CI Workforce Newsletter | April 6, 2023

Date postedApril 6, 2023
Posted By: Taylor Dowd (deleted) Newsletters, Workforce News,
The Bi-Weekly Workforce Newsletter of the Council of Industry
April 6, 2023
Member Workforce News
Council of Industry Partners With Clarkson University to Provide Asynchronous Courses in Digital Transformation and Project Management 
The Council of Industry is pleased to partner with Clarkson University, one of the nation's premier engineering and business universities, to deliver training in Digital Transformation in Manufacturing and Project Management. Designed to support experienced and emerging manufacturing executives, these asynchronous modules are available to Council members at a discounted rate. 
Courses:  
Foundations of Digital Transformation - Learn More 
General Project Management Topics for Leaders - Learn More  
Managing Project Risks - Learn More  
Project Portfolio Management - Learn More  
Strategic Project Management Methodologies - Learn More 
Advanced Project Management Tools & Techniques – Learn More 
Each module takes approximately 10-12 hours to complete and are delivered by Clarkson faculty. Learners earn a digital micro-credential (badge) at completion issued by Clarkson. Badges indicate proficiency in the subject area of each successfully completed course. 
Additional courses in Budgeting and Finance, Technical Sales, Fundamentals of Negotiations, Supply Chain Management and Critical Conversations are in the works! 
Yellow Belt Training Rescheduled to October 
Unforeseen circumstances forced the rescheduling of the Council of Industry’s Yellow Belt training last month. The 3 day course will now be held October 17th – 19th. The location will still be at Dutchess Community College’s Fishkill Campus. About 8 slots remain available.  
Yellow belt is an approach to process improvement that merges the complementary concepts and tools from both Six Sigma and Lean approaches. The resulting approach will have greater impact than one that centers on only Six Sigma or Lean. Participants will learn a short history of each approach and how they can complement each other. They will be introduced to the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control improvement process and some of the tools associated with each stage. 
Bond Attorney Jim McGrath Updates Council Members on Changes Driven By the NLRB  
Jim McGrath, Attorney with Bond Schoeneck & King, who represents management in all aspects of labor relations and employment, provided members of the Council of Industry’s Human Resources Network a thorough overview of the changes to the labor/employer balance being driven by the Biden National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB has been aggressive in its pro labor interpretation of rules at the expense of employers.  
Mr. McGrath made participants aware of these changes and provided ideas on steps they can take to ensure compliance as well as working to create an employment environment that is fair, consistent and supportive of workers. 
HR Network Webinar Next Week - Reducing Hidden Bias in Hiring and the Workplace 
Even with the best intentions, employers may not be aware of hidden and unintentional biases in the recruiting and hiring process that hinder their efforts to have a diverse and discrimination-free workplace. Unconscious bias can exist in the application, interview and onboarding process, as well as in day-to-day workplace interactions.
Don’t let unconscious biases create issues for your business or hold back its growth. Please join the Council of Industry’s Human Resources Network for an interactive presentation and discussion with tips and strategies you can implement to identify and reduce hidden and unintentional bias in recruiting and in the workplace.  
Presented by experienced management-side labor and employment attorney with Greenwald Doherty Jasmin Farhangian. Her practice focuses on counseling clients regarding employment challenges and human resources matters. Ms. Farhangian has successfully represented businesses in employment-related litigation in federal and state court, before government agencies and in mediations and arbitrations. She also drafts employee policies, handbooks, and employment agreements. 
For information on advertising in this and other CI publications contact Harold King (hking@councilofindustry.org)
Candidate Profiles
Periodically the Council of Industry will share profiles of individuals who have applied for, or expressed an interest in, a job in Hudson Valley manufacturing.
Subscribers of the Collaborative Recruiting Initiative can view candidate resumes and contact information by searching the candidate ID number in iCIMS platform.
Other Council members can contact Johnnieanne Hansen directly for additional candidate details or to learn more about the recruiting initiative.
Position Interest: Facilities Management/Admin
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Level: Mid-level 
Summary: This candidate is looking for a long-term career opportunity which would allow them to make use of and utilize their very well-balanced knowledge of office administration and facilities management. With over 5 years managing facilities involving procurement, purchasing, contract negotiation and scheduling creates an intensely professional administrator. This candidate is open to commuting roughly 30-40 minutes from Carmel, NY but is also open to remote or hybrid work schedules.
Position Interest: Maintenance Management
Level: Senior-level
Summary: This candidate is looking for a position to utilize their 4 decades of maintenance and facilities management experience. Looking for a shorter commute, this individual has extensive experience in all aspects of maintenance and overseeing facility projects. Experienced in carpentry, electrical, landscaping, plumbing, the list goes on.
Position Interest: Chemical Engineering (Summer Position/Internship) or related field
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering (anticipated 2025)
Level: Entry-level
Summary: This candidate is an intelligent & eager college student looking to expand their knowledge within the field of chemical engineering. They are expected to graduate in 2025 and has gotten involved within a variety of extra-circular clubs & activities. They are seeking either a summer position or an internship to grow within their prospective field.
News for HR and Workforce Professionals
More Students Are Turning Away From College and Toward Apprenticeships 
Today, colleges and universities enroll about 15 million undergraduate students, while companies employ about 800,000 apprentices. In the past decade, college enrollment has declined by about 15%, while the number of apprentices has increased by more than 50%, according to federal data and Robert Lerman, a labor economist at the Urban Institute and co-founder of Apprenticeships for America. 
Apprenticeship programs are increasing in both number and variety. About 40% are now outside of construction trades, where most have traditionally been, Dr. Lerman said. Programs are expanding into white-collar industries such as banking, cybersecurity and consulting at companies including McDonald’s Corp., Accenture PLC and JPMorgan Chase & Co. 
Pre-Apprenticeships Introduce Working in Manufacturing to Build Pipelines 
Today, apprenticeships are more important than ever, providing aspiring job seekers the necessary training, skillset, and mentorship for a pathway to lucrative and fulfilling careers. The ongoing labor shortage and growing skills gap throughout manufacturing has only heightened the need for such programs—and driven the process to start even sooner with new initiatives: Pre-apprenticeships. 
Geared toward high school students and young adults, pre-apprenticeships provide general training to help attract and prepare the future workforce for careers in manufacturing, construction, and other fields—identifying industry needs to create a pipeline of qualified workers. Pre-apprenticeships can be especially helpful to underrepresented groups, such as women, minorities, and low-income individuals. 
Will the FTC Ban the Use of Employee Non-Compete Provisions? Maybe.  
A rule recently proposed by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) that would ban non-competes across the United States has set off alarm bells for many employers. Press coverage of the proposed rule noting it “could affect every business in the country,” has only amplified these concerns. 
There is no doubt the proposed rule represents a bold policy statement from the FTC and a sharp break from current law. But context matters. Coverage of the proposed rule must be balanced by considering the substantial obstacles in the way of its enactment. The proposed rule may be newsworthy, but the context makes clear that employers do not yet need to panic about their non-competition agreements. 
Why Now is the Time for Manufacturers to Build Employee Resilience to Stress  
The nature of manufacturing brings stress to workers. Fluctuating shift work and managing production quotas can be stressful. In addition, manufacturing relies heavily on the economy's health, so stress surrounding job security can be exceptionally higher in times of recession. A Delamere study ranked Manufacturing fourth in the top five industries with the worst health and wellbeing. It's essential to take measures that make it easier for your team to choose healthier options.  
Companies can make a big difference by offering training, wellness programs and cultures that embrace resilience skills; your manufacturing business can help your teams build resilience and manage everyday stress. Here are a few ways you can build a wellness culture:  
McMahon: New York Remains Below Pre-Pandemic Jobs Peak 
Measured on a seasonally adjusted basis, private employment in New York State as of February was still 104,000 jobs short of its February 2020 pre-pandemic peak (-1.2 percent), while the total U.S. private jobs count was up nearly 4.8 million jobs (+2.4 percent). If the Empire State had matched the nationwide trend during this period, it would have 320,000 more private-sector jobs. 
Private job counts as of February exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 36 states, including neighboring New Jersey (+3.3 percent), Pennsylvania (+0.7 percent), and Massachusetts (+0.1 percent). Only six states, all smaller than New York, have experienced weaker employment recoveries since early 2020. By contrast, private sector employment has grown much faster in New York’s large peer states: Florida (+8.2 percent), Texas (+ 7.8 percent), and even California (+2.5 percent). 
SHRM Survey: ESG (Especially “E”) is Important to Younger Employees  
While ESG initiatives factor into many individuals' decisions to join and stay with an employer, they especially matter to younger generations, according to new findings from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). ESG is especially important to younger workers—individuals born between 1981 and 2012—with 46 percent of Generation Z and 55 percent of Millennials saying ESG is important. 
Environmental factors were overwhelmingly reported as the most important ESG issue to the 1,009 U.S. workers responding to SHRM Research's survey in 2022—more than half (54 percent) indicated they were most important, followed by social issues (24 percent) and governance (11 percent).  
Americans Are Losing Faith in College Education, WSJ-NORC Poll Finds 
A majority of Americans don’t think a college degree is worth the cost, according to a new Wall Street Journal-NORC poll, a new low in confidence in what has long been a hallmark of the American dream. The survey, conducted with NORC at the University of Chicago, a nonpartisan research organization, found that 56% of Americans think earning a four-year degree is a bad bet compared with 42% who retain faith in the credential.  
Skepticism is strongest among people ages 18-34, and people with college degrees are among those whose opinions have soured the most, portending a profound shift for higher education in the years ahead. In 2013, 53% of Americans were bullish on college, and 40% weren’t. In 2017, 49% of Americans thought a four-year degree would lead to good jobs and higher earnings, compared with 47% who didn’t. 
iCIMS March Labor Market Insights and Council of Industry Job Board Data 
After the surge of employer and applicant activity at the start of the year, February saw a drop across the board in talent and hiring indicators. While these declines have some seasonality associated with them, it is somewhat surprising that January’s opening and application boom did not result in a hiring swell. Hires dipped across the country, with the western region showing the biggest decrease. And hires of out-of-state applicants remains steady despite reports of companies bringing employees back into the office full-time.  
Could these trends be signaling hesitation on the part of businesses in reaction to a still unpredictable economy? Or the start of a slowdown?
HR Briefs
Upcoming Programs, Training and Events
CML: Problem Solving and Decision Making - presented by Ben Kujawinski, Ignition Life Solutions
Date: Thursday, April 20, 2023
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM (EST)
In today’s fast-paced business climate, knowing how to solve problems and make decisions efficiently and effectively is highly important. There are many ways to go about solving a problem or making a decision, but if people in an organization can learn common strategies and procedures for problem solving and decision-making, then they can learn to work together collaboratively in facing the challenges of their organization.
This class will cover:
  • Stating the problem accurately
  • Controlled brainstorming  
  • Analyzing the data  
  • Pareto Analysis
 There will be discussions on:
  • How do we get to the solution phase?
  • Testing the solution 
  • Implementation and Process change
  • Other problem-solving tools SPC
   
How to Avoid Hidden Discrimination in Hiring and the Workplace
Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM (EST)
Presentation and Discussion on strategies to avoid hidden and unintentional discrimination in the workforce and recruiting. 
Presented by Greenwald Doherty LLP's Jasmin Farhangian, Esq.
Jasmin Farhangian is an experienced management-side labor and employment attorney. Her practice focuses on counseling clients regarding employment challenges and human resources matters. Ms. Farhangian has successfully represented businesses in employment-related litigation in federal and state court, before government agencies and in mediations and arbitrations. She also drafts employee policies, handbooks, and employment agreements.

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