Manufacturers Resource Center
Announces Governor’s Manufacturing Advisory Council Report
Greater Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania: The Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), one of 24 members of the Governor’s Manufacturing Advisory Council, announced today that the group has sent its recommendations to Governor Tom Corbett and the State Legislature.
The council, whose work was designed to help strengthen the manufacturing sector, lists education and training key roles in report to Governor, and the lack of a talented and highly educated workforce as its top concern.
Jack Pfunder, President & CEO of MRC and an Advisory
Council appointee, said he believes addressing the need for a
talented and educated workforce now will pay dividends for workers and employers. “People ask me, ‘What is the future for manufacturing in our country?’ and I say, ‘Manufacturing is the future of our country.’ We must do a better job of educating job seekers, students, guidance counselors and parents about the new family sustaining and ‘cool’ high tech careers available now in manufacturing,” says Jack.
To read a copy of the full GMAC report, background on the council’s work, and a list of council members, visit the the Team Pennsylvania Foundation website at www.teampa.com/manufacturingcouncil.
In January Gov. Corbett charged the non-profit group Team Pennsylvania Foundation to lead the Council to “identify and prioritize top issues that can help influence, sustain and advance that sector in the Commonwealth.” Manufacturing adds $75 billion to the state’s economy annually, according to state statistics.
Co-chaired by the Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary, C. Alan Walker and Carlos Cardoso, Chairman, President & CEO, Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, the Council gathered information about challenges facing the industry from industry experts and manufacturers and compiled its findings over a six-month period beginning in January.
The 24-member council consisted of a diverse array of manufacturing interests and companies located throughout the Commonwealth.