Thursday, March 15, 2012LISBON, Ohio -- Brent Weil, senior director for education and workforce at the Manufacturing Institute in Washington, D.C., will speak at the Oh-Penn Manufacturing Workforce Summit April 12. His topic, “Closing the Manufacturing Skills Gap: Regional Economic Development and the NAM-Endorsed Skills Certification System,” will address workforce issues that currently impact the future growth of the region’s manufacturers.
He will share the latest findings on manufacturing in the United States and the growing skills shortages that threaten American companies and competitiveness, and review Manufacturing Institute's skills certification system with a particular emphasis on steps the Mahoning Valley Manufacturing Coalition in Ohio and the Industry Partners of Lawrence and Mercer Counties in Pennsylvania can take to increase the skill set of workers and job applicants within the regional economy.
The Manufacturing Institute designs customized education and training strategies to meet manufacturers’ demand for skilled workers. It is affiliated with the National Association of Manufacturers.
At the Institute, Weil leads industry engagements and builds partnerships to advance the goal of helping students and workers gain industry-recognized certifications. He has 19 years of combined experience in public- and private-sector workforce development, management, strategic communications and education. A former classroom educator, Weil is a graduate of Stanford University and earned a master’s in education at George Washington University.
Educators from Ohio who attend the summit can earn six contact hours sponsored by the Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana Educational Service Centers. Pennsylvania educators will receive six Act 48 hours upon completion.
The program will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University. The registration fee is $50 per person or $350 for a table of eight. The summit is co-sponsored by the Mahoning Valley Manufacturing Coalition, Ohio, and the Industry Partners of Lawrence and Mercer County, Pa. To register or for more information, call Sue Watson at 330-307-3399.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.