Help for Good Works

…to whom much is given, much is required.

(Luke 12:48)

It is amazing how your perspective changes based on your exposure. Since I have become more active in workforce readiness, I view situations and see things differently than I may have in the past. Last week, I was in a big box retailer and I was so impressed with the salesman, I initiated a conversation with him about his career path. Last night, we were in a fast food restaurant and I witnessed a working mom's children in the dining area, waiting on her shift to end. My immediate response was to inquire about other types of work or skills she had. Before, I might have been oblivious to their circumstances.

Today, I am learning more about the resources available to help those in need to retool their skills and training in order to find better paying jobs. I will admit, the last time I lived in Arkansas and needed help finding a job, I referred to the agency as the “unemployment office.” Today, the assisting organization is called the Arkansas Workforce Board, which offers various programs ranging from industrial readiness training (to equip potential employees with the basic skills needed to succeed in a manufacturing or warehouse work environments) to on-the-job or incumbent worker training (to improve the employees opportunity for advancement at a specific company. Oftentimes, these training programs are of little to no cost to the employees. To find out more about Workforce Investment activities in Arkansas, visit http://workforceinvestmentworks.com/workforce_board_info.asp?st=AR. For other parts of the country, visit http://www.servicelocator.org/onestopcenters.asp.

After registering with a service center, it is important for job seekers to visit the local Workforce office and establish a relationship with the career counselors, who are available to help with navigation through the employment process. They work with the employer services team to understand the real needs of the local companies, and in many cases, have relationships with the human resources officials making hiring decisions. In other situations, they may have the ability to set up job fairs or specific training that allows motivated job seekers to personally meet prospective employers. I am a firm believer in human relations and relationships. (One of my biggest pet peeves in the reliance of algorithms to get selected as a best qualified candidate because I know that one wrongly selected keyword, or equivalent, and you will be eliminated from the possibility.) So after meeting with people like the young man and the single mother mentioned earlier, in addition to giving them my card, I also share the cards of my esteemed friends from the Workforce Investment Networks.

Since I have become more exposed to the local employment resources, I have met many people who have a passion for helping others and a mission to give back. I smile when I look at how my journey of finding my purposed work has taken me down a different path of helping others to find better paying jobs.  How are you giving people in your community information about improving their skills and finding opportunities to advance into higher wage jobs and occupations?  Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Mid-South Good Works

Some of what I am discussing in this post may be old news to regular readers of this blog. When I read press releases, I do not always take them at face value. I oftentimes conduct my own research in order to process information for my own understanding. The announcement of the Investing Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) (http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/2015/07/outreach-for-good-works.html) has piqued my interest in the broad manufacturing landscape of the Mid-South that is based on data, and not simply my observations and limited personal knowledge.

So imagine my surprise when I consulted the Memphis Business Journal’s Book of Lists for 2014-2015 for the largest manufacturing operations in the Mid-South. The Top Ten Manufacturing plants, ranked by the number of full time employees in the region, include: Ashley Furniture Industries, Tyson Foods, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, Nucor Corp, Lennox International, Riceland Foods, UTC-Carrier, Cooper Tire & Rubber, Kellogg, and Tenneco. Who knew that Stuttgart is home to two of the largest manufacturing employers in all of the Mid-South? (To learn more, visit http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/research/bol-marketing/).

The regional IMCP awardee is called The Made in the Mid-South Manufacturing Alliance (MMMA). The initiative “supports expansion of manufacturing in the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with a special focus on a strong and growing medical device cluster in three states – Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.” In the announcement, I was surprised to read that Memphis is the home to 56 medical equipment and supply manufacturing companies. In my previous exposure to medical device manufacturers, the hotbed of activity was Warsaw, IN, known as the “Orthopedic Capital of the World,” boasting such companies as DePuy, Zimmer, and Biomet. In the Memphis area, I was familiar with companies like Smith & Nephew, Medtronic, and Wright Medical Technology. However, I was surprised to read in the Business Journal of regional companies like MicroPort Orthopedics, Medical Action Industries, Gyrus, NuVasive, Bioventus, Onyx, and Tegra Medical, in addition to a host biotechnology companies. To learn more about the MMMA, you can download and read the following: http://www.eda.gov/challenges/imcp/files/2nd-round/IMCP-2-Pager-Handout-Memphis.pdf

My own biases and limited knowledge lead me to believe that the primary industries and economies in the Mid-South were agricultural and distribution related. I grew up in this region, and until recently, never considered how the Mid-South has evolved as a realistic Land of Opportunity (nickname of Arkansas) for entrepreneurs and job seekers interested in manufacturing. For me, this research has been a personal teaching moment and reminder to never look at anything from your limited perspective. Are there other areas of economic diversity in the Mid-South that others should become aware? Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Pitching Good Works

…the wise makes his speech judicious

and adds persuasiveness to his lips…

 (Proverbs 16:23)

One of my new volunteer activities is working with future leaders in the community to help expand their business etiquette skills. Once a month, I am involved with a team who meets with a diverse group of young people and role play various experiences they should expect to have in a business or professional environment. This weekend, we engaged them in developing his or her individual elevator pitch.

An elevator pitch is a business tool for clearly articulating what you or your organization has to offer. I prefer to call it your 30 second commercial: If you only have a short amount of time, like an elevator ride, what would you say that makes a lasting impression that leads to a follow-up?

An elevator pitch is a prepared statement. When crafting one, consider the following steps to make sure that the message is interesting, memorable, and succinct:

1. Identify the goal or objective of the pitch.
2. Explain what you or your organization does by using examples of problems you have solved.
3. Communicate what makes you UNIQUE, your value proposition.
4. Engage with an open ended question.
5. Put it all together.
6. Practice, until you get the pitch into a natural sounding 30 second conversation.

I love working with creative young people because their imaginations are limitless. Even though it was role-play, one young man pretended he was trying to get an invitation to apply for an intern position and he wanted to share his concepts for the first commercially available teleporter. Based on his pitch, I would have invited him to go through the interview process!

Working through the process was a reminder that I had not updated my elevator pitch in awhile. Using the guide provided above, a revised statement to introduce our workforce readiness solution to potential community or industry influencers reads as: My company provides consulting services to industrial organizations looking to expand their operations or their workforce. From my experiences in both corporate American and as a consultant, one of the issues that I have seen time and again is that small to mid-sized companies have a difficult time finding qualified candidates who have the necessary soft skills to succeed in a manufacturing or industrial work environment. To address that need, we developed workforce readiness solution that aides our partners in hiring the right people with the potential to excel in manufacturing jobs. Who in your organization is responsible for the #Youarehired! activities of identifying the technical and interpersonal skills needed to be successful on day one in the workplace? Here’s our capability brochure with our contact information. (Of course, the spoken message would be tailored for the audience.)

http://www.latrobellc.com/industrial-people.php

In working with young people, we try to emphasize that you never know when you will have an opportunity to make a lasting impression. Developing an elevator pitch is one example of preparing future leaders for likely exchanges in the professional environment. What other tools would you suggest we introduce and role play with the next generation to equip them for success in the workplace? Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Outreach for Good Works

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work

 (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

I have access to two opposing sides of the jobs debate. On one hand, I have been in meetings recently where employers comment about expanding their workforce, but express difficulty in finding qualified applicants. On the other hand, I hear kitchen table talk of those looking for jobs, but never getting a call back. Even in my hometown, I have uncles who are hiring managers, who also express concern about finding local talent? How is that possible in small or even regional communities?

The first question I always ask is about the community outreach to make sure the under-employed are aware of job openings and the skills required to perform the work. When the response is unclear to me, it is a pretty good indicator of why the employment gap exists. People will not apply for jobs that they do not know exist. This is especially true in manufacturing, not just at the shop floor level, but also for the support staff roles. For communities to be successful in addressing their workforce concerns, there has to be a connected effort of the local chamber of commerce / economic development agencies, employers, educators, and community advocates.

At the national level, a best practice example of multiply agencies working together is the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP). The program is an initiative designed to revolutionize the way federal agencies leverage economic development funds. It encourages communities to develop comprehensive economic development strategies that will strengthen their competitive edge for attracting global manufacturer and supply chain investments. Through IMCP, the federal government is rewarding best practices – coordinating federal aid to support communities’ strong development plans and synchronizing grant programs across multiple departments and agencies. Non-designated communities nationwide can learn from the best practices employed by these designated communities to strengthen American manufacturing. I was excited to learn that of the twelve pilot communities selected, I have had firsthand experience in two, Pittsburgh and Memphis. To learn more about this $1 billion dollar investment to accelerate a resurgence in the manufacturing supply chain, visit http://www.eda.gov/news/press-releases/2015/07/08/imcp.htm

Another program that I endorse is the ACT Work Ready Communities solution. I was first introduced to this program in Texas when the regional chambers of commerce were looking for a platform to help market the local workforce's ability to meet the current and emergent need for potential employers looking to invest in the area. The criteria for success was predicated on an agreed upon standard for certifying the skills. Perspective employees earn industry-recognized skill credential, the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (ACT NCRC) and local employers use these certifications in their hiring processes. Although piloted in several counties in AR and TN since 2012, to date, I could only identify one company in the region who recognized the ACT Career Readiness Certificate, Smith & Nephew in Shelby County. Perhaps as more of these interagency partnerships converge, more companies and communities will adopt this process to address the skills needed to drive economic growth. To learn more about Work Ready Communities, go to http://workreadycommunities.org/.

In order for communities to address their economic growth by hiring people who have the right skills for the available and anticipated jobs, there must be an aligned, community-based initiative. As an advocate for careers in manufacturing, I am excited about the programs offered by the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership and the ACT Work Ready Communities. What other solutions exist for improving the outreach and effectiveness for workforce development? Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Success in Good Works

I have learned that success is to be measured

not so much by the position that one has reached in life

as by the obstacles which he has overcome 

while trying to succeed.

Booker T. Washington

It's that time of year where prom season quickly transitions into graduation and new beginnings. In our family, my oldest niece is preparing to graduate from high school and head off to college in the fall. My middle niece is beginning to make decisions about whether her post graduation plans include vocational training or university studies. And my son is considering the courses he will take in high school, based on his CAP assessment. Three unique young minds with one thing in common, to answer the question, what do I want to be when I grow up?

When our mom grew up, the conventional wisdom was to get a good job and begin a family. A generation ago, we were told to go to college to position yourself for a long-term career. Our children, Millennials,  have so many options and possibilities, that it is challenging to make a decision today about finding career success in a world that is rapidly changing, that will not be the same a decade, let alone 40 - 50 years from now. So what advice are you giving to children trying to decide on secondary education paths?

Over the years, I have become an advocate of vocational training before deciding on a profession. If I had one regret about the decisions I made immediately after graduation, it is that I did not know how to do anything with my hands. I can solve almost any math problem put before me, but if I had to earn a living, I have no immediate skills to fall back on. Jokingly (and seriously), I always wanted to become a welder. Fast forward to present day and my imagination runs wild with the possibility what I could do in manufacturing if I owned and operated a welding shop!

If you look at the history of several well-known colleges and universities, many began as industrial training schools that met the immediate needs of the workforce during that era. Somehow along the way, industrial, or vocational training, became stigmatized as less valuable that university training, but is it really? When you consider the cost of attending a four-year institution, you have to ask, is the return-on-investment a real value in today's rapidly changing society. I challenge that notion.

Some of the most successful people that I know are entrepreneurs with in demand skills. I have a friend who followed his families' business as a master barber and has franchised beauty and barber shops around the region. By the same token, another friend is a plumber, a vocation whose skills always have and always will be in high demand. What both of these gentlemen have in common is they started with basic skills and transformed their companies into success stories not imaginable a few decades ago.

There are no particular route to finding success in the workplace and in a career. We used to measure success by the education required to obtain the job, or the job title earned. Today, our children have so many more options because the expectation is not to get a job, work for forty years, and retire from that company. Life and opportunity give them so many more options to consider that their measure of success will be different that how we defined it. And that is OK. The thing we have to instill in them is that regardless of the path they choose, it will require hard work and dedication to overcome the obstacles they will face along the way.  How are you encouraging the young people in your life to measure what they consider success in their purposed work? Feel free to comment, or send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post, and want to  catch up on some of my previous discussion, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Strength for Good Works

I will lift my eyes to the hills,

from which comes my help and strength…

(Psalm 121:1)

http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/. 

For all who have emailed or asked about the status of the Purposed Work blog, let me assure you: I’M BACK!!! My lived experience is that it takes a solid year to adjust to a new community. In trying to balance the requirements of being a working wife and mother, a business owner, and a blogger, something had to give. Temporarily, I made the decision to use the time committed to the maintaining a blog to making sure that the needs of my family were exceeded. All is well and I am back with a renewed commitment to using this platform to advocate for workforce readiness for careers in industrial manufacturing.

In taking care of my family, I also took a little time to focus on me. It is no coincidence that I chose today to begin blogging again. Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary since my last post; while today, I pay homage to Whitney Houston, whose song became one of my anthems during the period of rediscovery:

 

I didn't know my own strength

And I crashed down and I tumbled but I did not crumble

I got through all the pain

I didn't know my own strength

Survived my darkest hour, my faith kept me alive

I picked myself back up, hold my head up high

I was not built to break

I didn't know my own strength

My strength grew from a personal experience with mercy, which I heard described as the outward ability to deal with pain. Pain comes in different forms. My pain came through trying to force a fit in a community that was not ready to embrace the type of works in which we advocate. No worries… stepping outside our comfort zone, or in this case, across a county line, we found the audience and market needed to grow where we are planted, in order to educate and prepare young people for careers in manufacturing.

For the past year, I rediscovered the source of my strength. Sometimes, temporarily stepping away from something you enjoy frees you up to rediscover what you are purposed to do. Expect to see more information shared, not simply about career options, but more specifically, who’s hiring and how to get the skills need to qualify for those jobs. Do you want to pass on information about industrial manufacturing activities in the area? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

 http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/whitneyhouston/ididntknowmyownstrength.html

Unseen Good Works

Blessed are those who have not seen

 and yet have believed

(John 20:29)

At last year’s Women in Manufacturing Summit, I learned about the “Dream It, Do It” initiative. This is a program launched by The Manufacturing Institute that “offers local manufacturers, schools, community-based organizations and other stakeholders the opportunity to partner with a respected national platform to promote manufacturing as a top tier career choice in the United States.” Recognizing that every region is different, the DI-DI program advances a national standardized brand that can be customized to fit the needs of the local workforce. As a follow up, I was pleased to see that in August 2013, my home state of Arkansas signed on as the 23^rd member as an avenue to address the growing skills shortage across our great state. To learn more about the national Dream It, Do It initiative, please visit http://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Image/Dream-It-Do-It/Dream-It-Do-It.aspx

The state of Connecticut has identified a need for more machinists, assemblers, and CNC tool operators. To gain the attention of future of engineers and innovators, and to leverage the state’s DI-DI program, October was deemed as “Manufacturing Month” to introduce middle school aged students to future careers in manufacturing. At featured events, students were given hands on opportunities to experience additive manufacturing, cutting tools, and 3-D printers. Grace Sawyer Jones, president of the local community college shared that one way to increase awareness is by exposing students to potential careers as early as possible. “It’s by having students who are looking to these fields long before they come to college. And more importantly,  the manufacturing businesses are here (in CT). Those are the parts that you bring together early in their lives, so they really have a realization of the possibilities.” To read more about the Connecticut manufacturing event, please click on http://wnpr.org/post/manufacturing-event-targets-future-workforce-connecticut-made-products?goback=%2Egde_4239561_member_5800678290263916544#%21

As an advocate for careers in manufacturing, I agree that we have to introduce the next generation of workers to the possibilities of sustainable jobs as early as possible. Many kids are not aware of the products that are machined or assembled locally. More importantly, as adults, business owners, and community leaders, we should begin to challenge these young innovators to consider the unseen good works, potential products that could be assembled and manufactured in the future from local resources. We should not limit our or their focus to the types of manufacturing that we see today, instead testing their abilities to develop solutions without the benefit of tangible proof from current technology. That’s what engineering and innovation and the next generation of job creation in manufacturing is all about: believing in what we have not seen and yet have believed to be possible. How are you engaging young people in your community to Dream It, Do It, to ignite their purposed work? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Hold Out for Good Works

All the days of my struggle I will hold out

until my change comes.

(Job 14:14)

As a young girl, I knew that my great-grandfather was a good provider for our family. By day, he worked on someone else's farm, and on nights and weekends, he built houses in the community. In times of plenty, he was able to create residual income from rental properties. In times of struggle, he could sell one of his well-constructed houses to a neighboring family. Well into my teenage years, I could look down and around Lowe Street and see the results of his good works. My lesson learned: knowing how to work with your hands dramatically improves your ability to never be without work.

The U.S. employment numbers were released today. 148,000 jobs were added in September. The largest gains were in the fields of construction, wholesale trade, and transportation and warehousing. (A summary by the Bureau of Labor Statistics can be located at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm). The unemployment rate held at 7.2%, which happens to be the near the average rate for a high school graduate. Consider these statistics for unemployment based on attained educational levels. Unemployment rates for

High School Dropout = 10.3%
High School Graduate = 7.6%
Some College = 6.0%
BA or higher = 3.7%
My lesson learned: having an education dramatically improves your probability to never be without work.

In spite of what has happened in recent weeks, I feel that we are on brink of economic recovery relative to jobs in industrial manufacturing and construction. While the manufacturing numbers remained flat in this report, my anecdotal evidence (based on my travel schedule) is that activity is picking up. Of the 148k jobs added in September, 20,000 of those were construction related. And if the Gulf Coast region is any indication, that number will see dramatic increases in the foreseeable future. Our bid activity also reflects this trend. For all those naysayers, growing weary from worry about the days of time and toil, my advice is simply to keep the faith and wait patiently. My lesson learned: holding out and enduring during trials dramatically improves your tolerability to never be without work.

In the words of Rev. James Cleveland: The way may not be easy/ You never said that it would be/ But when I get tired/ Can’t find my way/ You told me to put my trust in Thee/ Help me to hold out/ Until my change comes. That song gives me motivation to get through these struggling times on the journey to good works. Instead of worry, I put my hands, mind, and faith to work reading, thinking, studying, praying, and praising Him in advance for the accomplishment of His purposed work, learning to hold out until my change comes. How are you holding out until your appointed time for your good works? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Due Season of Good Works

And let us not grow weary of doing good works,

for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

(Galatians 6:9)

I can always tell when it is harvest season in Stuttgart. The whole town is busy with work. When I talk to anyone from home, somewhere in the conversation is a proclamation that Producers or one of the other mills is hiring. Though sometimes seasonal, there are employment opportunities for any one desiring to work.

I had two good aha moments of due season yesterday—first, when one of my cousins text me a picture of herself, clad in her Riceland uniform (so Vidia, if you read this, you share responsibility for bringing me out of my funk). Secondly, I was sitting in the airport, killing time between flights, when I saw a random picture of my late father-in-law in my Facebook newsfeed, reminding me that if I am still here, He has plans / work for me to do. I have been in a mood lately, tired and frustrated that work activities are not moving as fast or in the direction that I would like.  And that is when it hit me: do not grow weary of doing good works, for in due season, you will reap, if you do not give up. Keep pushing and stay in the race.

Everything happens in due season. I am in a pruning season currently. I do not profess to be a farmer, but spiritually I understand the process: He is cutting off every branch in me that bears no fruit. Meanwhile every branch that does bear fruit, He is pruning so that each one will be even more fruitful (John 15:2). This is an uncomfortable season, but it is necessary for years of continual blossom. I am having some natural experiences that I never would have imagined in my life. However, through faith and grace, I trust the process for gaining peace, wisdom, and understanding. I recognize that I am frustrated because things are not working according to my plans and where I think I should be at this point on this journey. However, I realize that God is breaking down my personal strongholds and perfecting me to do His work and to receive His glory.

Just as Stuttgart experiences every year, in due season, the harvest will come and the crop will be plentiful. It is natural to get tired, but the key is keep working and running. The race is not given to the swift, but to the one who endures. What do you do to keep from growing weary while waiting on your good works to bear fruit? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Numbers of Good Works

…You have given him dominion over the good works of your hands…

(Psalm 8:6)

The job numbers were announced this week. In August 2013, 169,000 total jobs were added and unemployment fell to 7.3%. Specific to manufacturing, the Institute for Supply Management reported the fastest factory expansion index rate since June 2011. It sounded like positive news, until I saw this graph, illustrating that 6 million manufacturing jobs were lost in the United States between 2000 and 2009:

 

There is a lot of talk of a resurgence in manufacturing, but is it realistic to think that the US can return to pre-2000 employment numbers in industrial manufacturing?
 

As I pondered about the return of manufacturing jobs, the first thought that came to mind: with man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. I thought of the story of Peter and his efforts to catch fish, resulting in literally nothing for hours. But with one touch, suddenly a divine intervention of time, place, and a mass of fish, allowed Peter to exercise his faith and obedience, by putting down his net, and receiving his reward for his service. If God performed that miracle for fishermen, He can do the same for manufacturing.

I live in the Energy Capital of the world. Pre-2000, one of primary deterrents of operating an industrial manufacturing factory was energy costs. Fast forward to 2012, and this region has started to gear up its construction efforts to produce more shale gas, natural gas, or heavy oil into usable products. The petrochemical industry in this area is booming and I can see the positive trends falling over into other areas of manufacturing: steelmakers, pipe and tube manufacturers, concrete accessories, and glass manufacturers. In fact, a recent IHS study confirms that manufacturing related to producing unconventional oil and gas will support over 500k jobs (or 4.2% of all manufacturing jobs) by 2025. To read the entire study, visit http://www.ihs.com/info/ecc/a/americas-new-energy-future-report-vol-3.aspx.

With the 500k jobs forecasted to produce oil and natural gas, there is still the matter of where will the remaining 5.5 million job derive. To be honest, many jobs will not come back. A significant portion of the jobs losses in the United States were due to productivity improvements in manufacturing. Larger companies who have invested in automation and robots are able to do more with less, freeing up resources to focus on more value-added activities like research and development. The goal is to innovate the next generation of industrial goods and services needed by the global economy. On the other hand, this effort to innovate is also in process locally, among smaller companies and communities.

I began this post questioning whether or not the United States could ever return to pre-2000 employment numbers in industrial manufacturing. Six million jobs is a large gap to close. As believers, we have to place our faith in The One who has dominion over the good works of our hands. We have to invest our efforts, time, and talent until we are commanded to cast down our nets to receive work that He has purposed for us to do. Feel free to comment about your thoughts on the return of manufacturing jobs, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Executing Good Works

US Airways has become my airline of choice as of late. Even with the inconvenience of knowing that I will probably have to connect thru the Charlotte airport, I appreciate the value tradeoff between time and cost. This week, as I was waiting on a flight to take off, I casually picked up the latest copy of the US Airways Magazine and was pleasantly surprised to read the 50 page spread introducing a large audience to the nation’s HBCU colleges and universities and their longstanding traditions of curriculum for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing) related careers. To read more about the schools, visit the full article found at

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pace/usairways_august2013/#/50

Just as I hope the US Airways article helps to shatter myths associated with HBCUs to a broader audience, I feel the need to do a better job of executing our plans of educating the masses about the good works and careers available in manufacturing. There is an information gap about the jobs that are available in the industry. Part of the lack of knowledge is that when people think of manufacturing, the connotation of a dirty, oily, smelly work environment comes to mind. Based on my experiences in manufacturing, I can tell you that:

§  Manufacturing productivity is at an all-time high.

§  Manufacturing jobs continue to pay very competitive wages and benefits.

§  Modernized facilities have excellent working conditions and plant safety procedures have improved.

There are typically four career pathways in manufacturing: production workers, skilled trades, engineering, and support/managerial services (which include a wide variety of functional, professional, and executive-level vocations). What are the typical functions of production workers, whose work is generally a measure of time and cost? In other words, let’s answer the question of what are the best entry level jobs and training to begin a career in manufacturing. For example:

• Assembly Operators tend to manually put together or operate equipment that produces a finished product (just this morning I have seen ads for jobs ranging from assembling Igloo coolers to super microcomputers).
• Packaging and Filling Operators set up or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment.
• Material Handlers or Conveyor Operators control equipment or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from various production processes or locations within the plant.

So looking at the job functions, I agree that the responsibilities are not exciting, initially. If you can read basic instructions, perform basic math operations, and meet basic safety/quality/production goals, then there are job opportunities waiting for you. What if I re-engineered the job description to read that we are looking for people for good works with the ability to Measure! Anticipate! Communicate! Correct! Execute! Would that get you more excited about the good works that are available?

Most people do not recognize the humility of beginning as an entry level production worker and advancing their way up to executive level. I have gained some of my most insightful experiences in work and life because I have been there, done that, and can call a spade a spade. I value time and cost, two essential elements for executing good works. What do you value, tend to plan/measure, in your pursuit of your purposed work? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Ready for Good Works

Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works,

to be generous, and to be ready to communicate

(1 Timothy 6:18)

I find it both disturbing and unacceptable that this country has 600k (yes, 600 thousand) manufacturing jobs that are not filled in this current economic season. I spend a lot of time in small-to-mid-sized shops and often hear business owners and operations managers say that they cannot find good talent to fill open positions. At the same time, I spend a lot of time in low-to-moderate income communities and often hear people complain that they cannot find good paying jobs. If the jobs are available and the people who desire to work exist, where is the disconnect? My theory is that there is a lack of awareness about manufacturing and career opportunities for non-traditional employees.

When I first started Latrobe, one of my goals was to increase consciousness among women and girls about the potential careers in manufacturing. As I have spent time in the field, my vision has broadened as I realized that parents, as well as young people in general, could benefit from knowing more about 21st century manufacturing, the cultural expectations of working in an industrial environment, and the work ethic required to be successful. As a result, our team developed a training and education program on workforce readiness in manufacturing.

What is workforce readiness? Our working hypothesis is to address how we can help to equip and prepare potential employees to be productive in a manufacturing environment. Employers are looking for more than just skilled workers with technical competencies. Most companies have on-the-job-training programs and procedures specific to their operations. Our workforce readiness training focuses on the critical skills required to be successful in industrial manufacturing environments, which differs from working in a service or retail organization. Interactive training and assessment includes the following:
 

1.      The four career pathways of manufacturing
2.      Manufacturing 101
(safety, basic shop math, gauging and measuring, and problem solving)
3.      Industrial Environment
(employer expectations, personal attitude and behavior, work ethic)
4.      Communication
(verbal, written, listening, social media, and networking)
5.      Life Management Skills
(time balancing, conflict resolution, and decision making)
6.      Financial Literacy
(job vs. career and the difference in lifetime earning potential)
7.      Prepare for Success
(resume writing, interviewing etiquette, proper dress/attire/hygiene)
8.      Onboarding
(matching prospective industrial employers with qualified entry-level employees)

I have to admit, that none of this training is rocket science. In fact, much of it feels like topics that should have been taught in high school. Employers expect young people to arrive with a core set of basic knowledge and the ability to apply those critical thinking skills in the workforce – but the reality is not matching the expectation. I know that not every young person will develop an interest and passion for manufacturing, so this training also serves to give those participants who successfully complete the program a confidence booster that they can succeed in this sometimes challenging environment. As parents, we have a requirement to make sure that our kids are ready for the good works available for them today and to prepare them for the future. My purposed work is to educate and inform about potential careers in manufacturing. What’s yours? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

The Gift of Good Works

A person's gift opens doors for him,

bringing him access to important people.

(Proverbs 18:16)

Do you know the origins of the modern day handshake? I cannot say for certain, but all indications are that the gesture dates back to ancient times. One explanation is that in historic times, an outstretched handshake signaled that neither participant was carrying a weapon. In other words, I come in peace, to do you no harm. I started thinking about handshakes yesterday as I participated in a business development meeting and wondered how I gained access to the audience and the people in the room.

In my head, I hear the words: You were born with grace. That grace is your gift, a divine enablement that gives you confidence to do the work you are purposed to do. So, I sit in these meetings with companies that are much larger than Latrobe, who have more resources, yet I have no trouble communicating what we bring to the table. One of the exercises in the business development accelerator is to be able to visualize, write, and articulate the future state of your business three years from now. In other words, I have access to this audience, not because of who I am today, but because of what we are being prepared for…GREATER WORKS!!!

 

I used to be afraid to share my vision with others, thinking that someone might steal my idea and implement it before I could. As I learn more about grace, I realize that because my talents are enabled from On High, I do not have to worry because what God has for me is for me. My gift works only for me. Sharing the vision demonstrates confidence that I trust and believe what God He is doing through me. And when people see my confidence, they want to help. My divine gift, what I was purposed to accomplish, opens doors for me and allows me to meet the people who are pre-destined to enable these good works.

I have been graced to have audiences with influential people to discuss our vision for educating and training through workforce readiness initiatives. These are the decision makers who have expressed a need to fill manufacturing or industrial jobs, either today or in the near future, and have the ability to hire. We agree on the next set of shared deliverables and expectations and we shake hands, signaling that we are not carrying weapons (or competing). In this instance, concerns of harm are replaced with a shared desire to help both companies succeed and to improve employment conditions in our community.

Each of us has a gift or a talent that was divinely designed for His purpose. I challenge you to work your gift, operate in your grace, and watch it manifest into good works. What is your gift? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Grace To Do Good Works

I have not posted a blog entry in over a year. In my wildest dreams I never imagined the effort involved in building a brand and a business image in a new community. Regardless of how good your intentions are or how much you think you can help, the old adage holds true: People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. So I spent most of 2012 becoming a part of the community.

God’s grace will make a way for you. It’s not something you do that you can be proud of. This experience taught me that we are God’s handiwork recreated to do those good works which He predestined (planned beforehand) for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live (Ephesians 2:8-10). I was appointed to a couple of local boards that aligned with my mission of economic diversity through manufacturing. One in particular is Junior Achievement, which empowers young people to own their own economic success. To learn, visit the national website, found at http://www.ja.org/.

When I was young, I defined work as being paid to do a task. As far back as I can remember, I have worked by shelling peas, doing odd jobs for older people in the neighborhood, babysitting, etc. At sixteen, I got my first tax paying job, and because I like having my own money, I have worked ever since.

Today, my definition of work is different. I have been blessed enough so that money is no longer my sole motivation for work. A few months ago, I had to perform a self-examination to determine if I was more interested in building Latrobe as a wealth creator for my family or a job creator for my community.

The answer resided in the mission and vision statements written almost four years ago:  Our mission is to create jobs in industrial manufacturing in the local communities in which we operate. Our mission is fulfilled when we are recognized as a contributor to the positive economic growth by creating jobs that sustain the middle class.

Our vision is based on the principal: to whom much is given, much is required. As a manufacturing firm, we are strong advocates of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. We are committed to supporting these programs in our local communities to demonstrate to the youth a variety of career options in manufacturing and engineering. Our vision is fulfilled when we are recognized as community servants who positively influence and financially support the enrollment of local students into college and vocational level engineering and technology programs.

So back to my Junior Achievement story: One of JA’s signature programs is Finance Park, where students participate in a virtual simulation of financial planning and career explanation. Students are assigned a job and a family scenario and have to make budget decisions about housing, food, clothing, insurance, philanthropy, etc. To learn more, visit http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_mid_park.shtml.

Locally, as many of the students come from low-to-moderate income communities, it’s their initial exposure to professional job titles and careers. I live in a community where most of the resources are committed to petrochemical processing, so the thought of careers in manufacturing is foreign. It’s great to think that all of your local talent will ascend to achieve the technical skills required to work in a refinery, but that’s not reality. Someone has to be the voice for that segment of the population who wants to do good work and provide opportunities for good jobs. By grace, I have been positioned as a ram in the bush to be that voice, hi-lighting opportunities in manufacturing.

I’m glad to see the national attention on the importance of manufacturing to the economy. It’s encouraging to hear that over 500,000 jobs have been created in the sector in the last three years, and that with the right investments and innovative products, more jobs can be on the horizon. So if manufacturing is foreign to today’s youth (and it’s highly possible that they know no one who works in this industry), how do we as business owners raise awareness about the attractiveness of manufacturing and technology as career options?

One of the things I’ve challenged my team to do is to provide community outreach about the importance of job training and education in manufacturing. We’ve developed a curriculum to introduce prospective students with little workforce experience and understanding about the expectations, skills, and culture required to work in a manufacturing work environment. We engage students in discussions about the importance of economic success and the difference between a job vs. a career over their lifetime. Finally, we try to raise their awareness of common things manufactured. My best example right now is the I-phone. Someone had to innovate/manufacture that technology. Why can’t the next generation be made locally from ingenuity originated from this community? How many jobs would that create?

I begin each day with a prayer to bless my hands to do good works. I am thankful to see my personal growth transcend from expecting a monetary reward for good works to becoming that ram in the bush for those seeking good work. Today, we’re positioned to train and educate about the importance of manufacturing for the economy. I’m waiting with great expectancy on that new innovation to manufacture locally, but no worries, I know the Master Job Creator.

You Have Not Because You Ask Not!!!

As the nation gets ready to listen to a political message about jobs, I thought I would share my journey about how I got started in manufacturing and realized my calling to fulfill. Conventional wisdom says that the current lack of jobs is because that the economy is in a chicken-egg cycle: employers are not hiring because they have no new customers for the goods; people need jobs in order to buy said goods. For those people looking for jobs, I suggest standing on the promise: You have not because you ask not (James 4:2).  Ask for a job and your purposed work!

I’ll be honest. I went to college so that I could get a job paying better than that of a high school graduate. I was fortunate to have scholarships, so I do not know the entire cost of my undergraduate education. If I had to guess, I would estimate $10k per year for everything, or about $40k. And in 1993, my starting salary was $32k per year, so using quick math, it was easy to justify the return on the investment.

My first job out of college was in a turkey processing plant. I remember when I told Big Mama where I was going to be working; her initial reaction was “we sent you to engineering school for four years to learn how to cut up turkeys?” It was not the sexy job I envisioned, but the management skills I learned were essential to my destiny. I learned how to effectively get things done, from the turkey farm to the conference room. More importantly, I earned credibility and hands on experience of everything from hatcheries to further processing to transportation and logistics (ask me about how turkeys are artificially inseminated). In other words:  Grow where you are planted (1 Corinthians 7:17).

I come from a tithing family, so it was natural for me to give at my new professional level. Proverbs 3:9-10 says to Honor the Lord with your wealth (tithes) and your barns will be filled with overflow (blessings). You have to have an exchange to receive God’s blessings. Giving tithes releases these blessings. I like the way He explains it in Malachi 3:10: Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. My blessing was the opportunity to take those management skills and apply them in a new industry. I started working in the compact disc manufacturing industry. I was there for launch of Playstation and DVD platforms (much sexier than turkeys, right?). This company offered tuition reimbursement, so I took advantage of that while working and earned a Master’s degree in Business. Most importantly, during this season I met and married the man prepared especially for me! Blessed!!!

James and I were both career-oriented, so we have moved several times throughout our marriage. Our first move was for James, and I relocated on faith, with no job. But My Father has a plan, power, and provisions (Joshua 1:1-11) for His leaders. I always wanted to work in heavy manufacturing, and he had prepared for me a job that would provide engineering, marketing, and technology experience on both a local and global level. I did not understand it then, but He was arranging everything required for me to be able to lead my own manufacturing company.  His requirement for me: Be strong and very courageous. Be careful and obey the word (Joshua 1:7).

If you are one of those people looking for work, I know the short-term outlook is gloomy. What is impossible with man is possible with God (Luke 18:27). It’s 2011 and many of my friends are preparing to send their children to college, faced with a different challenge.  I have heard more than one story about skyrocketed college costs of over $40k per year. Putting that into perspective, after about five years, the cost of that child’s education is $200k. I cannot predict the future, however, I wonder what types of jobs will be paying $150k+ starting salary in 2016.

As a business owner, I am integrated into both large and small manufacturing operations. One of the common needs is skilled labor-vocational style jobs like welders, machinists, operators, etc. None of these jobs require a four-year degree, and can actually be used as a stepping stone to advance within progressive companies.

If you or your child is among the many faced with finding a sustainable career option, I suggest looking into manufacturing opportunities. Here’s a link to the most recent data explaining 25 consecutive months of industry expansion (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-01/u-s-august-ism-manufacturing-report-on-business-text-.html). I started in turkey processing and look at where He has taken me. If you do not know where or how to get started, give me a call and let’s discuss what jobs are available in your area. I will end this post the same way I started it: You have not because you ask not (James 4:2).  Ask for a job and your purposed work!

BE ENCOURAGED ABOUT FINDING YOUR PURPOSED WORK!!!