Milwaukee-based workplace quality organization ASQ has partnered with Washington, DC-based manufacturing improvement organization The Manufacturing Institute to address the national manufacturing skills gap.
About 82 percent of manufacturers surveyed by The Manufacturing Institute had experienced moderate to severe qualified worker shortages and most of those expected the problem to worsen.
The joint effort will promote ASQ’s 17 certification programs as part of The Manufacturing Institute’s Manufacturing Skills Certification System, which encourages training and professional development that can help employees obtain or advance in a manufacturing job.
Among ASQ’s quality offerings are certified quality engineer, certified calibration technician and certified quality technician.
“While manufacturing is leading the economic recovery in the United States, it’s been complicated because fewer workers are qualified to replace retiring baby boomers, who are retiring with vast amounts of knowledge and experience,” said ASQ CEO Paul Borawski. “This partnership brings together the expertise of The Manufacturing Institute and ASQ’s reputation in the quality community to better prepare workers and companies for the future.”
The Skills Certification System was created in 2009 to widen the pool of candidates who are suited for high-quality manufacturing jobs through education and training. It has been deployed in four states and is in the planning stages in 19 states.
Other organizations have also partnered with The Manufacturing Institute to provide certifications as part of the program. ASQ is the only one focused on quality certifications.
“We’re excited about this new partnership with ASQ,” said Emily Stover DeRocco, president of The Manufacturing Institute. “As a global leader in quality, ASQ will train and provide workers with the advanced skills manufacturers need now and in the future.”
