Precision Plus Leads the Way in Skilled Workforce Development

PMPA member company, Precision Plus in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, is only one of many PMPA companies committed to changing the conversation about manufacturing careers and helping to give advanced manufacturing skills to our future workforce. Mike Reader, president and CEO of Precision Plus, is devoted to leading the solution of our industry’s lack of skilled workers by engaging the community, the schools, his suppliers and potential employees.

If we are to develop the skilled workforce that we need, in order to have a sustainable manufacturing industry, we need to change the conversation about careers in industry. Our friends, neighbors, community members and officials do not know about:

• The great high tech jobs we offer
• The number of open positions right now for people with skills
• The dual career/education pathway that helps folks learn while they earn and avoid exorbitant student loan debt
• The joy of making things that make a difference in everyone’s lives

Precision Plus was recently featured in its regional newspaper in a story describing how its suppliers came together to provide advanced software and resources for its new training facility.

News coverage helps change the conversation.

Showing our community that we are actually trying to help ourselves by providing training opportunities for our craftsmen is a great way to establish credibility and awareness on the issue of the need for skilled workers.

“Much of what Mike (Reader) is doing at his company here is promoting a connection between industry and education, which is long overdue,” says Steve Salter of Milwaukee School of Engineering and affiliate director of Project Lead the Way.

“Do as I do,” has always been more effective in leading than, “Do as I say.” What are you doing to change the conversation in your community?

Originally posted at PMPAspeakingofprecision.com blog.