Alcoa Foundation Honors Helmut Wieser With Grant to The Manufacturing Institute
Will fund partnership to connect employers with community colleges to
support high-performance workforce
Alcoa Foundation announced today that it is making a $200,000 grant to
The Manufacturing Institute in honor of Helmut Wieser, who is retiring
as President, Alcoa Global Rolled Products (GRP) in February 2012.
Alcoa′s donation will help to deploy the National Association of
Manufacturers (NAM)-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System
at community colleges in California, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New York,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington to prepare students
for advanced manufacturing jobs in the United States.
'Helmut has a passion for excellence in manufacturing and has served as
an advocate for building workforce competencies in the skilled trades
and operations throughout the world,? said Paula Davis, President, Alcoa
Foundation. 'This initiative will help prepare a high performance
workforce, enable independence, strengthen communities and bolster U.S.
competitiveness - all values demonstrated by Helmut throughout his 12
year career at Alcoa.?
Helmut joined Alcoa in 2000 as Vice President, Operations for Alcoa′s
flat-rolled products group in Europe based in Geneva and a year later
was named President of the group. He was elected a Vice President of the
Corporation in 2004, when he was named President of the North American
and European Mill Products organization, and was elected an Executive
Vice President in 2005.
The Institute designed and deployed the Manufacturing Skills
Certification System, which integrates standards and content into a
system of nationally portable, industry-recognized credentials, to equip
workers with the right skills to access and progress in advanced
manufacturing careers.
'The success and competitiveness of manufacturers depend on their
capacity for innovation,? said Emily DeRocco, president, The
Manufacturing Institute. 'The reality is that the workforce?the people
moving great designs and ideas to product?is the single most important
driver of innovation. But, even in these tough economic times,
manufacturers collectively report they have as many as 600,000 unfilled
high-quality jobs because of a skills shortage in the hiring pool. Our
vision is to close the skills gap to support our manufacturing economy,
and educate employers on using industry-based credentials to attract,
retain, and advance a talented workforce.?
This work will build the capacity of community colleges to deliver a
credentialed workforce and help raise awareness about and connect
employers to manufacturing education and certification activities in
their communities by:
Identifying leading community colleges ready to implement the full or
accelerated version of the Manufacturing Skills Certification System,
leveraging curriculum, best practices, and corporate partnerships in
each college to promote success.
Connecting employers and community colleges for rapid implementation
and rapid employment.
Convening a virtual Global Symposium to discuss best practices in
curriculum and corporate partnerships in the U.S., Canada, Germany,
Switzerland and Australia, and developing an online showcase of
practices and opportunities to replicate in the United States.
About the NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Skills Certification System
The NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System is a system of stackable
secondary and post-secondary credentials applicable to all sectors in
the manufacturing industry. These nationally portable,
industry-recognized credentials validate the skills and competencies
needed to be productive and successful in any manufacturing environment.
The credentialing partners that comprise the Skills Certification System
are ACT, the American Welding Society, the Manufacturing Skill Standards
Council, the National Institute of Metalworking Skills, the Society of
Manufacturing Engineers, International Society of Automation, the
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing Institute, the International Fluid
Power Society, the National Center for Construction Education and
Research, the American Society for Quality, the Fabricators and
Manufacturers Association, the Association for Operations Management,
the American Society of Transportation and Logistics, and the North
American Die Casting Association.
The Skills Certification System is the benchmark standardized assessment
of the critical workplace traits and occupational skills an individual
needs to be successful in any entry-level manufacturing position. It
confirms both technical and non-technical skills, assuring that an
individual has both the 'book smarts? and the 'street smarts? to
function in a high-paced manufacturing environment. Because the
certifications are integrated into degree programs of study, individuals
receive college credit while earning a certification, moving them closer
to a college degree. For more information about the NAM-Endorsed
Manufacturing Skills Certification System, visit: www.themanufacturinginstitute.org
About Alcoa Foundation
Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the
U.S., with assets of approximately US$436 million. Founded more than 50
years ago, Alcoa Foundation has invested more than US$530 million since
1952. In 2010, Alcoa Foundation contributed nearly US$20 million to
nonprofit organizations throughout the world, focusing on promoting
environmental stewardship, enabling economic and social sustainability,
and preparing tomorrow′s leaders through education and learning. The
work of Alcoa Foundation is further enhanced by Alcoa′s thousands of
employee volunteers, who in 2010 gave more than 720,000 service
hours. ?Through the company′s signature Month of Service (October)
program, Alcoa employees share their energy, passion and purpose to make
a difference in our communities. In 2010, a record 49 percent of Alcoans
took part in nearly 1,000 Month of Service events across 24 countries,
reaching 59,000 children, serving 17,000 meals, planting 16,000 trees
and supporting 3,000 nonprofit organizations. For more information about
Alcoa Foundation, please access www.alcoa.com/foundation.
The Manufacturing Institute
The Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) is the 501 (c) 3 affiliate
of the National Association of Manufacturers. As a non-partisan
organization, the Institute is committed to delivering leading-edge
information and services to the nation's manufacturers. The Institute
focuses on developing human capital strategies through education reform
and workforce development, conducting applied research to provide
critical information to public policy makers on challenges and
opportunities for today's industry, and advancing the innovation
capacity of manufacturers operating in a global market. Visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.
Manufacturing Institute
Jacey Wilkins, 202-637-3493 (w)
610-637-2796
(c)
jwilkins@nam.org
or
Alcoa
Foundation
Nacema Blake, 212-836-2825 (w)
347-421-1827 (c)
Nacema.blake@alcoa.com
