CENTER FOR MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE

The CME was established at Shoreline Community College in 2003, one of a dozen centers of excellence in various career fields established around the state with funding from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Since then the Center has also received additional funding from the U.S. Department of Education to continue and expand its work.

The Center’s purpose is to promote manufacturing in the state by raising awareness of manufacturing careers and training opportunities, and to assist community and technical colleges in designing manufacturing training programs that meet industry’s evolving needs. The Center has actively sought to accomplish these goals in a variety of ways, including:

  • Building on the work of the Manufacturing Advisory Technology Group (MTAG), and other state organizations to define basic manufacturing skills and abilities required for entry level manufacturing employment;
  • Designing a one-quarter Certificate in Basic Manufacturing which is currently offered by Shoreline Community College, and generating interest from other schools;
  • Producing a Manufacturing Careers brochure which has been widely distributed around the State and adopted for use in other areas;
  • Partnering with The Association of Washington Businesses and Washington Manufacturing Services to bring the National Association of Manufacturers’ Dream It! Do It! campaign to the State.
  • Participating regularly in job fairs, conferences, and other manufacturing meetings around Washington and the Northwest Region;
  • Directly supporting other manufacturing associations such as the Spokane Advanced Manufacturing Consortium and the Washington State Food Processors.

In addition to continuing engagement in these activities, the Center currently is taking a lead role in three important statewide initiatives concerning manufacturing training: 1) alignment of manufacturing training programs to enhance student career planning and facilitate articulation of credits between schools, 2) the establishment of an advanced certificate in machine technology, offered by various schools, and readily recognized and understood by employers throughout the state, and 3) formation of a statewide manufacturing training advisory committee.

Manufacturing Skill Panel

At its inception, with support from the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, the CME assembled a manufacturing Skill Panel. The panel is an industry-driven consortium of private and public organizations that oversees the Center’s activities and provides direction for its work. Panel members also serve on CME working committees. In the past, these have included curriculum, certificate, articulation, and marketing committees.

The CME Skill Panel currently consists of representatives of 26 manufacturing companies and related groups, 4 government and labor organizations, and 11 educational institutions.

Together the CME and Skill Panel members mobilize Washington’s manufacturers- horizontally across industry sectors and vertically through industry associations. The State’s top manufacturing employers contribute to the CME’s success by offering workforce development expertise, marketing acumen, in-kind donations, sponsoring activities, and advocating for crucial changes in public policy to support a broader base for economic growth. In return, these companies profit from the exchange of market and workforce information with industry peers, and direct access to leaders in manufacturing workforce training institutions and organizations.

The Center is always looking for new partners to help with this exciting work! For more information, contact CME Director, Phil Savereux.