work together to change the outcome sooner than later!  Precision Plus is proud to be part of the equation.

 

Vocational Education and Training – The Swiss Answer To Unemployment

Michael Reader

With unemployment rate of 2.8%, the country of Switzerland is coming under increased observation by other industrial countries to discover its secret.  The consensus of opinion seems to be that its unique educational system is the most likely answer.

Swiss industries in cooperation with the educational system have devised a program referred to as Vocational Education and Training (VET).  The compulsory education for a Swiss child ends at nine years.  After this, they have the option of continuing their education in two different tracks.  Those children that want a career in academics can continue in the traditional school-based learning track, and those that are seeking a trade or vocation can enter into the VET program.  This program is a combination of classroom work and apprenticeship programs.  At present over 50% of the youth in Switzerland are choosing this track.

The VET program has the youth in the classroom for 1 to 2 days out of the week with the rest of the work week being spent at the host company of their apprenticeship. The course work at the VET schools is determined by the trade organizations that help run the schools.  This keeps the studies in line with the skills that are most needed in the market place. These programs tend to last for 3 to 4 years depending on the field of study.  Youth studying in these programs are then awarded a Federal diploma after passing their final exam. The youth that pass this test are also able to go onto a specialized university program in their field.  One of the aspects that have been found as most intriguing is the use of other businesses to sign off on the work that the apprentice is doing for the host-company, offering a transparency in the industry as well as a cohesive manner of maintaining the standards for those particular industry apprenticeships.

The current statistics show that around 58,000 companies are providing up to 80,000 apprenticeships.  These are presented to the lower secondary schools every year to enable the parents and students to know what is available.  The result of the training and expense is that most of the youth can expect to enter into a vocation with a starting salary of $50,000 or more.  Although this program is funded by the private sector, the output generated by the apprentices is seen to cover the cost and the end result is a trained labor force with the skills for the jobs that are available and needed.

The Edge Factor Show and Champion Now Join Forces To Inspire New Generations of Manufacturers

Michael Reader

Across North America, manufacturers’ voices lament the shrinking of their workforce while working at all levels to reverse the trend.

Initiatives to inspire young people to enter the manufacturing field are sprouting everywhere, with coalitions being made between schools, local governments and manufacturers to create educational programs that will make a difference.

One project in particular, the Edge Factor Show, led by producer Jeremy Bout, stands out from the rest. Jeremy is an accomplished tool and design engineer…and movie producer.  He understands the journey between concept to production and, through his films, presents it in a way that is also understood by the new generations. The Edge Factor Show tells the stories of the people behind successes in manufacturing.

The third in a series of manufacturing films is entitled “Metal and Flesh.”  The teaser above shows how manufacturing makes a difference in a war-casualty amputee’s life. It’s both exhilarating and inspiring. According to Jeremy Bout, “Edge Factor is taking a stand for manufacturing.  This film is a critical component in our initiative to inspire the next generation of skilled manufacturers.”

However, this project will only come to complete fruition with the support of manufacturers.  To help make this happen, Terry Iverson, a business owner serving the manufacturing community, has founded Champion Now, which, in Terry’s words,  “exists to change the image of manufacturing…to one that is filled with extreme technology, advanced innovations and exhilarating and good paying careers for the next generation.”  Terry’s mission is to create a circle of manufacturing Champions that will support the Edge Factor’s film productions and other educational initiatives to change the perception of manufacturing.

The Edge Factor Show has produced two episodes in their manufacturing series:  Chilean Mine Rescue,  a story about the challenges and innovations that delivered a successful outcome, and Gnarly Metal, a story about a slopestyle rider competition inspired by “the insatiable need to go faster, further, harder and higher.”

Precision Plus supports educational initiatives such as the ones led by the Edge Factor and Champion Now.

 

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