Page 37 - MetalForming Magazine March 2022

Tyler Johnson (center), Doug’s son, recently became Marion Mfg.’s plant manager. Shown here in the plant’s tool room with tool and die apprentice Charlie Lewis (right) and lead press room operator Bryce McClendon, Tyler is a key part of the firm’s young, high-performing, and eager-to-learn management team poised to lead the company into the future.
Quality assurance manager Katie Barry (standing) is one of many rising stars at Marion Mfg. Here, Barry works alongside quality technician Diana Ferer on the company’s SmartScope Sprint MVP coordinate-measuring machine. The three-axis noncontact vision-measurement system features a 6.5/1 automatic zoom lens.
virtual meetings that will complement what we offer with METALFORM EDU. “Since we introduced METALFORM EDU, we’ve helped train thousands of metal forming professionals around the country,” Klotz continues. “And, it’s driv- ing new member companies to join. In 2020 we changed learning-management systems for the program, to improve the user experience. Now, thanks to funding from the PMA Educational Foundation, we’re looking to add several
new courses to the program during the next 18 to 24 months.”
(See the accompanying sidebar, Coming Soon from PMA: A Bevy of New Educational Content.)
“At Marion Mfg., we used METAL- FORM EDU heavily in 2020,” says John- son. “We purchased software licenses for every employee. The star performers here really want to learn, so we want to provide them with those opportunities to grow and take on more responsibili-
ties. Many of the METALFORM EDU courses have become part of our onboarding process, and we even pur- chased two Chrome books so that peo- ple can learn at home.
“If you have downtime, we expect you to log into a class, not just look to kill time with menial tasks,” Johnson adds.
Other PMA Avenues
... explored frequently by Johnson
A Laundry List of Critical Issues Being Addressed in Washington, D.C.
In Washington, D.C., advocates such as PMA have elevated to the highest levels of government the workforce chal- lenges that manufacturers face. In a January 2022 survey, 97 percent of member companies responded that they have job openings, compared with pre-pandemic levels of 86 percent. Nearly two-thirds of respondents face “severe challenges” recruiting employees, the highest level ever recorded, and policymakers are taking notice.
“Last year, Congress passed into law $185 million to expand registered apprenticeships, $45 million for training pro- grams at community colleges, and changed the law to make middle schools eligible for career and technical education Perkins funding,” says Omar Nashashibi, a founding partner at The Franklin Partnership, a key player on PMA’s One Voice advocacy team. “This last area is a real gamechanger for manufacturers who for years have said that educators should introduce students to manufacturing careers at an earlier age. PMA is poised to build on those 2021 successes with major policy changes expected in 2022 on competency-based credentials and expanding youth Work Based Learning opportunities and apprenticeships.”
The disruption to businesses from lack of workers is significant and nearly matched at times by uncertainty over the supply chains and availability of metals and other raw materials. The January 2022 survey revealed that 90 percent of companies face raw-material shipment delays today compared to pre-COVID deliveries, with more than a third of respon- dents having to wait at least 30 days longer than they used to.
“Long a leader in Washington, D.C., speaking for users of steel, aluminum and red metals, PMA recently held meetings with the Department of Commerce, National Economic Council and U.S. Trade Representative,” Nashashibi adds. “PMA successfully lobbied to provide relief from the tariffs on European Union steel of 25 percent, and 10 percent on aluminum. Effective January 1, 2022, the United States lifted the tariffs, replacing them with a negotiated quota system. To help alle- viate other supply-chain disruptions, PMA worked with Congress on bipartisan legislation now moving to invest in semi- conductors, advanced manufacturing, and a U.S. innovation and industrial strategy to address China’s rise.”
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