John Dewey Industry Lead Alamo Manufacturing Partnership

Transcription

1 MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ISSUE PAPER Mario Lozoya Director, Government Relations & External Affairs Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas Inc. John Dewey Industry Lead Alamo Manufacturing Partnership Support the Alamo Region s Manufacturing Industry Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) Federal Eco-System Initiatives OBJECTIVE: Obtain support of various Federal agencies and U. S. Congressional members for the Alamo Region s federal Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) manufacturing industry eco-system initiatives related to research and innovation development. BACKGROUND: In July 2015, the 8-county Alamo Region was designated as a federal Manufacturing Community under the Department of Commerce s (DoC s) Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) program. The program includes 24 communities within the U.S., with the Alamo Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) the only region within Texas to receive the federal designation. The purpose of the IMCP program is to encourage development of a region s eco-system in support of a specific manufacturing-related technology or industry. Formed as a consortium of regional industry members, economic development organizations, county and city governments, academia, our regional workforce board and various community & civic organizations, the 8-county Alamo Manufacturing Partnership was recognized for our Transportation Equipment Manufacturing industry sector, which includes aerospace, motor vehicle, industrial/heavy off-road vehicle manufacturing and related parts suppliers. The purpose of the DoC program is to improve a region s national and international competitive position through the further development of six (6) key eco-system areas: Workforce Development & Training; Supplier Network Development; Research & Innovation; Infrastructure/Site Development or Redevelopment; Trade & International Investment; and Operational Improvement & Capital Access. As part of the program guidelines, the DoC IMCP Program required a community to designate one of the six key eco-system areas as the region s priority and also encouraged initiatives that spanned multiple eco-system elements. Due to the significant efforts currently underway within the Alamo Region and the critical role to the manufacturing industry, the AMP designated Workforce Development & Training to be our priority focus and the foundation upon which the other ecosystem elements are based. Key to the federal IMCP program is the community s activity and

2 investment in those areas in support of the targeted industry sector. The AMP works with the various regional entities to assess and validate eco-system needs in support of the targeted Transportation Equipment Manufacturing Industry sector. These needs are then being assessed in context with available programs that can meet those needs. Regional eco-system needs are also being assessed in context with programs, resources and opportunities that may currently exist within local and state resources, as well as review of federal initiatives that may be leveraged to provide increased benefit to the growth of the region s targeted manufacturing sector. As the lead federal agency, the Department of Commerce coordinates the nine federal agencies that have combined to commit $1.2B to support the IMCP program. The nine federal organizations are: The Environmental Protection Agency The National Science Foundation The Small Business Administration The U.S. Department of Agriculture The U.S. Department of Commerce The U.S. Department of Defense The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development The U.S. Department of Labor, and The U.S. Department of Transportation Two additional federal organizations have committed to support the IMCP program; however, they are geographically oriented and are not applicable to the Alamo Region. CURRENT RESEARCH AND INNOVATION INITIATIVES: A number of regional eco-system needs have been identified by the AMP as applicable to the Alamo Region. The vast majority of the AMP initiatives build upon the identified successes as well as needs of our regional industry members. These programs have been developed to meet specific industry demands for new techniques, processes and innovation related to the targeted manufacturing industry sectors; however, broader impact is possible with federal assistance under the IMCP program guidelines. Development of IMCP-tailored federal grants in support of these initiatives is needed to support productivity improvements and economic growth of both existing and new manufacturing industries within the Alamo Region as well as other U.S. manufacturing communities. Specific IMCP research development and innovation initiatives within the Alamo Region include the following: Expansion of Initiatives in Support of the ROS-Industrial (Robot Operating System) Open Source Software for Advanced Robotics Applications. The Robot Operating System Industrial (ROS-Industrial) is an open source robotics software initiative ( that provides a flexible framework of tools, libraries and conventions developed to encourage the collaborative development of robotic programming software. The ROS-Industrial Consortium (RIC), founded in 2013 by AMP partner Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), is a community of companies and institutions that develop and maintain the ROS-Industrial (ROS-I) open-source software repository. Members of the RIC include BMW, Boeing, Cessna, Ford and Spirit AeroSystems, as well as other members of the Transportation Equipment Manufacturing sector. Specifically targeting industrial automation, ROS-I s vision is to enable capabilities that include advanced perception, adaptive control, mobility and human collaboration. Within the Alamo Region, the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and SwRI will collaborate in state of the art robotics labs that utilize the ROS-I platform. Since the establishment of the group in 2013, this industry-driven Consortium has contributed over $350,000 to support the growth and enhancement of the ROS-I open source software. Additional resources are needed to 1) establish a mechanism to rapidly deploy advanced capabilities to industry, 2) support the establishment of a technology

3 accelerator for the development and commercialization of advanced ROS-I software tools, and 3) educate and train students in the use of RO Contacts: John E. Dewey Industry Liaison, Alamo Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Cell: Paul Evans, P.E. Director, Manufacturing Systems Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Ph: Can Saygin, Ph.D. Assistant Vice President, UTSA Research Director, Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Lean Systems (CAMLS) The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Ph:

4 MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE PAPER Mario Lozoya Director, Government Relations & External Affairs Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas Inc. John Dewey Industry Lead Alamo Manufacturing Partnership Support the Alamo Region s Manufacturing Industry Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) Federal Eco-System Initiatives OBJECTIVE: Obtain support by various Federal agencies and U. S. Congressional members for the Alamo Region s federal Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) transportation equipment manufacturing industry eco-system initiatives related to workforce development and approve passage of the Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act. BACKGROUND: In July 2015, the 8-county Alamo Region was designated as a federal Manufacturing Community under the Department of Commerce s (DoC s) Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) program. The program includes 24 communities within the U.S., with the Alamo Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) the only region within Texas to receive the federal designation. The purpose of the IMCP program is to encourage development of a region s eco-system in support of a specific manufacturing-related technology or industry. Formed as a consortium of regional industry members, economic development organizations, county and city governments, academia, our regional workforce board and various community & civic organizations, the 8-county Alamo Manufacturing Partnership was recognized for our Transportation Equipment Manufacturing industry sector, which includes aerospace, motor vehicle, industrial/heavy off-road vehicle manufacturing and related parts suppliers. The purpose of the DoC program is to improve a region s national and international competitive position through the further development of six (6) key eco-system areas: Workforce Development & Training; Supplier Network Development; Research & Innovation; Infrastructure/Site Development or Redevelopment; Trade & International Investment; and Operational Improvement & Capital Access. As part of the program guidelines, the DoC IMCP Program required a community to designate one of the six key eco-system areas as the region s priority. Due to the significant efforts currently underway within the Alamo Region and the critical role to the manufacturing industry, the AMP designated Workforce Development & Training to be our priority focus and the foundation upon

5 which the other eco-system elements are based. Key to the federal IMCP program is the community s activity and investment in those areas in support of the targeted industry sector. The AMP is currently working with the various regional entities to assess and validate eco-system needs in support of the targeted Transportation Equipment Manufacturing Industry sector. These needs are then being assessed in context with available programs that can meet those needs. Regional eco-system needs are also being assessed in context with programs, resources and opportunities that may currently exist within local and state resources, as well as review of federal initiatives that may be leveraged to provide increased benefit to the growth of the region s targeted manufacturing sector. As the lead federal agency, the Department of Commerce coordinates the nine federal agencies that have combined to commit $1.2B to support the IMCP program. The nine federal organizations are: The Environmental Protection Agency The National Science Foundation The Small Business Administration The U.S. Department of Agriculture The U.S. Department of Commerce The U.S. Department of Defense The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development The U.S. Department of Labor, and The U.S. Department of Transportation Two additional federal organizations have committed to support the IMCP program; however, they are geographically oriented and are not applicable to the Alamo Region. CURRENT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING INITIATIVES: Although there are a number of regional eco-system needs that have been identified by the AMP, workforce development initiatives remain the top priority of the Alamo Region. The vast majority of the AMP initiatives build upon regional successes of manufacturing industry training programs developed to meet critical workforce skills demands; however, greater impact is possible with federal assistance under the IMCP program guidelines. Development of IMCP-tailored federal grants in support of these initiatives is needed to support economic growth of both existing and new manufacturing industries within the Alamo Region as well as other U.S. manufacturing communities. Specific IMCP workforce development and training initiatives within the Alamo Region include the following: Expansion of the Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) Mechatronics Program to Support Regional Demand for this Critical Skill Occupation. The current Alamo Region program was developed by Alamo Colleges in conjunction with Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas using the AMTEC mechatronics competencies curriculum as a model and leads to a 2-year Associates degree. This particular occupation has been identified by the San Antonio Manufacturers Association (SAMA) Alamo Region Manufacturing Industry Workforce Assessment Report ( as the current highest demand skill needed by regional manufacturers, at a current demand of 255 additional workers within this occupation. Current capacity of the program is approximately 30 individuals per year. The existing program needs to be scaled upward to

6 meet the current and projected demand for this critical industry skill. Federal grant programs to support growth of training capacities to meet these critical skills requirements within targeted manufacturing communities are needed. Skilled workforce development programs should consider opportunities under the federal apprenticeship programs, H-1B offset initiatives, skills development programs for incumbent workers and programs oriented toward offsetting losses of senior skilled workers due to retirements. Current and projected demands reflect a 10-fold capacity increase is needed to meet sustaining employment requirements, excluding projected industry growth needs. Establishment of an Alamo Region Manufacturing Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center. To support the further economic development of the Alamo Region s manufacturing industry, a regional career and technical education needs to be established that will support workforce training consistent with current and planned manufacturing technologies. The Center is to be developed to meet the industry s current and future needs for increased skills related to manufacturing automation, process control systems, composite materials, additive manufacturing, lean manufacturing, digital manufacturing and multi-discipline production systems requirements. Transportation Equipment Manufacturing industry requirements in the aerospace, motor vehicle and heavy/off-road industrial vehicle manufacturing sectors, as well as the maintenance and repair supporting industries, are creating workforce skills demands in excess of the currently available workforce. The establishment of a skilled Career and Technical Education Center will enable the further development of career opportunities for youth as well as adult workers and meet the needs of our regional manufacturing industry. Establishment/Expansion of Regional Manufacturing Internship/Apprenticeship Programs. In 2015, the Alamo Region s Toyota manufacturing facility (TMMTX) funded a $20,000 internship assistance program to encourage and assist small manufacturing firms to establish internship programs in support of the Alamo Academy s dual credit high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. The purpose of the program is to encourage the region s small business manufacturers to become engaged with the Alamo Academy s three transportation equipment manufacturing Academy programs (the Aerospace, Advanced Technology Manufacturing and Heavy Equipment Academies) for the multiple objectives of 1) providing experiential learning opportunities for the Academy students; 2) strengthening the region s tier 2 and 3 supplier base, which is predominately small manufacturing businesses; and 3) providing both students and employers the opportunity to build potential career employment opportunities. The internship assistance program will provide a one-time financial incentive of $1,600. to small business employers who have not previously utilized summer internship programs as an incentive to partially off-set the cost of the 2-month student internship, with the balance of the internship cost to be funded by the employer. Intended to encourage small business employers to become actively engaged in the development of critical hands-on skills training and familiarization of career opportunities for high school interns. Further incentivization of internship program implementation within small businesses (the largest employer grouping) is possible though both federal workforce development grants and tax credit initiatives. The Alamo Region has numerous successful entry-level workforce development programs established; however, the current and projected losses of our senior manufacturing employees to retirement is a critical issue that needs immediate attention. The AMP has

7 met with several key transportation equipment manufacturing companies regarding the opportunities for establishment of formal apprenticeship programs with an emphasis on creation of programs for their incumbent workers to off-set the current and anticipated retirement losses. Members of the AMP consortium are pursuing the establishment of formal apprenticeship programs as a strong opportunity for our incumbent workers to acquire the additional skills and training necessary to advance within their respective companies, while also allowing the companies to retain qualified workers. Federal assistance is needed to assist in the off-set of costs associated with the development, equipment, facilities, training materials and administration to develop the apprenticeship program with emphasis on incumbent worker skills upgrade training. This activity is necessary to ensure a qualified workforce is maintained within this critical industry segment. Annual baby boomer retirements of manufacturing employees with the Alamo Region are projected to be approximately 4.5% to 5.5% of the region s current workforce. Upskilling of incumbent workers will also facilitate the employment of additional entry level personnel. Training needs for both categories can be achieved through formal apprenticeship programs. Development of Small Business Certification Program for Support of Aerospace Industry Supplier Requirements. A significant number of regional small businesses possess the physical capability to meet the requirements to support the aerospace industry; however, they do not possess the necessary knowledge or certifications required to compete for this business. Under the IMCP program guidelines, the Alamo Region proposes to develop a small business development program that will allow the regional businesses to obtain the needed training and certifications to effectively compete for this targeted industry growth sector. Support the Passage of the Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act. Passage of this proposed legislation, introduced by U.S. Senator Gillibrand, would provide formal codification of the IMCP program and the regional manufacturing communities currently designated under the IMCP initiative and allow dedication of federal resources for this critical national manufacturing industry initiative. Contact: John E. Dewey Industry Liaison, Alamo Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Cell: jedewey@att.net

8 MANUFACTURING INFRASTUCTURE & SITE DEVELOPMENT ISSUE PAPER Mario Lozoya Director, Government Relations & External Affairs Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas Inc. John Dewey Industry Lead Alamo Manufacturing Partnership Support the Alamo Region s Manufacturing Industry Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) Federal Eco-System Initiatives OBJECTIVE: Obtain support of the applicable Federal agencies and U. S. Congressional members for the Alamo Region s federal Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) transportation equipment manufacturing industry eco-system initiatives related to regional infrastructure and site development/redevelopment. BACKGROUND: In July 2015, the 8-county Alamo Region was designated as a federal Manufacturing Community under the Department of Commerce s (DoC s) Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) program. The program includes 24 communities within the U.S., with the Alamo Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) the only Texas community to receive the federal designation. The purpose of the IMCP program is to encourage development of a region s eco-system in support of a specific manufacturing-related technology or industry. Formed as a consortium of regional industry members, economic development organizations, county and city governments, academia, our regional workforce board and various community & civic organizations, the 8-county Alamo Manufacturing Partnership was recognized for our Transportation Equipment Manufacturing industry sector, which includes aerospace, motor vehicle, industrial/heavy off-road vehicle manufacturing and related parts suppliers. The purpose of the DoC program is to improve a region s national and international competitive position through the further development of six (6) key eco-system areas: Workforce Development & Training; Supplier Network Development; Research & Innovation; Infrastructure/Site Development or Redevelopment; Trade & International Investment; and Operational Improvement & Capital Access. As part of the program guidelines, the DoC IMCP Program required a community to identify initiatives within the six key eco-system areas as the region s priority. Key to the federal IMCP program is the community s activity and investment in those areas in support of the targeted industry sector. The AMP is currently working with the various regional entities to assess and validate eco-system needs in support of the targeted Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

9 Industry sector. These needs are then being assessed in context with available programs that can meet those needs. Regional eco-system needs are also being assessed in context with programs, resources and opportunities that may currently exist within local and state resources, as well as review of federal initiatives that may be leveraged to provide increased benefit to the growth of the region s targeted manufacturing sector. As the lead federal agency, the Department of Commerce coordinates the nine federal agencies that have combined to commit $1.2B to support the IMCP program. The nine federal organizations are: The Environmental Protection Agency The National Science Foundation The Small Business Administration The U.S. Department of Agriculture The U.S. Department of Commerce The U.S. Department of Defense The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development The U.S. Department of Labor, and The U.S. Department of Transportation Two additional federal organizations have committed to support the IMCP program; however, they are geographically oriented and are not applicable to the Alamo Region. CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE & SITE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES: A number of regional eco-system needs have been identified by the AMP. Several regional needs have been identified that relate to the development and/or re-development of sites to make them suitable for growth opportunities in support of the targeted manufacturing industry sector. Although each project is location specific, the projects fall within three areas of infrastructure need and would provide the region greater opportunity for growth within the targeted industry. Federal funding would allow the expedition of these improvements in support of regional industry growth opportunities. Development of IMCP-tailored federal grants in support of these initiatives is needed to support economic growth of both existing and new manufacturing businesses within the Alamo Region. The three areas of infrastructure and site development needs within the Alamo Region include the following: Improvements to Existing Roadways and Highway Access to Improve Site Availability/Accessibility for Manufacturing Industry Operations. Several sites within the AMP s designated 8-county IMCP region have been identified as needing infrastructure development to include upgrade/widening of roadways, installation or upgrade of drainage, storm and sanitary sewer, water and communications lines to allow the sites to be developed as suitable for use by the manufacturing industry. Located in Bexar, Guadalupe, and Comal counties, these projects would allow the further development of industrial properties adjacent to existing transportation equipment manufacturers, provide ease of access to major interstate highways and support the reduction of freight traffic through populated areas. An additional project would upgrade an existing county road to support commercial truck access from an interstate highway to a recently completed rail park. Water/Wastewater Improvements Needed to Support Industrial Growth. Several of the roadway improvement projects identified above also require drainage, water and storm/sanitary sewer upgrades to be accomplished concurrent with the upgrade of the

10 roadway. Additionally, the Tri-County Industrial area (Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe Counties) has expanded significantly in recent years, to include a major transportation equipment manufacturer. A limiting factor to the further manufacturing development of this region is the availability and accessibility of water and wastewater infrastructure. The current water storage, reclaimed non-potable water generation and wastewater processing capacities need to be upgraded to support industrial growth opportunities. The availability of federal assistance for these programs would allow earlier implementation of the infrastructure upgrades to support regional industrial growth needs. Expansion of Regional Airport Ramp/Taxiways to Support Growth of Aerospace- Related Industry Requirements. Multiple regional airports within the Alamo Region represented by the IMCP AMP Community have identified the need to provide airport ramp and taxiway extensions to support increased utilization of available airport property by transportation manufacturing-related industries. Currently, the lack of access is hindering placement of aerospace-related industry to the region. Federal approval of these airport expansions is needed to proceed. Additionally, federal construction funding is needed to leverage local project funding. Contact: John E. Dewey Industry Liaison, Alamo Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Cell: jedewey@att.net