Raising job awareness

by Denise Massie
Pharos-Tribune staff writer

July 12, 2008 09:07 pm

— Several skilled labor jobs will be opening in the near future in Cass County, but right now, the qualified workers to fill those positions don’t exist.
By highlighting the job openings as well as the opportunities available to local students to receive industry training, the Logansport-Cass County Chamber of Commerce education committee hopes to fill the needs of area employers and also help Cass County achieve higher education levels.
“We want to get the awareness out that there are jobs here,” said Jan Bailey, an education committee member.
The committee, which was formed three years ago, has a new focus for the upcoming school year. It hopes to create job awareness by utilizing a resource available to local high school students.
This year, the committee is working with the Century Career Center at Logansport High School to help students earn trade skills before even graduating high school.
“It’s just a proactive way to identify a workforce need, improve the economy and fill job needs,” said Bailey.
Vearl Turnpaugh, executive director of advanced manufacturing initiatives at Ivy Tech Community College, has outlined a pathway for students to follow for advancement in a skilled trade.
The idea is to start the students in high school with course work from the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, a training, assessment and certification system focusing on the skills and knowledge needed for skilled labor jobs, according to the council’s Web site.
Bailey said this is one example of a pathway used to build skills. The Century Career Center has also received a grant to allow MSSC to become a part of the regular curriculum. Students who choose to take the course work can receive college credit and earn certifiable skills at no cost.
Charlie Barger, a member of the education committee and human resource manager for Small Parts Inc., said he believes educating these students will give them a better chance at finding a job.
“Unfortunately, kids are coming out without many certifiable skills,” he said. “With MSSC, this will give them one up on those who don’t have training.”
The group feels it is important to make students in the community aware of the options, especially after the a study released in late February by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce showed Cass County may be lagging behind in education attainment.
The study indicated that the percentage of Cass County adults ages 25 to 64 with an associate’s degree or higher ranges from 16.9 to 24. This placed Cass County in the lowest percentile category in the state.
The study also showed 26.3 to 40 percent of Cass County population ages 18 to 24 and 16.5 to 27.9 percent of those ages 24 to 64 have less than a high school diploma. According to the study, Cass County was ranked in the highest percentage category for the state in these two categories.
Bailey said the group has been aware of the numbers for a few years. With the new opportunities for high school students and the growing opportunities for jobs, the committee felt the need for awareness was stronger than ever.
With an aging work force approaching retirement, local companies anticipate a growing need for tool makers. Already, there is a lack of experienced workers available for promotion to higher paid positions, said Barger
“If you don’t start building below, you won’t have anyone to fill that need,” he said.
Within the next 10 years, he said workers’ retirements will leave at least 38 openings in the skilled trade jobs in Cass County, if not more.
For example, the existing lack of tool and dye makers, who repair and build precision dyes and tooling for manufacturing parts, has meant the current labor force must work overtime to get the job done.
Though it takes a student four years to complete the qualification process, there are other opportunities to work and advance after time. In addition, the pathway allows students the option of earning an associate’s degree in advanced manufacturing at Ivy Tech Community College and a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing technology at Purdue University.
A high school graduate can start out at $14 an hour and make up to $25 an hour depending on the skill level, said Barger.
While the group has focused on high school students, it also welcomes interested in setting up the machines the tool and dye makers work on.
The group has found several ways to get the message out.
Barger has talked to students at both Pioneer and Logansport high schools and will speak at the Logansport Economic Development Foundation meeting on July 25 about shortages of skilled laborers in this area.
The education committee hopes people will take advantage of the opportunities available.
“That’s the missing piece,” Bailey said. “People coming in with skills. Some of the critical job openings will be the top jobs. The worry is there won’t be a skilled labor force to fill those jobs.”
Denise Massie can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or via e-mail at denise.massie@pharostribune.com

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