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The HR Newsletter of the Council of Industry
October 9, 2025
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Manufacturing Day Events Shine a Light on Innovative Companies and Careers in the Sector
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Manufacturing Day was celebrated across the Hudson Valley last week by companies, schools, students and local media.
Festivities started bright and early Friday morning at Ulster BOCES with Hudson Valley Focus Live, hosted by Tom Sipos, airing a special MFG Day broadcast.
Later in the day, students from multiple counties got to tour manufacturing facilities.
Finishing the day off strong, Ulster County manufacturing leaders, elected officials, organizations and students got to join Ulster BOCES in celebrating its ribbon cutting of the Career Pathways Academies, Sustainable Ulster Workforce Innovation Center, and the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center at iPARK 87.
Read the full article here
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Walden Environmental Engineering Workshop Shows Manfuacturers How to Identify, Correct Gaps in Their EHS Programs
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On October 7, the Council and Walden Environmental Engineering hosted its Identifying and Assessing Gaps in Your Environmental Health and Safety Program - A Practical Approach workshop, at the Hopewell Junction iPark.
This workshop was a part of the launch of the Council’s Safety & Health Sub Council: a peer-to-peer network designed for manufacturing safety professionals - and those who share responsibilities for employee safety.
Read the full article here
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The next Safety & Health Sub-Council will be November 6th at 8:30 AM. It will hosted by Howmet Aerospace in Kingston and includes a presentation on their safety and health program as well as a facility tour.
If you’d like to be included on the invitation list, contact us and we’ll make sure you’re invited.
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Council Partners With RIT and DCC to Deliver Lean Manufacturing Training this Fall!
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Oct. 28: Lean Simulation & Overview
This full-day Lean Foundational course, led by Vin Buonomo from RIT Center for Qualtiy and Applied Statistics (CQAS) provides a comprehensive introduction to Lean principles, tools, and methodologies.
Through a combination of instruction and simulation exercises, attendees will explore the differences between traditional batch manufacturing and Lean manufacturing, gaining practical insights they can apply immediately.
Location:
DCC Fishkill - 461 US-9, Fishkill, NY 12524
Dates:
October 28, 8:30-4:30
Full Program Cost:
Individual Attendee: $325
Two or More Attendees: $300
To learn more contact Emma Olivet eolivet@councilofindustry.org
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Nov. 12,13&14: Lean Six Sigma: Yellow Belt
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, and Control improvement process and some of the tools associated with each stage.
The following topics will be focused on during the training:
- Resistance to Change
- 5-S and Visual Controls
- Team Building
- Problem Solving Process
- Statistical Thinking
Instructor Vinnie Buonomo from The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Location:
DCC Fishkill - 461 US-9, Fishkill, NY 12524
Dates:
November 12, 13 & 14 - 8:30-4:30
Full Program Cost:
Individual Attendee: $600
To learn more contact Emma Olivet eolivet@councilofindustry.org
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HR Manufacturing Sub Council Meeting - January 14th
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Space is limited - contact us to register.
The HR Manufacturing Sub-Council brings together HR professionals from across our manufacturing member companies to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas in a dedicated, industry-specific setting.
This sub-council is open to Manfuacturing Member HR professionals, business owners, and anyone managing HR responsibilities within manufacturing member companies. The January meeting will be held on the 14th at 8:30am at Selux Corporation in Highland.
(If you're an associate member or part of our extended network, reach out to Johnnieanne Hansen to discuss ways to join the conversation.)
Learn more (Manufacturing Members only please)
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Industrial Manufacturing Technician (IMT) Apprentice Trade Provides Foundational Skills
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The Council of Industry sponsors 6 manufacturing trades through The Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (MIAP.) These are New York State Department of Labor approved trades ranging in length from 16 months to 4 years. These apprenticeships consists of two pieces: On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Related Instruction (RI).
OJT allows an apprentice to learn firsthand from a skilled craftsperson who will demonstrate and share their experience in the field
In RI, apprentices will learn the theory - and knowledge - based components of the craft. They must complete 144 hours of classroom or online training each year.
The Industrial Manufacturing Technician (IMT) introduces people to work on the factory floor. It provides training in safety, equipment set-up and maintenance, quality systems and more. It is ideal for entry level workers and provides a solid foundation for further training in other trades such as CNC Machinist, Toolmaker, Maintenance Mechanic or Electro Mechanical Technician.
Work Processes (Skills learned on the Job) Approximate Hours for Industrial Manufacturing Technician (IMT):
Safety and Workplace Orientation: 100 hours
Production Equipment Set-Up: 500 hours
Production Equipment Operation: 900 hours
Quality Production and Quality Assurance: 700 hours
Routine Equipment Maintenance: 100 hours
Inventory and Material Processes: 100 hours
General Business Knowledge: 50 hours
Continuous Improvement: 100 hours
Local Options: 150 hours
Total Hours: 2,700
Minimum of 144 Hours of Related Instruction (Classroom Learning) Required for Each Apprentice for Each Year:
Safety, Health and the Workplace
General Workplace Safety
First Aid & CPR (minimum 6.5 hours)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Right-to-Know/Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
Asbestos Awareness (if present – see Attachment to Appendix B)
Lockout/Tagout (LO/TO)
Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (minimum 3 hours)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-Hour General Industry
OSHA 30-Hour General Industry (at option of sponsor)
If you want to know more about this trade and if it might be right you’re your company contact Emma Olivet
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The Council of Industry is pleased to share these recruiting opportunities with our members.
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News for HR and Workforce Professionals
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Manufacturing Day 2025: The Roles That Keep the Industry Moving
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Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy, yet many students and early-career professionals still picture it the way it’s depicted in old movies: noisy factories with bored workers doing never-ending, repetitive tasks for meager wages. The reality of the industry today is different, with well-paying jobs that often don’t require a four-year college degree and a variety of roles that encompass robotics, logistics, quality control, sales and engineering.
On Manufacturing Day, and every day, we want to highlight that the industry isn’t just about machines. It’s about people. Entering the manufacturing industry means joining a community that values problem-solving, innovation and collaboration. Engineers design the systems, specialists ensure those systems work, operators bring it all together and every other role contributes to smooth, safe, and productive operations. Whether you’re designing steel frameworks to hold tons of material, programming a robotic arm, analyzing production data or coordinating supply chain logistics, there’s a place for you in the modern manufacturing industry.
Read more at IndustryWeek
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HR In The Boardroom: CHROs Have Become The Stewards Of Business Clarity
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For years, organizations have managed transformation through tools like financial dashboards, operational metrics, and quarterly reviews. Those are important, but as a CEO myself, I can tell you they don’t answer the kinds of questions that keep execs up at night: Do we have the skills to deliver what we’ve promised the market? Who is going to lead us into the next era? Is our strategy landing with our people? Are we creating an environment where innovation can flourish? The answer to these questions isn’t another transactional system of record. It’s a live system of human signals that shows where strategy is landing – or stalling. This is where CHROs are stepping in with powerful new data that is upending how we measure and manage growth.
Thanks to AI and people data, for the first time, company leaders can see in real time how work is actually being done – who is driving progress, where execution is stalling, which skills are emerging, and how teams are collaborating across the organization. These are insights that were invisible just a few years ago. They could only be guessed at through lagging surveys or limited reports. Now they can be measured and managed with the same rigor as financial results. The implications for workforce transformation – for business transformation – are staggering.
Read more at Forbes
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Reskilling Vs. Replacement: Making The Case For Investing In People
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Artificial intelligence is going to reshape work, and employees will need to be reskilled or upskilled to stay relevant. Consulting firms warn that those who don’t act quickly will be left behind. Technology providers position their tools as essential to building the “AI-ready workforce.” Leaders declare that people are the most important asset in this new era. On its face, the argument makes sense. We are firmly in a period of rapid technological change, and employees will need different skills to succeed in roles that look nothing like their job descriptions from even three years ago. Continuous learning and development should be the logical answer. But the reality on the ground tells a different story.
Instead of building robust programs to reskill their people, many organizations are opting for a shortcut. They are turning to the external market, choosing to hire workers who already have AI fluency, while simultaneously letting go of employees whose skills are tied to older models of work. It is faster, cleaner and easier to swap out talent than to take on the messy challenge of helping people evolve. Yet that decision comes at a cost—not just for the individuals who are displaced, but for the organizations that lose loyalty, trust and institutional knowledge in the process.
Read more at HR Executive
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Study: "Ghost Growth" Is Fueling Burnout, Turnover
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Career growth can sometimes feel fake and performative, particularly for the 65% of U.S. workers who experience “ghost growth,” or the illusion of advancement but no meaningful changes in pay, promotion or authority, according to a Sept. 22 report from MyPerfectResume. In fact, two-thirds of workers said they believe their employer engages in “growth theater” by performing support without real outcomes.
In the MyPerfectResume survey of 1,000 workers, 78% said they’ve been assigned new job duties without receiving a raise or promotion. More than half said they’ve been promised promotions or opportunities that never came to be, and more than a third said they’ve never been adequately compensated for an increased workload. Overwork without recognition tends to drain morale, Jasmine Escalera, a career expert for MyPerfectResume wrote in the report. Promises without follow-through can damage employee trust and lead to turnover, she noted. In the survey, nearly 7 in 10 said they’ve considered quitting due to fake or performative growth, and almost 3 in 10 actually left a job for that reason.
Read more at HR Dive
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Map Shows Highest Health Insurance Premium Rises by US State
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Health insurers across the country have been proposing particularly high premium rate increases for 2026 Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans, according to two health policy research organizations. The range of requested rate changes varied from cost reductions, as low as -10 percent, to price hikes as high a 59 percent, while the average proposal was an increase between 12 to 27 percent, says data from the 'Health System Tracker' put together by the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF.
There are many factors behind the rising costs of health insurance premium rates, and this also follows what has been an ongoing trend in recent years, as both the increasing price of care and uptick in health care use have influenced premium rates. Inflation is another factor, as is labor costs, as providers are seeking higher reimbursement rates in negotiations, due to elevated staff costs and continued difficulties and strain following the COVID-19 pandemic. The growing demand of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, used for diabetes treatment and weight loss, have also increased prescription drug spending.
Read more at Newsweek
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The $100K H-1B Visa Fee: Implications For U.S. Businesses And Workforces
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For many businesses—particularly in technology, healthcare and engineering—the H-1B program has long been a vital channel to recruit specialized talent that is scarce in the domestic market. Imposing a $100,000 fee will force companies to rethink hiring strategies. Larger corporations may absorb the cost, but small and mid-sized firms will be disproportionately affected, limiting their ability to innovate and compete globally.
Contrary to the idea that higher fees will create more jobs for U.S. workers, the policy may actually harm the workforce. Employers faced with steep costs may either move operations overseas or reduce expansion in the United States. This could shrink job opportunities not only for foreign-born professionals but also for U.S.-born employees who work alongside them. Some employers may need to fundamentally change their business models. Many will no longer be able to bring employees to the U.S. under the H-1B program and may instead turn to other visa classifications, such as L-visas for internal transfers. Others will hire employees outside the U.S. and transfer them in after several years of international experience. This shift could trigger a “war for talent” in critical areas, intensifying competition among employers.
Read more at HR Executive
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Do Employers Comply with Pay Transparency Requirements in Job Postings?
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To date, ten states, the District of Columbia, and multiple local jurisdictions have adopted such pay transparency laws; the most recent states to do so—New Jersey and Vermont—began implementation in June and July of 2025, respectively. Broadly, these laws require firms that advertise jobs externally to include a “good faith” estimate of the salary or wage range that they expect to pay. These laws are frequently proposed and written with the aim of addressing pay disparities.
Has this push for greater pay transparency been effective? In this post, we use granular data on U.S. job postings from Lightcast to assess employers’ compliance with these new regulations. Focusing on the jurisdictions that adopted pay transparency laws early on, NY Fed researchers find that many employers ignore pay transparency requirements; roughly a quarter of job listings covered by these laws fail to include salary information.
Read more at the NY Fed
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4 Ways To Give Feedback That Boosts Employee Morale
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All the reasons employees resist feedback apply just as readily to bosses. We don’t want to look foolish. We want our team to respect us. All that stuff about bits of your self-worth being bound up in your professional accomplishments — it all still applies. As a leader, what else gets in the way of being open to feedback? Maybe you’re overly tied to tradition. It’s easy to fall into the “this is the way we’ve always done it” mentality. Change causes uncertainty, which can be challenging. However, when we examine our resistance more closely, it’s often just our egos. Here are four ways to ensure you don’t fumble it when it comes to giving and receiving feedback:
1. Default to feedback about yourself - If you want to create a culture where feedback is welcomed and sought out, start by doing that yourself. Whenever you provide feedback to someone else, start by asking if they have any feedback for you.
2. Ask more questions and make fewer statements - When we feel misunderstood or unheard, we reject any assessment of us as being out of touch. Instead of starting with a list of things you want to say, try starting with a list of questions you want your employee to think about. Questions generate answers. Statements often generate resistance. Develop your coaching skills and use your curiosity to help people come to their own conclusions.
3. Invite collaborative input - When conducting a post-mortem on a large project or reviewing a week of work, try to make the feedback conversation more collaborative in nature. Again, do more asking than telling.
4. The annual review: More career-focused - Since there’s a constant tractor beam towards the day-to-day, it’s more important to intentionally carve out time for longer-term career-related conversations. While some may suggest ditching your “annual performance review,” I’d suggest keeping a slot in your schedule for an “annual career check-in” with each of your people. Instead of looking back at specific projects, have a conversation about their skills and goals. Use that information as a starting point to discuss areas for growth, team needs, roles and how to support them in achieving their goals.
Read more at Leadership SmartBrief
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iCIMS September Labor Market Insights – Market Misalignment Persists – Especially in Manufacturing
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In August, application volume remained elevated, while hires and openings declined year over year — signaling a continued disconnect between employer demand and candidate activity. The hourly job market showed a slightly brighter picture, with applications up, openings inching higher and hires down year over year but beginning to rebound. Some Key Findings:
- Hourly job postings are up 1% since last year and hit a 12-month high in August, showing employers are opening new roles, even as caution dominates sentiment.
- 69% of frontline workers believe employers "always" or "sometimes" ignore what job seekers want in the hiring experience. This message for talent teams is loud: ignore candidate-first experiences, and your pipeline will begin to feel the squeeze.
- After trending down for much of the year, manufacturing applications jumped 26% since June, signaling renewed worker interest.
- Despite the rebound, hires fell 11% month over month, suggesting employers are hesitant to commit.
- 74% of hiring managers say candidate quality is their biggest challenge and that AI tools (32%) would help them source top talent.
- Only 17% of frontline workers say they “always” find jobs that meet their needs. But when they do, manufacturing workers are most likely to accept a job within 48 hours of applying or interviewing for the role (77%).
- Employers and job seekers are talking past each other, indicating that clarity in job roles and requirements could help bridge the divide.
- Even with more candidates per opening, hiring activity has remained unchanged — time to fill is still stuck near 39 days. Could it be the influx of applicants that’s stalling hiring decisions?
Read the Report
Learn more about the Council of Industry’s Manufacturing Career Hub Driven By iCIMS
Check out the MIAP Apprentice Program
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Manufacturing Matters Podcast
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The latest episode of Manufacturing Matters takes a deep dive into the critical role of workforce development, advanced manufacturing, and supplier support in revitalizing America’s shipbuilding capabilities. Our guest is Jack Nugent, New York State Force Lead for the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program, who brings a unique blend of personal experience as a submarine officer and strategic leadership in workforce readiness.
From small shops to high-tech firms, manufacturers across New York are playing a critical role in national defense—and facing real challenges around workforce, capacity, and innovation. Jack breaks it all down and offers insight into how the Navy is partnering with local industry to meet this moment.
In this episode we discuss:
🔹 Why the Navy is investing in U.S. manufacturing like never before
🔹 What makes a supplier “critical” to submarine and ship production
🔹 How workforce shortages are driving the need for 250,000 skilled tradespeople
🔹 The unique role New York manufacturers play in this national effort
🔹 What the Maritime Industrial Base Program is doing to strengthen industry pipelines
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