A Planning Grant to Integrate National Skill Standards into West Coast Manufacturing

Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

Los Angeles County, the largest urban manufacturing area in the United States, currently has a labor crisis in durable manufacturing that threatens to inhibit the growth of the local economy. At a time when the metal manufacturing industry is experiencing a growing demand for skilled employees, industrial and technical education in the state is in crisis due to lack of qualified instructors and support from districts. Well-educated machinists are critical to the continued success of manufacturing in the region. To address these issues, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and the Small Manufacturers' Association in collaboration with the National Institute for Metalworking Skills are in the planning stages of establishing a Regional Center for Manufacturing Education with the goal of developing a model for the systemic reform of industrial education. Validating skills through nationally accepted standards is at the core of the mission and is facilitating articulation along a career pathway to stimulate the development of a well educated workforce. The ultimate goal is to support the growth of durable manufacturing in the southern California region.