By Kari Williamson
A poll conducted by Kennametal reveals that Americans of all ages are unaware that manufacturing is leading the economic recovery, and believe manufacturing jobs are unavailable.
“Contrary to public perception, the manufacturing industry is leading the economic recovery,” Cardoso sats. “It is time for our industry to reintroduce itself to the American people in a manner that encourages them to understand the vitality and importance of US manufacturing to the global economy.
“The US manufacturing sector has been steadily growing and right now, 600,000 manufacturing jobs are available,” Cardoso adds. “Most of these positions require specialised skills and education, and as manufacturers, we have a responsibility to educate people about these opportunities and build the manufacturing workforce of the future. At Kennametal, we take this seriously and are helping to deliver the promise of manufacturing today through our actions.”
Young engineers
To reinforce Kennametal’s commitment, Cardoso introduced representatives from Greater Latrobe High School, a partner in the company’s Young Engineers Program. The programme included a 15-week session at Kennametal headquarters in Latrobe, PA, where students participated in classroom discussions, hands-on projects, and mentoring led by a team of Kennametal innovators drawn from engineering, marketing, production and other departments. The company recognised the programme’s first graduating class at a ceremony on 4 January, 2012.
“This programme is just one of many educational initiatives we have at our locations globally that seeks to attract more high school students into engineering and manufacturing careers, helping to ensure the sustainability of our industry and provide steady employment for future generations,” Cardoso says.
Additionally, he called on fellow manufacturers to join Kennametal in delivering the promise of manufacturing by sharing their success stories and innovative solutions for building the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow.
“Together, we have the power to drive solutions, dispel these misperceptions about manufacturing and rebuild confidence in the industry,” he continues.