SHORELINE — Shoreline Community College President Lee Lambert will join a select group of education leaders from across the country in making sure America’s workers are ready for the manufacturing jobs of the future.

Lambert and more than two dozen of his colleagues will serve on the first-ever national Education Council focused on expanding and enhancing America’s manufacturing workforce.  The appointments were announced Oct. 28, 2008, in Washington, D.C. by The National Association of Manufacturers.

“In these difficult economic times, we must create new educational pathways to help more individuals prepare for high-paying manufacturing jobs and, in turn, help our companies compete in world markets,” said Emily DeRocco, president of The Manufacturing Institute and former U.S. assistant secretary of labor for employment and training. The Manufacturing Institute is the research, education and workforce arm of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

“President Lambert will help the Education Council provide leadership, counsel and research to ensure America’s manufacturing workforce is properly prepared to compete in the global economy,” DeRocco said. “This is a big undertaking.  Charter members will focus on issues as wide-ranging as identifying solutions to address the adult literacy crisis, designing regional manufacturing talent development systems, creating 21^st century career and technical education programs and advancing innovation in the manufacturing economy,” she said.

“Community colleges are nimble and efficient when it comes to responding to market needs and delivering needed skills and education,” Lambert said. “Besides offering industry-specific programs that can provide employable workers in as little as five weeks, Shoreline also helps students address basic education needs in literacy, English language and math.

“I applaud the manufacturers for convening this council and becoming a key player in the solution to workforce training and education challenges that face our society.”

DeRocco said that a wave of retiring baby-boomers and increased international competition are swamping U.S. manufacturers’ efforts in finding qualified people for increasingly sophisticated, high-tech jobs.

“The skills shortages are having a widespread impact on the ability of manufacturers to achieve production levels, increase productivity and meet customer demands,” DeRocco said. “With more highly-skilled and qualified people, manufacturers could create more jobs with family-sustaining wages.”

Fear, tight credit and political maneuvering are alternately being blamed for the current economic meltdown.

Perhaps it is a confluence of all three, a question that some of the top minds at Shoreline Community College in economics, politics and social issues will discuss in two interactive discussion sessions open to the public on October  16-17.

The sessions will include presentations by panel members, followed by discussion and questions and answers with the audience. The sessions are scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 16, and 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 17. Both sessions will be in the Quiet Dining Room of the college’s new Pagoda Union Building (PUB) at 16101 Greenwood Ave. N., Shoreline, WA 98133.

“The panel will address the current financial crisis from three perspectives: 1) econ/finance, 2) political, and 3) social justice,” said SCC Prof. Robert Francis. “The discussion will focus on very basic questions, such as:  What caused this and is there really a crisis?  Should we bailout Wall Street or not?  Should we regulate or deregulate financial markets?”

The sessions are free and open to the public, but room capacity is limited to 109 persons.

Leading the discussions on just how these factors are triangulating to bring the U.S. and world economies to their knees will be:

- Ken Lawson, Ph.D. Political Science, and Dean for the Business/Intra-American Studies/Social Sciences Division at SCC;

- Robert Francis, Ph.D. Economics, and SCC faculty member;

- Ernest Johnson, Ph.D. Intra American Studies, and SCC faculty member

Shoreline Community College is one of 12 companies and organizations to be recognized by Seattle City Light for leadership in energy conservation.  Specifically, Shoreline was awarded for the installation of an 18 kilowatt system on the 2900 Building, the largest non-residential system in Seattle City Light's service area. 

These "Power Players" saved millions of kilowatt-hours of electricity by working with City Light to develop energy efficient buildings, encourage the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, retrofit lighting, heating and cooling systems, and develop solar energy projects.

On September 21, Seattle City Light hosted a brunch for Shoreline Community College and the 11 other awardees.  Additionally, all were honored at the Seattle Seahawks "Blue is Green" game after the brunch – the Seahawks beat the Rams that day.  Science Division Dean Susan Hoyne represented the college at the event, at which she and the other representatives were introduced and given plaques. 

Dean Hoyne said, “It was a wonderful opportunity to meet others interested in alternative energy and compare programs.  I’m glad Shoreline is being recognized for its solar and sustainable leadership.”

Shoreline Community College has also been recognized as a leader in renewable energy for housing the WSU Zero Energy House and Northwest Solar Center and for its flagship solar and alternative technology curricula.

Seattle City Light will host the Seattle-Shoreline Solar Tour on Saturday October 4th between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with one kick-off location being at Shoreline Community College.  Participants will have the opportunity to visit 29 homes and businesses that have installed solar energy systems.  For more information go to the Solar Tour page at http://www.seattle.gov/light/solar/Tour.asp or call the Conservation Help Line at 206-684-3800.