On Thursday, November 10^th the Northwest Indiana Workforce Board (NWIWB) will be conducting Manufacturing Summit Roundtables in partnership with Conexus Indiana.  The purpose of the employer roundtables will be to discuss the workforce needs and hiring practices and procedures of Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics employers, and to specifically explore the use and the interest in national, portable, industry-recognized certifications.

The Manufacturing Institute, the education arm of the National Manufacturers Association has created a Skills Certification System that currently involves five industry recognized certifications with additional ones to be added by the end of the year.  Currently there are 26 states participating in the Skills Certification Project, including Indiana.  Leading the project for Indiana is Conexus Indiana.  The project will involve educating employers about these certifications, learning how to make them more available and easier to access, while increasing the number of training programs available to workers who want to prepare for the certification tests.

As part of this initiative, the NWIWB has been asked to assist Conexus in hosting the regional roundtables.   If your company would like to be represented on November 10^th—please RSVP yourself and/or another company representative for this no-cost event by calling Linda Burrus at 219-462-2940, ext. 22 or email lburrus@innovativeworkforce.com.  The November 10^th event will take place at Sand Creek Country Club, located at 1001 Sand Creek Drive in Chesterton, Indiana from 8:00-10:00 a.m.  Registration deadline is November 3^rd and space is limited.