NOMMA Newswire

Join fellow NOMMA members and metal casting enthusiasts at the Metal Museum's fifth annual Foundry Invitational & River Exhibition (F.I.R.E.) conference.

 

 

This highly-anticipated event will offer a wealth of learning and hands-on opportunities, including special workshops led by Wayne Potratz and Thomas Gipe. Attendees will also have the opportunity to build their own Norse-style short stack smelting furnace with brick and clay, and use it to smelt their own iron bloom, which will be extracted, consolidated, hot cut, and forged into a billet for further processing possibilities.

 

Learn more about all of the networking, workshops, exhibitions and more by visiting www.metalmuseum.org/fire.

NOMMA Member Savings is a free member benefit program which can help you and your company save thousands of dollars per year on a every day expenses. through nomma'S buying group alliance (made up of over 150 associations) we have been able to negotiate national pricing on many products and services which you are already using. Register and see all of our programs. It's fast and easy.

 

According to U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta, the number of OSHA inspections is slated to go up within the next three years. OSHA hired 76 new inspectors in 2018 who are currently in training to conduct their own field inspections. Furthermore, Acosta noted, OSHA inspections are increasing over time, with 2017 and 2018 figures showing higher numbers of inspections than 2016.

This year, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and U.S. Department of Labor came together to launch the Community College Apprenticeships initiative. The AACC is working with 80 community colleges to assist in developing apprenticeships with employers, and to help community colleges more clearly show students all of their long-term career options, including what potential earnings and salary scales they can anticipate.

According to Jennifer Worth, senior vice president of work-force and economic development for AACC, those involved anticipate that this undertaking will produce up to 16,000 new apprentices in the next three years.

According to new research from Dynamic Signal’s Annual State of Employee Communication and Engagement Study, there has been a concerning 30% increase in the level of employee stress due to ineffective communication at their companies. Currently 80% of the U.S. workforce reports feeling stressed over poor communication, and 63% said they have considered quitting their jobs — up from 33% last year.

 

The good news for companies is that 69% of the workforce said they would be less likely to consider quitting if communication strategies were more effective — even if their salary was less than ideal. By mitigating workers' concerns in this area, employers can gain a competitive edge and retain talented employees in an increasingly challenging job market.

Integrating new technology can be challenging for any industry, and manufacturing is no exception. But companies willing to put in the effort can expect increased efficiency and productivity, and gain a valuable leg up on the competition. Now more than ever, there are a multitude of mobile technologies that can help manufacturers with everything from inventory and quality control management to project design and operational efficiency.