Manufacturing Skill Standards Council Contributes to Workforce Skills Certification Goals

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 7, 2012 -- Last June 8, President Obama announced key steps to getting unemployed Americans back to work and maintaining the competitiveness of the US manufacturing economy. With 600,000 manufacturing jobs going unfilled, President Obama called on The Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) of the National Association of Manufacturers and its partners, including the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC), to help build the educated and skilled workforce US manufacturers need to successfully compete in a global economy.

Last month, the Institute announced significant progress towards achieving a five-year goal to award 500,000 industry-based credentials to individuals, positioning them for employment and advancement in manufacturing jobs. The certification bodies endorsed by the Institute delivered over 84,000 credentials in 2011.

"This joint action between industry, education and the public sector will grow a skilled manufacturing workforce and strengthen the U.S. economy," stated Leo Reddy, CEO, MSSC. "In the year since the President's announcement, MSSC is pleased to have been a major contributor to meeting the President's goal. Given the MSSC's focus on front-line workforce populations with the greatest number of jobs, it is able to certify a large number of individuals for employment and advancement among the 8.3 million front-line manufacturing jobs and the 5.8 million front-line material handling and distribution jobs in the U.S."

"The Institute remains committed to building the educated and skilled workforce our nation's manufacturers need to stay competitive," said Jennifer McNelly, President, The Manufacturing Institute. "The Institute works with community colleges and employers to deliver world-class certification programs like the MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) and Certified Logistics Technician (CLT)."

About MSSC

The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) is an industry-led training, assessment and certification organization focused on the industry-wide core technical competencies needed by the nation's front-line production and material handling workers. The nationwide MSSC certifications, based upon industry-defined and federally endorsed national skill standards, offer both entry-level and incumbent workers the opportunity to demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills increasingly needed in the technology-intensive jobs of the 21st century.

About 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.