WE did it! Since 2015, the SME and SVMA have been working with several regional partners to bring a Manufacturing focused Expo to Sacramento and we made it happen ). We are now asking EVERYONE in our circle of influence to show support for this event by signing up as attendee or exhibitor. Please RSVP now. The first 500 people will be entered into a raffle to win $CASH$ prizes and a FRANK STALLONE GUITAR on the day of the event.
Research by California Community Colleges projects there will be 2,100 more advanced manufacturing jobs fill by 2024 in greater Sacramento “In Sacramento, ” every single manufacturing company struggles with finding personnel at all levels of production, from entry level to mid-to high-skilled positions,” s f entry level to mid-to high-skilled positions,” says Michael Bell, chief engineer at the Sacramento-based California Mobility Center, founded to help early stage mobility companies turn pilots and demonstration projects into viable products.
Starting last fall, the CMC worked with the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Alliance, a coalition of manufacturers, to put together a 90-hour, five-week pre-apprenticeship program to get more people into what Bell calls “low-skilled, high-demand” occupations: warehouse personnel, forklift operators, materials handlers and production line assemblers. The program was funded initially through $1.4 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding granted by the Sacramento City Council in September 2020 and more recently a $600,000 grant from the California Workforce Development Board.
After the per-apprenticeship, participants can move into a full apprenticeship program that will turn out certified computer numerical control machinists. The region doesn’t have one dominant industry in advanced manufacturing -it’s made up of very small companies, Bell says. What they have in common is the need for computer numerical control machinists.
The CMC and SVMA are working on expanding the program into other job categories: welding, quality technician, .industrial machine mechanic or technician and product manufacturing, Bell says.
Ultimately, participants who make it though pre-apprent1cesh1p . and apprent1cesh1p will be eligible to continue into an even more advanced program that leads to becoming a certified mechanical engineer. Community college data shows that mechanical engineer is the hardest advanced manufacturing job to fill in greater Sacramento, with a median wage of $46 an hour.
There’s another job category for which demand spiked recently: welders. Statewide, the number of welding jobs has been growing: a May 2019 analysis by the state community college system projected
a 7-percent jump in openings by 2022. That need became more acute when on July 7 Siemens Mobility, whose North American rail manufacturing hub is in Sacramento, announced it had won $3.4 billion in contracts with Amtrak to build 73 hybrid battery trains.
Delivery will start in 2024, and the company is looking to hire 100 more welders, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. Siemens runs two welding courses itself but also is supporting welding programs at several community colleges -Sierra College, Consumes River College, American River College, Woodland Community College and San Joaquin Delta College -to turn out more welders with the skills they need, according to the Business Journal.
Bell says apprenticeship programs move away from the model of “front-loading” education, sending graduates into the workforce and then expecting that employers will recognize their degree. “They blend those worlds together so that students are learning the classroom knowledge while they’re on the job, learning and executing in real time,” he adds.
Apprentices end up with no college debt since the costs are covered by industry and grant funding. And employers end up with a pool of vetted, screened and work-ready candidates, he says.
—Steven Yoder
Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI) and the Charles A Jones Career & Education Center (SCUSD) are building an advanced manufacturing pre-apprenticeship program. Our primary goal is preparation and placement into advanced manufacturing career pathways.
Visit MANUFACTURING CARES to schedule an orientation, or call 916-826-0967. Enrollment is open year-round.
As part of National Manufacturing Day on October 2, 2020, there were 474 college and high school students, who participated in 14 virtual presentations delivered by nine Sacramento manufacturing professionals. The 17 instructors who brought their classes on the remote tours came from 10 different school districts, spread from Elk Grove to Shasta and Truckee, as well as Sierra College and American River College. The Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI – https://www.sacvalleymfg.org/), SME Sacramento Valley (https://sacvalleysme.org/) and Advanced Manufacturing North Region (https://edu2mfg.org/) for California Community Colleges collaborated to bring students, educators and employers together virtually.
Each year, manufacturers across the country host National Manufacturing Day (https://creatorswanted.org/) events to attract students to highly paid, in-demand manufacturing careers and to increase awareness of manufacturers’ impact on the economy, explained Kevin McGrew, Director, Quality Assurance, Siemens Mobility and President, SVMI.
“We miss having students visit our factory on special occasions like National Manufacturing Day,” said McGrew. “That just couldn’t happen this year with the pandemic. Siemens Mobility jumped at the chance to have some of our people describe their careers in these virtual presentations. We were impressed with the students’ enthusiasm and participation.”
Manufacturing representatives see these tours as one way to build a more direct career path from schools to local employment to fill the skills gap. Tours were offered by AMW Design, Garner Products, Inc., Garrettson Design, Harris & Bruno International, Kratos, Siemens Mobility, Synbyo Systems Integrators and Tri Tool, among others. Speakers included manufacturing engineers, CAD/CAM design engineers, CNC operators, welders, electro mechanical technicians, quality assurance/quality control representatives and industrial maintenance mechanics. The virtual tours are posted on the Edu2Mfg website blog post Watch Virtual Manufacturing Tours (https://blog.edu2mfg.org/watch-virtual-manufacturing-tours/).
Steve Reiff, Mechanical Engineer, Kratos, felt that the students were incredibly thoughtful and had excellent questions. “I’m so happy the students enjoyed the virtual field trip,” said Reiff. “It’s crucial that we encourage, support and guide them to their goals, as the world needs more engineers immediately.”
Glen Garrettson, Garrettson Design, made a presentation on industrial machine maintenance to Christian Kinsey’s metal shop class at Colfax High School. “It was refreshing to see the level of attention and interest in what lies ahead for these students as they approach graduation,” said Garrettson. “The reception was sincere, and the interest in the education required to perform in the real world was eye-opening. There is a sincere interest in trades, including industrial maintenance. The tours brought to light the breadth of opportunities that exist for all young adults, inclusive or exclusive of a post-graduate degree. This exposure is paramount to building our economy and a successful diverse workforce.”
Comments from Cordova High School students included:
“It was nice to hear about the different types of engineering and what they do.”
“This engineering field trip was an opportunity for me to start planning for my own future.”
“He perfectly summed up the skills and ethics needed to be successful in this engineering field.”
“I would want to get an engineering internship there and maybe even work there eventually.”
“Engineers have a big impact in the world because every industry needs different types of engineers.”
“The field trip was genuinely exciting because I learned about the vast opportunities in mechanical engineering.”
Instructors reported that the virtual tours were valuable and helped students connect what they are learning to careers. Jonathan Schwartz, Engineering teacher, Colfax High School, indicated that Alan Ware, AMW Design, made a great presentation about being a CAD/CAM Design Engineer on Manufacturing Day. “The speaker inspired my students and really opened their eyes to what a manufacturing engineer does,” said Schwartz. “Most importantly, many of my students saw how exciting the career could be.”
At Shasta High School, teacher Brian Grigsby thought the virtual tours offered by Daniel Carr, Plant Manager, Harris & Bruno and Justin Stofan, CNC Operator, Garner Products were great opportunities for students. “The presentation on CNC machining was really good,” said Grigsby. “My kids got something out of it and I felt the presenters did a great job.”
Mike Waltz, Engineering teacher at West Park High School in Roseville, participated in three presentations. “The presenter was outstanding,” said Waltz. “You did a great job helping us find a perfect speaker for our subject area and it matched our schedule perfectly.”
Jason Martins, Industrial Technology, Franklin High School in Elk Grove, explained that the tour tied into a unit he had just done on resume building. “I had discussed the importance of finding ways to be more involved in activities and clubs outside of school,” said Martins. “Mike Bell, Principle, Synbyo Systems Integrators, described how he got involved in the Formula SAE and how it led to other opportunities. This helped demonstrate the importance being involved outside the classroom. Also, when he shared his personal story of how getting into Engineering wasn’t a straight path, it demonstrated to my students that school and career aren’t always done in four years, and that is okay.”
Virtual tours have proven to be impactful way to connect employers with students, according to Jeff Briggs, Regional Director, Advanced Manufacturing North Region, (https://edu2mfg.org/), California Community Colleges, housed at Sierra College. “Students benefit from seeing work environments and are inspired when they hear directly from those working in the industry,” said Briggs. “We posted the virtual tours on the Edu2Mfg website so more students can see manufacturing career opportunities in Northern California.”
SVMI is also hosting Manufacturing Day for Manufacturers on October 29. Learn more at https://www.sacvalleymfg.org/.
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Screen shots curtesy of Kevin McGrew, President, SVMI.
Siemens Mobility employees discuss Quality Assurance Inspection with students in the greater Sacramento region during virtual National Manufacturing Day tours on October 2, 2020.
Design Engineer Alan Ware, AMW Design, inspired students by describing his career journey during a virtual tour celebrating National Manufacturing Day in Sacramento on October 2, 2020.
To view the presentations please view the EDU2MFG YouTube Channel
Thanks to the City of Sacramento CARES Act funding, Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative, in collaboration with the California Mobility Center and local community-based organizations is launching a training program to provide much needed retraining and placement opportunities for the labor force due to COVID-19. Funding for the program must be expended by the end of 2020! The program includes job-readiness and technical training with an emphasis on exploring a career pathway at a local manufacturing company and we need your support!
SVMI and the CMC will be hosting a webinar on Oct 22 for Sacramento Manufacturers to learn more about how you can create the workforce of tomorrow.
Best practices from local technology and manufacturing companies will be shared. Register to receive the webinar slides and additional information to participate in upcoming workforce development and training opportunities.
John F. Kennedy’s Manufacturing and Design Pathway students took home the win at Project MFG‘s recent regional challenge at Sierra College in Rocklin. Sponsored by the Department of Defense, this annual competition brings local college and business teams together to showcase their manufacturing skills. This event required JFK students to perform 5-axis machining, TIG welding, and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) in a project unknown to the students prior to this event. The Kennedy team is the first high school in history to win this event.
Challenged by competitors with many more years of experience, the JFK MaD students were able to perform under pressure and complete complicated tasks in a limited amount of time. This event showcased a culmination of advanced skills obtained, as students in the Manufacturing and Design Pathway. These students validated many years of rigorous curriculum development and proven learning outcomes. Congratulations to JFK MaD Lead Instructor Mr. Rob Greene and the students, Franklin Huang, Kushal Nand and Jason Liu for all their hard work and dedication. These students were awarded scholarship funds, free Kennametal tooling and a cash prize to the program at Kennedy High School.
For more information hosting a tour of the JKF MaD students or hiring your future workforce please contact Mr. Rob Greene, Manufacturing & Design CTE Pathway, 916-743-5044 or robert-greene@scusd.edu.