How far would the revitalization of Apprenticeships go in providing some answers to the issues of a skills gap and aging workforce in manufacturing today? The Regional Manufacturers Alliances have chosen to take on the challenge, and specifically address this question. In a series of articles leading up to the regional apprenticeship summit on Jan 26th, we have asked a few of our manufacturing leaders to provide their own insight into the skills gap/apprenticeship debate.
John Shegda, owner of M&S Centerless Grinding and President of the local chapter of NTMA, 
has pledged his time and resources to attacking the issue head on. “I believe a partnership effort between the NTMA and the regional alliances will focus our manufacturing members on a program that works. For far too long, we have talked about these critical issues, but have accomplished little. We need to start leading by example and the revitalization of Apprenticeships would provide a great venue for bringing this issue to the forefront of our focus, and attacking the lack of skilled workers in the labor pipeline.”
John has been talking with the national leadership of NTMA. The national president, David Tilstone, has agreed to attend the summit and present a few examples of programs already working in other states. “The Arizona NTMA chapter has provided us copies of their well established apprenticeship program that is designed to meet the needs of all types of users, low cost, flexible, Department of Labor accredited and easy to administer with ready to use computer packages.”
One of the major obstacles is the negative perception of these type of 
programs. “I fully agree that we have to market apprenticeships differently to our younger generations – we may not even want to use the word “apprenticeship” in the program because of the negative mental images that it evokes! As manufacturers, we have to be better marketers of the opportunities that exist with in our industry. Our industry, and our companies, have evolved into bright, clean, high-tech environments, but the perception of manufacturing is still circa 1955 to the public. This has hindered our efforts to this point, but the door has cracked open for us, just a little bit. The cost of a college education has begun to make families look a little harder for alternative routes……and we have to supply it for them. Once these young people walk in the door and see the work that we do, and the opportunity that exists for them, they are hooked”
John has often talked to the magnitude of the challenge. “We are a small band of people trying to make a big impact on the industry we love. It can be frustrating at times but I sleep well at night knowing we are out there DOING and not just talking anymore.”