Manufacturers convene to discuss needs

SUNY Orange will convene a series of four focus groups this June giving  60 local executives the opportunity to weigh in on the need for new curricula to address the perceived shortage of local workers with advanced manufacturing skills.

The sessions will be held in collaboration with the Council of Industry, Orange County Industrial Development Agency and the Center for Occupational Research and Development.

The four 15-member sessions are planned for June 20-21 and June 27-28. The Advanced Manufacturing Forum, to be facilitated by SUNY Orange”™s Continuing and Professional Education staff, follows similar forums initiated by the college to assist the healthcare and banking industries.

Manufacturing continued to decline in 2011 in the mid-Hudson region, with the New York State Department of Labor reporting a net loss of 1,400 jobs. However, recent analysis by the Boston Consulting Group indicates some manufacturing activity may return to the U.S. over the next five years.

The impact of that activity could mean as much as $100 billion in increased output, two to three million new jobs, and a reduction of between 20 and 35 percent in the non-oil trade deficit, according to BCG.

“We”™ve all heard that a skills gap exists in the Hudson Valley, but our local information to date has been anecdotal. Now we are going to get detailed data on what employers really need to close that gap,” said SUNY Orange president Dr. Bill Richards in a prepared statement.

The shortage is of growing concern to members of the Council of Industry, adds Howard King,  executive director.  “There are already many machinist jobs going unfilled and  the average age of machinists in the region is upwards of 60 years old.  Manufacturers are facing a real crisis over the next 10 years or so. We need to take steps now to remedy the problem.”