Workforce Newsletter 36 - September 5, 2024

Sold Out Golf Outing Filled with Sunshine and Smiles!

– Thank You Sponsors!

We are thankful for the overwhelming turnout for the golf outing August 26^th at the Powelton Club in Newburgh. It promises to be a fun filled day.

We especially want to thank our sponsors who make events like this one possible!

Corporate Sponsor – Thank you JPMorgan Chase

Shirt Sponsor – Thank you NRG

Cocktail Sponsor -Thank you Brightcore Energy

Lunch Sponsor – Thank you Langan Engineering

Golf Cart Sponsor – Thank you Ulster Savings Bank

Scramble Prize Sponsor - Thank you PC Construction

Yellow Ball Prize Sponsor – Thank you BELFOR Restoration

Best Ball Prize Sponsor - Thank you Rhinebeck Bank

Closest to the Pin Prize Sponsor -Thank you Optimum Window

Hole In One – Thank you Viking Industries

Longest Drive Prize Sponsor – Thank you Package Pavement

Tee Sign Sponsors - AMI Services Inc, Allendale Machinery, Anderson Financial, Bank of America, Charles IT, Eastern Alloys Inc, Elna Magnetics, Emergency One Urgent Care and Occupational Health, Fair-Rite Products Corp, GTI Graphic Technology, Harmon Printing, ITC Communications, Lakeland Bank, Metallized Carbon Corporation, NBT Bank, Orange Die Cutting Corp, PKF O'Connor Davies, President Container Group, Pursuit Lending, Putnam Precision, Ralph W. Earl, & Sono-Tek Corp.

Council Launches Human Resource Sub-Council

First Meeting Hosted at Chemprene in Beacon October 22nd, 8:30 AM

Optional Tour to Follow

Introducing the Hudson Valley HR Manufacturing Sub Council 

The Council of Industry is excited to announce the launch of a new quarterly networking group designed exclusively for HR professionals. This forum will provide a platform for members to connect, share best practices, and address the critical challenges facing the industry. 

Connect, Learn, Grow.

HR professionals in manufacturing face a unique set of challenges. The Hudson Valley HR Manufacturing Sub-Council is a dedicated community designed to support your role. Built on the success of our HR Network, the Council of Industry is excited to announce a new quarterly networking group to support HR professionals in our association. 

Join us for our inaugural meeting on October 22nd at from 8:30 to 11:00am to: 

• Network with HR peers facing similar challenges 
• Share experiences and best practices 
• Discuss industry trends and their impact on your workforce 
• Connect with invited subject matter experts to answer questions and discuss trends 
• Explore innovative HR solutions 

Membership in this forum is exclusive to manufacturing members.

Future meeting locations will rotate across the Hudson Valley region, with opportunities to tour member facilities and connect with peers. A light breakfast will be provided. 

Due to limited capacity, early registration is strongly encouraged. 

Certificate In Manfuacturing Leadership (CML) Kicked off July 17^th – Registration Still Open for Individual Courses

The Council of Industry's Certificate in Manufacturing Leadership program kicked off July 17^th with 21 participants from 6 member firms.  The program offers attendees a range of leadership skills through concentrations of courses. Participants who complete the required courses are presented with the Certificate in Manufacturing Leadership by the Council of Industry. All courses are interactive full day sessions (8:30 am to 4:00 pm) with lunch, scheduled breaks, networking, and group discussions.

The Classes are being held at the Center of Excellence for Industry & Innovation at DCC Fishkill. Though participants are encouraged to complete the course series for the most comprehensive supervisory education, the Council welcomes individual course registration as well. See the offerings and schedule below.

Individual Course Cost:

Individual Attendee: $275

Two or More Attendees: $250

• COMPLETED Fundamentals of Leadership (Day 1): July 17th - Rebecca Mazin, Recruit Right.
• COMPLETED Fundamentals of Leadership (Day 2): July 24th - Rebecca Mazin, Recruit Right.
• COMPLETED Problem-Solving & Decision Making: August 7th Ben Kujawinski, Ignition.
• COMPLETED Effective Business Communications: August 21st - Rebecca Mazin, Recruit Right.
• Environment, Health & Safety Risk Management: September 11th - Ron Coons, Reis Group Insurance.
• Human Resource Management: Date TBD - Tom McDonough & Rob Guidotti, Jackson Lewis.
• Making a Profit in Manufacturing: Date TBD - Steve Howell, RBT CPAs.
• Best Practices and Continuous Improvement: October 9th - Joe Guarneri, Crossix LLC.
• Positive Motivation and Discipline: October 23rd - Rebecca Mazin, Recruit Right.

Register Here

Remote Certificate In Manfuacturing Leadership (CML) Begins October 30th

Have supervisors and future leaders you want to train? Consider the next session which will be held remotely beginning October 30th.

All courses are interactive half-day sessions (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) with scheduled breaks, networking, and group discussions. These courses are offered online and require participants to have a working webcam and audio.

Though participants are encouraged to complete the course series for the most comprehensive supervisory education, the Council welcomes individual course registration as well.

Early Registration: Email Johnnieanne jhansen@councilofindustry.org 

Schedule:

• Fundamentals of Leadership - Oct. 30, Nov. 5 & 6 (3 half days)
• Best Practices and Continuous Improvement - Nov 19 & 20
• Effective Business Communication - Dec 4 & 5
• Managng Risk for Supervisors - Dec 17 & 18
• Making a Profit in Manufacturing - Jan 7 & 8
• Problem Solving and Decision Making - Jan 14 & 15
• Human Resource Management Issues - Jan 28 & 29
• Positive Motivation and Discipline - Feb 4 & 5

What to expect from an interactive online virtual classroom:

• Discussions
• Work Groups
• Breakout Group Project
• Handouts and Worksheets
• Peer to Peer Sharing
• Networking and Virtual Group Projects

Time: 8:30 am - 12:30 pm

Location: Virtual Classroom - Council of Industry Zoom

Mark Your Calendar Annual Luncheon & Expo November 22nd at the Grandview, Poughkeepsie

Join us on Friday, November 22th at the beautiful Grandview on the river in Poughkeepsie, NY for our annual Luncheon & Member / Associate Member Expo. The Expo opens at 11:15 am and Lunch will follow at 12:30 pm.

Featuring a keynote address by E.J. McMahon, Past President and Founding Senior Fellow of the Empire Center for Public Policy, Inc., on election results and the current fiscal climate in New York State.

We will also recognize the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 recipients of the Certificate in Manufacturing Leadership.

The Member/ Associate Member Expo will precede the luncheon from 11:15 - 12:30. There is no charge to be part of the expo, but we require participants to purchase two seats.

Individual Ticket:  $80.00

Table of Ten: $720.00

Sponsors are key to the Luncheon's Success - Click here to become one!

CNC Machinist Are Among the Most In-Demand Trades In the Region - MIAP Apprentice Trade

Not a week goes by in which we don’t hear a Council member complain about the difficulty the face in hiring skilled CNC Machinists. It is one of the most in demand trades, not only locally but nationally as well. If you cant find machinist to hire – perhaps you have operators who have the aptitude and attitude that makes them worthy of your investment to upskill them? Companies that made that investment several years ago are seeing the benefits as MIAP apprentices start completing the program and are becoming credentialed CNC Machinist.

Machinists use machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, and grinders, to produce precision metal parts. CNC machinists must be able to use both manual and CNC machinery. CNC machines control the cutting tool speed and do all necessary cuts to create a part. The machinist determines the cutting path, the speed of the cut, and the feed rate by programming instructions into the CNC machine.

Work Processes (Skills learned on the Job) Approximate Hours for CNC Machinist:

·      Foundations of Machining: 2,000 hours

·      Principles of CNC Machining: 250 hours

·      General Operation CNC Mills/Lathes / Millturns / Grinders: 1,250 hours

·      Supervised Setup Mills / Lathes / Millturns / Grinders: 1,500 hours

·      CNC Setup and Operate CNC Mills / Lathes / Millturns / Grinders: 2,000 hours

·      Writing Basic Programs: 1,000 hours

·      Total Hours: 8,000

Minimum of 144 Hours of Related Instruction (Classroom Learning) Required for Each Apprentice for Each Year:

·      Safety

·      Blueprint Reading and Drawing

·      Mathematics

·      Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

·      Trade Theory and Science

·      NC/CNC Programming

·      Computer Software 

·      Communications

If you want to know more about this trade and if it might be right you’re your company contact Johnnieanne Hansen

Welcome New Apprentices!  

The following individuals enrolled in the Council of Industry's MIAP Apprentice Program last month.

• David H. – Quality Assurance Auditor, Howmet

• Brian R. – Electro Mechanical Technician, Elna Magnetics

Learn more about The Council of Industry’s Apprentice Program

CHRO Optimism Continues To Fall In Q3, Despite Cooling Labor Market 

CHROs retained their spot as the most pessimistic members of the C-Suite in 2024, with a greater proportion of HR chiefs forecasting declining business conditions in the months ahead compared to CEOs, CFOs and board members. The proportion of CHROs forecasting improvements in business conditions in the U.S. declined double digits in StrategicCHRO360’s third-quarter CHRO Confidence Index polling during the week of August 19—from 39 percent in Q2 to 35 percent in Q3. In contrast, 46 percent of CEOs and 40 percent of CFOs expect the business landscape to improve over the coming months—and 42 percent of board members feel the same.

Slowing demand, increasing wages and political uncertainty are, CHROs report, affecting corporate outlooks. Nearly 20 percent fewer CHROs now expect their respective companies to post higher revenues by this time next year, from 73 percent of CHROs in Q2 to 59 percent in Q3. That is the lowest proportion on record since we began polling CHROs on these issues in January 2021. The only time CHROs have been so few in forecasting increasing revenue was in the third quarter of 2022, amid labor shortages brought about by the Great Resignation, ongoing supply chain delays and mounting inflationary pressures.

Read more at HR Executive

Mental Health Affects Workers' Abilities To Perform Their Jobs – 6 Steps to Turn That Around

One in five workers considered leaving their job in 2023 due to their mental health and its impact on their ability to work. This finding is from the State of Workforce Mental Health Report, from LyraHealth. In 2023, 65% of U.S. workers reported that their mental health affected their ability to do their jobs, up from 60% in 2022. And the number of employees reporting a severe impact nearly doubled, from 4% in 2022 to 7% in 2023. The research also found that “work-related stress and burnout” is the second-biggest factor contributing to employees’ mental health concerns—28% of workers listed it as a top concern over the past year, second only to financial stress, which was cited by 33% of employees. Emp

loyees said their mental health challenges make them feel less focused (46%), less engaged (42%), and less productive (36%) at work. And 1 in 5 say they’re considering leaving their company due to their mental health’s impact on their ability to do their job.

• Here are 6 steps for employers to advance workforce mental health in 2024 and beyond:
• Make sure your mental health strategy embraces the full spectrum of needs.
• Expand medical health support for working parents and children.
• Build trust with actions that support worker well-being.
• When it comes to workforce mental health, think systematic vs. individual change.
• Give managers resources to lead mentally healthy, engaged teams.
• Prioritize access to quality mental health care across global workforces.

Read more at EHS Today

What to Include in Your Company’s Internal Generative AI Use Policy

As generative artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize business operations across industries, it has become imperative for companies to establish robust internal policies governing its use by employees. Implementing a robust AI policy can significantly mitigate various risks faced by corporations including by ensuring AI use aligns with relevant laws and regulations, limiting corporate exposure in case of AI-related incidents or disputes and demonstrating commitment to responsible AI use.

In this article Harris Beach shares a high-level explanation of some of the critical aspects of drafting such policies, highlighting key considerations and potential pitfalls.

Read more at Harris Beach

How Important Is The Word ‘Equity’ To Corporate DEI Efforts? The CEO of the National Diversity Council Chimes In

The Society for Human Resource Management recently announced it was dropping the word “equity” from its inclusion and diversity strategy, choosing instead to “lead with inclusion.” SHRM noted the move was in response to “societal backlash and increasing polarization” connected to corporate DEI programs, which are increasingly under pressure following last year’s Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in college admissions.

While the SHRM move sparked a firestorm of discussion, it is a debate that has already been playing out across corporate America. Critics have confronted organizations over their DEI policies prompting some companies to pull back on corporate DEI commitments by, for example, disbanding DEI teams and removing DEI metrics from executive pay strategies. Equity, however, is “where legal compliance resides” and can be fairly measured and enforced, said Anika Rahman, then-CEO of the National Diversity Council. She points to pay equity under the Equal Pay Act and reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Listen to her Interview at HR Executive

Young People Are Taking Over the Workplace, and That’s a Problem for Bosses

Each new generation coming up in the workforce tends to confuse corporate management, at least initially. Members of Gen Z—generally defined as born between 1997 and 2012—are no exception. Dozens of board members from public companies gathered in June at the Sheraton hotel in Palo Alto, Calif., to discuss the questions this latest cohort raises. Christine Heckart, who has worked as an executive in Silicon Valley for more than 25 years, told the audience that younger generations want meaning, mentorship and a sense of purpose. The message didn’t go over well with everyone in the room. One board member in attendance asked why any of those things should be the company’s responsibility.

Heckart still makes the case that companies will benefit from helping to fulfill the needs of younger workers because then they will be better employees. Companies find their youngest employees the most difficult to work with, surveys show. Now executives are making efforts to engage them more. They are arranging mentorship for employees who entered the workforce remotely during the pandemic; they are giving guidance on how to communicate and when to keep their thoughts to themselves; and they are offering new kinds of perks, like an on-site therapist.

Read more at the WSJ

Employers Are Bracing For Healthcare Costs To Spike In 2025. Here's Why

Employers are up against escalating healthcare costs driven by mounting prescription drug expenses, inflation and worsening chronic conditions, a new survey shows. The Business Group on Health released its annual Employer Health Care Strategy Survey on Tuesday morning, which examines the trends that large employers are watching and their plans to address the healthcare challenges they may face. The survey projects that healthcare cost trend will jump to 8% in 2025, growing from 6% in 2022. Actual healthcare costs have increased by 50% since 2017, according to the report.

The report found that the median percentage spent on pharmaceuticals grew to 27% in 2023 compared to 21% in 2021. Multiple factors are driving this increase, including the significant demand for GLP-1s as well as greater use of high-priced cell and gene therapies. Cancer also remains the condition driving the highest costs for employers, according to the report. This includes both elevated costs for new therapies as well as a growing prevalence of cancer diagnoses among younger employees.

Read more at Fierce Healthcare

Travelers Survey: Common Workplace Accidents Result in Costliest Claims

After examining 1.2 million workers compensation claims from 2017 to 2021, a new survey from Travelers found the most frequent causes of injury as follows:

• Overexertion (29% )
• Slips, trips and falls (23%)
• Being struck by an object (12%)
• Motor vehicle accidents (5%)
• Caught-in or caught-between hazards (5%)

“There are tangible consequences to any injury, and many include long-term, sometimes permanent, effects,” said Chris Hayes, assistant vice president of Workers Compensation and Transportation, Risk Control, Travelers, in a statement. “By understanding where the risks were in the past, businesses can better identify what to look for and tailor their risk management and employee safety strategies accordingly to help prevent injuries from happening.”

Looking at severe claims ($250,000 or more), the top drivers were:

• Slips, trips and falls
• Overexertion
• Being struck by an object
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Caught-in or caught-between hazards

As has been the case in the past few years, 35% of workplace injuries occurred during an employee’s first year on the job. For 2023, this resulted in six million missed days.

Read more at EHS Today

General Electric Apprenticeship Program Reaches 50 Years 

Rutland’s Vermont’s General Electric Aerospace site celebrated 50 years of apprenticeship with the graduation of nine participants this year. Graduates of the three-year Advanced Machinist Toolmaker Apprentice Program were honored at a ceremony last Friday surrounded by friends and family at Lake Bomoseen Lodge in Bomoseen. Throughout the course of the program, apprentices complete 6,000 hours of on-the-job training through full-time employment at the facility. An additional roughly 3,000 of class time — or 14 classes — through Vermont State University is also included in the program, fully paid for by GE Aerospace.

“Through a combination of hands-on learning and fully subsidized classes, our apprentices have the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the workforce. They are the future of GE Aerospace and Rutland,” Rutland location site leader Dan Shelley said in a Monday news release.The Rutland GE Aerospace site produces compressor blades and vanes for almost every jet engine in the organization’s product line.

Read more at the Rutland Herald

How To Tap Into The Refugee Talent Pool 

As organizations seek to be more inclusive in their recruitment and hiring practices, one area they can improve upon is expanding their talent acquisition playbook to include refugees.

In three studies over the past five years, researchers from Harvard have looked at how businesses could better understand and engage with refugees as a valuable, and often misunderstood, source of untapped talent.

Refugees represent people from all paths of life and occupational backgrounds, with engineers, lawyers, carpenters, and IT specialists among this diverse cohort. They share the determination to rebuild their lives and regain a sense of stability through employment. But the path to secure employment is far from easy, despite tight labor markets in many developed economies. Through our work, we have come to believe that most companies would benefit from doing more to tap into this talent pool, and we offer six recommendations for companies to start.

Read more at Harvard Business Review

Bosses Are Finding Ways to Pay Workers Less

Bosses are quietly trying to reset worker pay levels, saying the era of overpaying for talent is over. Pay for many white-collar recruits shrank last year, and now wages for new hires in construction, manufacturing, food and other blue-collar sectors appear to be ebbing too, according to an analysis of millions of jobs posted on ZipRecruiter.com. The push to reset employee salaries reflects a power shift in the cooling hiring market. Employers have more choice of who they can hire, and at what pay level, and are questioning whether they really need star hires when a workhorse will do. Even hourly jobs that were until recently the toughest for employers to fill are being advertised at lower pay than a year ago, as are some professional roles, according to business leaders and recruiters.

Job seekers report seeing roles that once offered salaries between $175,000 and $200,000 a year ago now being advertised for tens of thousands of dollars less, a change that has had them rethinking their pay expectations. Companies are also moving job openings to lower-cost cities or offering them as lower-paying contractor roles, recruiters and corporate advisers say.

Read more at The WSJ

iCIMS August Labor Market Insights – Applications Creep Higher Along With Unemployment 

Markets around the world had a heated reaction to July’s labor market slowdown and uptick in unemployment reported by the BLS in early August. This shift is reflected in iCIMS July platform data, which showed a 10% uptick in applications from June. The data, which is an aggregate of all jobs — including part time, full time, high paying, low paying and across all industries — shows that employers are still actively opening roles and hiring. So, while the focus on the labor market has heated up, the labor market itself has not melted. Overall hires dropped 13% month over month and were down 17% from June 2023.

Top findings this month:

• The 10% increase in applications in July could be related to the uptick in unemployment reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) last month.
• Tech jobs are in demand, with 58% of workers saying that economic uncertainty and the rise of AI in the workplace would not affect their desire to nab a technical position.
• Applicants per opening (APO) for tech roles jumped 36% in one year, with those positions now receiving on average double the number of applicants (62) apiece than APO for the overall market (30).
• More than 80% of applicants for tech jobs are under 35, and 64% of applicants are under 25.

Read the Report

Learn more about the Council of Industry’s Manufacturing Career Hub Driven By iCIMS

Check out the MIAP Apprentice Program

• Interim HR Directors In High Demand For Industries In Transition – Worklife
• US Companies Tweak Diversity Policies As Challenges Mount – Reuters
• Why Advertising 'Ghost Jobs' May Do More Harm Than Good – HR Executive
• 6 Steps To Become A "Confidently Humble" Leader – Think Advisor
• Optimizing People: Continuous Improvement for Leader Talent – Industry Week
• The Courts Reject the FTC's Non-Compete Power Grab – Real Clear Markets
• Workers In Japan Can’t Quit Their Jobs. They Hire Resignation Experts To Help – CNN
• Why CHRO Succession Planning Is Getting More Challenging – HR Executive

Season 4 Ep 1: Bre Pettis, Owner of Bantam Tools

In this podcast episode, Harold King, President of the Council of Industry, sits down with Bre Pettis, Owner of Bantam Tools. Bre shares exciting developments at Bantam Tools, including their latest product line—the Bantam Tools NextDraw. These cutting-edge drawing and handwriting machines are designed to make computer-controlled technology accessible to a wider audience, from artists and educators to real estate agents.

Listen Here!