Up to 40% of the would-be U.S. production workforce would be trained and certified in the fundamentals of manufacturing during the next 10 years under a program developed by the Washington, D.C.-based Manufacturing Skills Standards Council and announced on September 25.
The basics include math, science, reading, writing, problem solving and teamwork.
"In survey after survey, our members tell us they are having real difficulty finding qualified applicants," said John Engler, president of the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Manufacturers. "We believe this new certification program will help address this growing skills gap by making it clear to workers what skills they need to work in manufacturing, and at the same time, enable manufacturers to identify applicants who have the requisite skills."
