From the Web: Training programs; evolution of can making; and a universal safety concern

News about manufacturing training took center stage on the Web this past week, as a training center in a major city is being re-established, a U.S. senator experienced a manufacturing training program up close and personal, and a fabricator encouraged voters in his area to approve a referendum that would aid education.

1. The city of Baltimore took a step toward re-establishing a job training center in the Park Heights neighborhood by welcoming a program designed to help people learn manufacturing skills.

   A Chicago-based nonprofit with 30 years’ experience will offer programs in welding and running computerized machine tools in a building that once held a similar program and was known as the Magna center.“Drew Greenblatt, president of Marlin Steel, a small, growing manufacturer in South Baltimore that is on the new training center's board, said the program will help to answer the demand for job skills that manufacturers need.

   “‘It's a very important tool for the city,’ said Greenblatt, who said he hired a man in 2011 who completed the computerized automation system training at the Magna center and is still working at Marlin, which makes wire baskets and other specialty metal pieces used in manufacturing.”

2. In Green Bay, Wis., U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin visited the Bay Link Manufacturing program, which allows students to produce items in Green Bay West High School’s lab for local businesses and to sell.

   Among the products Baldwin, co-chairwoman of the Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus, saw was a prototype log-grabbing tool.

   During the visit, Baldwin said, “I’m very, very interested in seeing the collaboration between high schools, technical colleges, and community colleges in preparing our students for advanced manufacturing in the future. I’m a big believer that in order to have an economy built to last, you need to be able to make things. You can’t just have a service economy.

   The skilled worker shortage was a topic of conversation during Baldwin’s visit. Also on hand was Mike Kawleski, public affairs manager for Georgia Pacific, who said, “Everybody is in the same boat with the baby boomers retiring. We lose 100 people every year related to that. We have about 1,200 employees, and after a while, you’re losing a big percentage. It’s a challenge to find people.”

3. Wausau, Wis.-based Schuette Metals President John Peterson also is spreading the word about the need for a better-educated workforce and encouraging voters to vote yes on the proposed Wausau School District referendum on April 7.

   In an opinion piece on wausaudailyherald.com, Peterson said the referendum is “very important to me, my family, my employees, and our community.”

   “I am proud of the work done by the Schuette Metals team to grow our business from a small family operation to one that has been recognized as a leader in quality, technology, innovation, and customer service in the industries that we serve. I am also deeply concerned about our ability to continue to grow this business in the future.

   “I can purchase equipment and build buildings, but without the skilled workforce to staff them, growth for us will be very difficult.”

4. Do you ever think about what went in to making that can of soup you open? Not the product inside, but the actual can that holds it?

   You may have noticed some improvements, such as easy-open cans that don’t require a can opener. But you may be unaware of other advancements in the 100 years the canning industry has been in business.

   “The ubiquitous can” on foodprocessing.com.au describes these advancements, including those concerned with improvement to manufacturing operations.

   For example, “In the case of the hermetically sealed can, the process of drawing the metal body was a significant step forward. The double seam (invented by Max Ams in 1896) should also receive attention. Over many years the assessment of the double seam has involved some mechanical operations to measure and assess seam quality.”

   Read the article and you might gain a little more appreciation of the technology that goes into manufacturing that soup can.

5. And now for a heavier topic. Among the e-mails that popped up in my inbox today was one from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) about mental illness in the workplace. This is not a fabricating-specific topic, but it’s one that has gained national attention following the actions of Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who allegedly deliberately crashed a flight into the Alps last month, killing all 150 people aboard.

   Although it’s an extreme example, it’s not an isolated case of mental illness taking a toll in the workplace—in this case, onboard an airplane.

   The SHRM e-mail, which included a list of links to articles on the association’s site, is targeted toward HR professionals, but the information is beneficial to all workers in terms of getting a handle on how stress and mental illness affect and are handled in the workplace.

   Particularly relevant is the article on stress (25% of EU workers severely stressed), which almost all workers experience at some point. It couldn’t hurt to be more aware of the signs of extreme stress in both yourself and your co-workers and the contributing factors. Think of it as more safety awareness.