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News from Worker Development, Industry, the Economy, Education, Science, and much more! |
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Proactive Technologies hopes you have a safe and reflective 4th of July holiday! |
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Is It Possible to Improve Worker Performance Without Documented Task Mastery? |
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
W. Edwards Deming said, “We are being ruined by the best efforts of people who are doing the wrong thing.” The inefficiencies, discrepancies, affects on morale and potential for adverse incidents would seem to make preventing this a priority. To make improvements given this condition seems to be, at most times, futile.
Often we are lulled into believing this phenomena doesn’t exist when products get produced and shipped, and services are provided. That is where the metrics are pointed – output. But how much is known about the effort, sometime struggle, to get there? Was the effort efficient, accurate and consistent? If we do not have definitive answers to these questions, how to improve performance will likely be as illusive and resources used in the attempt a waste.
For many organizations, the only way to know the road was bumpy is through negative events; product scrap or rework, lost customers, operator injury or an outcome requiring legal intervention. Perhaps the oversight has been lacking due to a lean or “green” supervisory staff, or a lack of budget for the extra hours or equipment needed to monitor the process, or processes are unsettled and changing rapidly without those individuals performing them being immediately notified.
For any reason, relying on a negative event to prompt scrutiny can be very costly - much more than the investment needed to prevent this. Worse yet, an investigation too narrowly focused resulting in remedies that overlook the obvious reasons for the discrepancy may inject new uncontrolled variables. Many remedies become more disciplinary (e.g. reprimanding or firing the person(s) thought responsible, a complete audit involving all departments and staff, reassigning the process to another department, or delegating the process to one person who knows how to get around the systemic errors and barriers to produce the output expected...until that one person moves to another job or company and that "wisdom" is lost).
To determine to what degree this is an issue with your operation, you need only: Read More
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Cross-Training Workers After Lean Efforts Builds Capacity Using Existing Staff |
by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations - Eastern U.S. - Proactive Technologies, Inc.
Lean activities to redesign processes for better efficiency in a department, or between departments, sometimes result in “surplus” workers – partially or in whole units. It is the subjective priority of Lean practitioners since it is a tangible illustration of a successful Lean improvement. Processes that previously needed 3 people to complete may now only need two, if the efficiency were discovered. So what happens to that one person that has valuable acquired expertise, representing a significant investment by the employer? Would the wise outcome of Lean efforts be to just cut that person from the lineup?
The short answer is most likely not. Any efficiency and cost savings brought about by the Lean redesign would be offset by the loss of the expertise for which the investment has already been made. Most likely the reason for the Lean was not in reaction to no return on worker investment, but rather a desire to increase the return on worker investment.
If the worker is reassigned to another department, and no task-based training infrastructure is in place, that reassignment may lower the efficiency there which, again, reduces the gains made by the Lean effort. So part of the Lean effort must be the deliberate cross-training of workers in temporary assignments or longer-term reassignments to other departments that seem to have the need for increased staffing, perhaps as a result of the increased throughput achieved from the Lean effort in the upstream department in the chain.
Another outcome of a lean effort may not include moving personnel, but either equipment or processes out of the Leaned department into another department up or downstream, often without structured training to absorb the new activities and maintain efficiency. Here the loss of gains made are similar if no training on how to perform the processes or run the equipment is provided. Read More
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Explaining Your Process Training to Auditors, Prospects and Clients |
by Proactive Technologies, Inc. Staff
How much time, energy and resources are expended by your firm when someone comes to visit and wants to "kick the company's tires?" When it comes to training your workers to internal and/or company processes, a structured on-the-job training program that operates smoothly and completely in the background may have the answers your clients are looking for.
For most organizations, the general notion is that training is going on in every corner of the organization, for every worker at any time of the day or night. One person is showing another person how to perform a process, operate a piece of equipment or software, fill out a form or, yes, make a copy using the new copy machine just installed. How effective is that informal form of training? Have you ever walked by a copy machine and seen someone standing in front of it, staring at the control panel...then the sky, as if seeking divine intervention.
When the resident expert masters a task and it becomes routine, there is a tendency for them to marginalize the task as so easy that the next trainee should learn it by osmosis. If not, maybe the new-hire "just doesn't seem to want to learn." Somehow, the organization may get by. In this case, like so many, it may sound like an insignificant example of training, but not to the person who needs the copy and who may be judged if a meeting is waiting for it.
Same, too, are the more critical and complex tasks of the job, requiring compliance with so many factors such as engineering specifications, quality control requirements, safety requirements and company policies. Without a deliberate task-based training infrastructure in place, training might be ad hoc, informal, unstructured and rarely documented. Add to this the periodic worker cross-training that allows workers to train in, and master, tasks in multiple job areas and the amount of critical, but undocumented, training can be tremendous.
In the event of an audit by an internal department, a certifying agency, a client or a prospective client, explaining how a worker is trained to master a task critical to a repeated high level of quality might be difficult to impossible. And answering how a worker, who is thought to have mastered a task, is updated when the process is improved, redesigned, affected by changes in technology, changeover of product line or part of an orchestrated improvement program might be even more difficult. Read More
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Maximizing Worker Capacity Maximizes Shareholder Value…If Done Right |
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
To many, “maximizing shareholder value” has become synonymous with layoffs and short-term cuts that will typically have harmful effects on long-term operational capacity. An often overlooked, but more productive, goal is “maximizing worker capacity” and should be a priority for every organization – publicly traded or not. Leaders of an organization are quick to say, “our workers are our greatest asset.” Yet, efforts to maximize returns on this asset are often hard to recognize or understand.
Maximizing a worker’s capacity maximizes worker value. Collectively, maximizing each worker’s capacity maximizes an organization’s value, and that of the shareholders. It is as simple as that.
Publicly traded companies, and even some privately held companies getting ready to go public, seem preoccupied with increasing quarterly earnings per share above all else. A consistently high level of earnings per share over the long-run no longer seems adequate for some. If the market is slack, an organization might carve costs out of the company from even a lean operation rather than disappoint investors. When labor is viewed as a “cost” rather than an asset, the temptation might be to cut benefits and wages. This may prop-up numbers for the short-term, but a demoralized workforce might not produce the same levels of output and quality yield as before. Sadly, a decision might be made in following quarters to cut benefits and wages even more, followed by workers if needed to make the magic number. All the while, worker and operational capacity, along with enthusiasm and loyalty, are eroding.
How does this erosion happen? When workers are cut, the work they used to perform gets transferred to the remaining workers. If there isn't a mechanism to quickly "transfer expertise" to the worker expected to take on the new responsibilities, capacity drops until the trainee comes up to speed. For as long as the transfer takes, one well-paid subject matter expert trainer is being paid to train the paid trainee, yet productivity improvement may be negligible. And further complicating the process, perhaps no one thought about capturing the exiting workers expertise before they left the building, so some "reinventing the wheel has to occur." Multiply this across all affected workers and the labor and opportunity costs may wipe out any anticipated gains by cutting worker payroll.
Proactive Technologies Report has presented many articles about the
value of workers, how structured on-the-job training increases the worker’s capacity to perform more tasks to a level of mastery, the high cost of worker turnover, and more. It is a concept we feel strongly about. Yet we are continually surprised how this topic is avoided by company’s accounting departments and upper management when they feel inclined to trim costs here and there, avoiding cultivating the enormous wealth before them - waiting to be harvested. What would be the value of just a 10% increase in worker capacity, operational capacity, quality and quantity of work, and worker compliance (safety, ISO/IATF/AS, etc.) to any operation?
Not to diminish the important role of investors, but there has been a lot written about whether maximizing shareholder value is a destructive rule that needs to be changed. Critic Steve Denning wrote in an article in Forbes published in 2011 entitled “ The Dumbest Idea In The World: Maximizing Shareholder Value,” “Imagine an NFL coach,” writes Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, in his important new book, Fixing the Game-What Capitalism Can Learn from the NFL, “holding a press conference on Wednesday to announce that he predicts a win by 9 points on Sunday, and that bettors should recognize that the current spread of 6 points is too low. Read More
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Proactive Technologies, Inc. Worker Development News
Industry News
Financial News
International News
International Trade News
Education and Workforce Development News
Training and Organizational Development News
Quality News
Science
Cyber and IT News
Human Resources Management News
Environmental, Health & Safety News
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Proactive Technologies, Inc.™ -
capturing worker expertise to build and support job specific, task-based worker development programs (with metric-based solutions) since 1986.
Experience the power of the
Develop all the expert workers you need in a fraction of the time, with a fraction of the investment! Increased worker capacity, work quality and quantity, and worker compliance (ISO9001:2015, AS9100D, IATF16949, engineering and quality specifications, and safety requirements)."
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U.S. Department of Commerce - Bureau of Economic Analysis |
Gross Domestic Product (Third Estimate), GDP by Industry, and Corporate Profits (Revised), First Quarter 2022
Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the first quarter of 2022, following an increase of 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021. The decrease was revised down 0.1 percentage point from the "second" estimate released in May. In the first quarter, there was a resurgence of COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant and decreases in government pandemic assistance payments.
Profits decreased 2.2 percent (revised) in the first quarter, after increasing 0.7 percent at a quarterly rate in the fourth quarter.
Private goods-producing industries decreased 6.9 percent, private services-producing industries decreased 0.8 percent, and government increased 2.0 percent. Overall, 9 of 22 industry groups contributed to the first-quarter decline in real GDP. Read Report
Personal Income and Outlays, May 2022
Personal income increased $113.4 billion, or 0.5 percent at a monthly rate, while consumer spending increased $32.7 billion, or 0.2 percent, in May. The increase in personal income primarily reflected an increase in compensation. The personal saving rate (that is, personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income) was 5.4 percent in May, compared with 5.2 percent in April. Read Report
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U.S. Department of Commerce - Bureau of the Census |
Advanced Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in May increased $1.9 billion or 0.7 percent to $267.2 billion. May 2022: +0.7° % change; April 2022 (r): +0.4° % change. Read Report
Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders
New orders for manufactured goods in April increased $1.8 billion or 0.3 percent to $533.2 billion.
April 2022: +0.3° % change; March 2022 (r): +1.8° % change. Read Report
Household Pulse Survey
What is the Household Pulse Survey?
The U.S. Census Bureau, in collaboration with multiple federal agencies, is in a unique position to produce data on the social and economic effects of coronavirus on American households. The Household Pulse Survey is designed to deploy quickly and efficiently, collecting data to measure household experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. Data will be disseminated in near real-time to inform federal and state response and recovery planning. Read Data
Small Business Pulse Survey
The Small Business Pulse Survey (Business Pulse) measures the effect of changing business conditions during the Coronavirus pandemic on our nation's small businesses. Business Pulse complements existing U.S. Census Bureau data collections by providing high-frequency, detailed information on the challenges small businesses are facing during the Coronavirus pandemic as well as their participation in federal programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program. Read Report
Monthly State Retail Sales
The Monthly State Retail Sales (MSRS) is the Census Bureau's new experimental data product featuring modeled state-level retail sales. This is a blended data product using Monthly Retail Trade Survey data, administrative data, and third-party data. Year-over-year percent changes are available for Total Retail Sales excluding Nonstore Retailers as well as 11 retail North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) retail subsectors. These data are provided by state and NAICS codes beginning with January 2019. The Census Bureau plans to continue to improve the methodology to be able to publish more data in the future. Access Tables
Economic Indicators
A composite of many of the requested domestic facts and figures. Visit Table
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U. S. Department of Labor Statistics |
Consumer Price Index
In May, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 1.0 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 8.6 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.6 percent in May (SA); up 6.0 percent over the year (NSA). Read Report
Producer Price Index
The Producer Price Index for final demand increased 0.8 percent in May. Prices for final demand goods advanced 1.4 percent, and the index for final demand services rose 0.4 percent. Final demand prices moved up 10.8 percent for the 12 months ended in May. Read Article
Job Openings and Labor Turnover
Job openings decreased to 11.4 million on the last business day of April. Layoffs and discharges edged down to a series low of 1.2 million, while hires and total separations changed little at 6.6 million and 6.0 million, respectively. Read Report
Unemployment Rate for States
Unemployment Rates for States, Seasonally Adjusted. Read Report
Job Creation - Employment Situation Summary
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 390,000 in May, and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, in professional and business services, and in transportation and warehousing. Employment in retail
trade declined.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more information about the concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see the Technical Note. Read Report
Civilian Labor Participation Rate
For a 20 year chart of the U.S. Civilian Labor Participation Rate. Read Report
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Cornell Law School - U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index |
U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index
For December 2020 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index (JQI)® has been revised to a level of 81.24, down by 0.91% from its revised level one month earlier and reflecting a higher proportion - relative to the prior month - of U.S. production and non-supervisory (P&NS) jobs paying less than the mean weekly income of all P&NS jobs (“Low Quality Jobs”), relative to those jobs paying above such mean. The JQI remains heavily impacted by the extraordinary disruption in the number and composition of private sector production and non-supervisory jobs since the beginning of the U.S. impact of the COVID19 global pandemic, with regard to which the following additional special factors should be noted: Read Report
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JQI Slightly Up With Small Increase in High-Quality Jobs |
Coalition for a Prosperous America
WASHINGTON — The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) today announced that the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index (JQI) rose to 81.01 in April, up 0.06% from the previous month, reflecting a rise in both high-wage and low-wage jobs.
The increase was driven by modest gains in employment in high-quality, i.e. high-paying service sectors including finance, insurance, and professional business services. These were offset by gains in some low-paying service sectors such as employment services. Transportation equipment manufacturing, a high-paying sector, showed a significant gain in the month of 18,300 jobs, likely due to some recovery from the component shortage that continues to hamper production in automotive manufacturing.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today that the U.S. added 390,000 workers to payrolls in May, with the unemployment rate remaining at 3.6% for the third month in a row. The labor force participation rate moved up slightly to 62.3%. It is now just 1.1 percentage points below the level of February 2020, suggesting the economy is close to recovering all the employment losses of the COVID recession. Read Article
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Stellantis Pleads Guilty, to Pay $300M to Settle U.S. Diesel Emissions Probe |
Automotive News – Reuters, Vince Bond, Jr.
Settlement includes $203.6 million forfeiture penalty, $96.1 million fine, three years of probation for Stellantis.
FCA US, a subsidiary of Stellantis, pleaded guilty and is paying more than $300 million in criminal penalties to resolve a federal investigation that it conspired to mislead regulators and consumers about the emissions control systems in 101,482 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 models.
The affected vehicles were equipped with the company's second-generation EcoDiesel engine spanning the 2014 to 2016 model years.
The U.S. Department of Justice, in court documents Friday, said FCA "purposely calibrated the emissions control systems on the subject vehicles to produce less NOx emissions during the federal test procedures, or driving 'cycles,' than when the subject vehicles were being driven by FCA US’s customers under normal driving conditions." Read Article
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Global Chip Shortage Likely to Last Through 2023: US Official |
IndustryWeek - Agence France-Presse
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo repeated her call for Congress to act to provide funding for legislation that aims to stimulate domestic manufacturing of the computer chips.
The global shortage of critical semiconductors is likely to last at least through next year and perhaps longer, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo warned on Tuesday.
Shutdowns of key Asian suppliers due to the Covid-19 pandemic crippled supplies last year, just when American consumers, flush with cash from government aid, went on a spending spree buying cars and electronics, which depend on the chips.
"I do not unfortunately see the chip shortage abating in any meaningful way anytime in the next year," Raimondo told reporters following her recent trip to Asia. Read Article
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Ford Announces 6,200 New Jobs in the Midwest - Ford Splits in Two |
Assembly Magazine
DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. plans to add more than 6,200 new U.S. manufacturing jobs in the Midwest, convert nearly 3,000 temporary UAW-Ford workers to permanent full-time status, and provide all hourly employees healthcare benefits on the first day of employment.
These actions, which come more than a year ahead of 2023 contract negotiations, are part of the company’s Ford+ growth strategy and include plans for an all-new global Mustang coupe and Ranger pickup for North America, as well as an all-new electric commercial vehicle.
Supported by $3.7 billion of investments in manufacturing facilities across Ohio, Michigan and Missouri, the new UAW-Ford manufacturing jobs are expected to result in the creation of an estimated 74,000 additional indirect non-Ford jobs nationally. Read Article
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US Consumer Price Inflation Rises to 8.6% in May: Govt |
IndustryWeek - Agence France-Presse
The Labor Department reported CPI jumped 1% compared to April.
U.S. inflation resurged in May as the consumer price index jumped 8.6% compared to 2021, the biggest increase since December 1981, according to government data released Friday.
CPI jumped 1% compared to April, after the modest 0.3% gain in the prior month, the Labor Department reported, far higher than expected by analysts who were looking for inflation pressures to ebb slightly.
The data showed gasoline jumped 4.1% in the month, with big gains in housing, airline fares and used and new vehicles. Read Article
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Deere Transferring Tractor Cab Production to Mexico in 2024 |
Assembly Magazine
WATERLOO, IA—Deere & Co. recently announced that it is transferring tractor cab production from its plant here to Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, in 2024. The move comes as a result of a tight labor market and the need to make new products at the northeast Iowa plant.
"The move ensures the company can balance workforce needs within the tight labor market, while also ensuring Waterloo can open up floor space to manufacture new products," the company said in a statement. Read Article
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Building Bricks: LEGO Group to Construct $1 Billion Plant in Virginia |
IndustryWeek - Ryan Secard
The 1.7-million-square-foot factory will be powered by solar panels and employ more than 1,700 people.
The LEGO Group announced Wednesday it would build a new toy brick factory in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The plant will cost $1 billion over the course of 10 years, the company said, and employ more than 1,760 people.
Construction on the site will begin in fall of this year, and Lego projects production of the company’s colorful bricks will start up in the second half of 2025. In the meantime, Lego says, a “temporary packaging site” will open nearby in 2024 and create about 500 jobs. Read Article
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EV Has a Problem: 90% of the Battery Supply Chain ‘Does Not Exist’ |
IndustryWeek - Amanda Mayoral
The US auto industry needs to step up its efforts—and its investment dollars.
As the world embarks on an electric vehicle (EV) boom, a new report by the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) highlights a serious challenge facing the United States—an EV battery crisis. There are several reasons for this, including weak investment in advanced technologies, limited access to critical minerals and a lack of federal policies to promote R&D and manufacturing.
An adequate supply chain for lithium-ion batteries—the single most important component in the EV—simply doesn’t exist. While some of America's automotive companies are making an effort to build their own supply chain, others continue to rely on production-outsourcing and importing. In response, the auto industry needs to step up its efforts—and its investment dollars. And Congress must implement a strategy to stimulate domestic battery production, including cost-effective and environmentally safe mining of critical minerals here in the United States. Read Article
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Forsee Power Plans Ohio HQ & Gigafactory |
IndustryWeek - Staff
The France-based battery manufacturer will build its North American base outside Columbus.
France-based battery manufacturer Forsee Power is putting down U.S. roots near Columbus, Ohio. The company announced it would build its North American headquarters as well as a 138,000-square foot factory in Hilliard, a western suburb of the state capital. The company also announced a President for its North American operations, Jay Deis.
The company’s headquarters and factory will be located on the same scalable 138,000-square-foot site. In a June 27 release, Forsee said it aimed to recruit 150 employees, invest 13 million euros ($13.6 million USD), and reach 3 GWh of production capacity by 2027.
In the same announcement, the Paris-based battery manufacturer named Jay Deis, an American citizen and veteran of the French Tier 1 supplier Faurecia. Read Article
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Painters Local 466 Pension Plan to Receive $5.4 Million; PBGC Approves Special Financial Assistance for Menands, New York-based Plan |
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) announced today that it has approved the application submitted to the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program by the Local Union No. 466 Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers Pension Plan (Painters Local 466 Plan). The plan, based in Menands, New York, covers 45 participants in the construction industry.
The Painters Local 466 Plan became insolvent in November 2020. At that time, PBGC started providing financial assistance to the plan. As required by law, the Painters Local 466 Plan reduced participants’ benefits to the PBGC guarantee levels, which was roughly 45 percent below the benefits payable under the terms of the plan. Read Release and Other Pension Assistance Efforts
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Classes alone will not close the "skills gap," but structured on-the-job training can...every time! |
Under-capacity of workers is an enormous source of untapped value and unrealized return on worker investment. In addition, standardizing expert task performance -between workers and shifts - can add to worker ROI through lower scrap and rework.
- Increased worker capacity, productivity, work quantity, work quality and compliance (specifications, ISO/AS/IATF programs and safety mandates);
- Decreased internal costs of training
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Higher return on worker investment! You would be surprised how small of an investment is needed to unlock enormous returns.
If budgets are tight, Proactive Technologies, Inc. can be an extension to your training department, with our technical implementation support - included with every project!
There's nothing to lose by taking a minute to contact us to learn more. Copyright © 2019-22 Proactive Technologies, Inc.™
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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If your institution is interested in becoming a Proactive Technologies, Inc. project partner, contact a representative for more information. |
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Recession ‘Not Inevitable,’ Moody’s Says |
CFO Dive - Jim Tyson, Senior Reporter
Dive Brief:
The U.S. economy is not headed toward recession even though the Federal Reserve, aiming to quash the highest inflation in 40 years, has raised the main interest rate at the fastest pace since the 1990s and signaled further half-percentage-point increases in July and August, according to Moody’s Analytics.
“Recession is not inevitable today, nor is it the most likely path for the economy,” Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi said, noting several bright spots including high corporate profits, strong bank balance sheets and abundant consumer savings.
“Recession calls are sure to get louder as the Fed continues working to rein in inflation and politicians running in the midterms portray the economy’s struggles to their advantage,” Zandi wrote in a research note. “Ignoring the calls is not advisable, but given the economy’s strong fundamentals, buying into those calls is not recommended either.” Read Article
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Mortgage Demand Falls to the Lowest Level in 22 Years Amid Rising Rates, Slowing Home Sales |
CNBC - Diana Olick
Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home fell 7% for the week and were 21% lower than the same week one year ago.
Mortgage rates are back on the upswing, after a brief decline in May, and the housing market is still suffering from a lack of listings. As a result, mortgage demand continues to drop.
Total mortgage application volume fell 6.5% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Demand hit the lowest level in 22 years.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($647,200 or less) increased to 5.40% from 5.33%, with points rising to 0.60 from 0.51 (including the origination fee) for loans with a 20% down payment. Read Article
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Redbeard
Recently, Vitalik asked an interesting question: can a stablecoin “safely” wind down to zero users? He makes the following useful point:
In principle, if demand decreases extremely slowly, the volcoin’s expected future fees and hence its market cap could still be large relative to the stablecoin, and so the system would continue to be stable at every step of its decline. But this kind of successful slowly-decreasing managed decline is very unlikely. What’s more likely is a rapid drop in interest followed by a bang. Read Article
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Icahn Sues, Questions ‘Basic Integrity’ of Trillion-dollar CMBS Market |
CFO.Dive - Maura Webber Sadovi, Senior Editor
Dive Brief:
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn’s Icahn Partners LP and Icahn Partners Master Fund filed suit Wednesday against Rialto Capital Advisors, alleging breach of contract and fraud and seeking $15 million in damages related to the loan servicer’s handling of a $73 million loan on a 376,000 square foot Primm, Nevada, mall contained in a commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) trust.
The suit alleges that Rialto failed in its duties as the debt’s servicer to maximize the recoveries for the trust’s investors, instead “running Prizm Outlets into the proverbial ground” and delaying the sale until April 30, 2021, when it was sold for $400,000, effectively resulting in a loss on the loan as well as $12.85 million in fees advances and expenses incurred by the trust. It marks the largest loss on a CMBS conduit loan since the 2008 financial crisis, according to a release from the law firm of Kasowitz Benson Torres, attorneys for the Icahn entities. Read Article
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Oil Companies Report Record Earnings While Consumers Feel the Rise in Price |
WWLP News - Nick Aresco
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – As the consumer continues to pay these high gas prices there are some companies profiting from the surge. 22News looked into how ‘Big Oil’ is riding the wave of higher energy prices.
Massachusetts surpassed $5 a gallon on average this week. It’s putting a huge dent in consumers’ wallets, but not others. There are some companies profiting from these record-high prices, and that’s ‘Big Oil.’ Over the past couple of weeks, Big Oil companies have reported a surge in profits for the first three months of the year.
ExxonMobil, the country’s largest oil company, reported its net profit more than doubled to nearly $5.5 billion from a year earlier. Read Article
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SEC Fines EY $100M for Ethics Exam Cheating |
CFO Dive - Jim Tyson, Senior Reporter
Dive Brief:
- The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fined Ernst & Young $100 million for cheating by its auditors on ethics exams and for withholding evidence of wrongdoing from the agency’s Enforcement Division. The penalty is the largest ever imposed on an audit firm, the SEC said Tuesday.
- EY acknowledged the SEC’s findings and, as part of a detailed remedial plan, will hire outside firms to conduct two compliance reviews, the SEC said. One review will focus on internal efforts to promote ethics while the other will investigate how EY executives and attorneys reacted to an SEC inquiry in 2019 about reports of cheating.
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“This action involves breaches of trust by gatekeepers within the gatekeeper entrusted to audit many of our nation’s public companies,” SEC Enforcement Division Director Gurbir Grewal said in a statement. “It’s simply outrageous that the very professionals responsible for catching cheating by clients cheated on ethics exams.” Read Article
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Coinbase Lays Off 18% of Workforce as Executives Prepare for Recession and ‘Crypto Winter’ |
CNBC CryptoWorld - Kate Rooney
KEY POINTS
- Coinbase will cut 18% of full-time jobs, according to an email sent to employees Tuesday.
- CEO Brian Armstrong pointed to a possible recession, a need to manage costs and growing “too quickly” during a bull market.
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“We appear to be entering a recession after a 10+ year economic boom,” Armstrong says. “While it’s hard to predict the economy or the markets, we always plan for the worst so we can operate the business through any environment.” Read Article
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100 Million People in America Are Saddled with Health Care Debt |
NPR – KHN, Noam N. Levey
Elizabeth Woodruff drained her retirement account and took on three jobs after she and her husband were sued for nearly $10,000 by the New York hospital where his infected leg was amputated.
Ariane Buck, a young father in Arizona who sells health insurance, couldn’t make an appointment with his doctor for a dangerous intestinal infection because the office said he had outstanding bills. Read Article
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Mexico, Latin America, South America and the Caribbean |
Trade Trends Estimates: Latin America and the Caribbean
InterAmerican Development
This Study analyzes the trade performance of 22 countries from the region during the first quarter of 2022.
The report finds that the estimated value of exports from Latin America and the Caribbean grew 22.6% year-on-year during that period, lower than the 27.6% increase accumulated by the end of 2021.
This publication highlights that:
- Export growth was due to an improvement in export prices and, to a lesser extent, to an expansion in volumes.
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Intraregional trade was the main driver for exports in Central and South America, while the United States provided the impetus for Mexico. Download Report
Chile to Accelerate Fair, Clean and Sustainable Energy Transition with IDB Support
InterAmerican Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $300 million loan to Chile to expedite a fair, clean and sustainable energy transition in the country.
This is the second and final operation in a two-loan series to support policy reforms. The IDB approved the first operation for $50 million in June 2021.
As part of the second operation, Chile will overhaul its energy pricing to align it with its modernized distribution regulations and guarantee affordable electricity. Furthermore, it will accelerate the population’s use of clean and sustainable energy that displaces fossil fuels and other polluting power sources. Read Article
Argentina's Economy Minister Makes Sudden Exit
BBC News - Robert Plummer
Argentina's economy minister, Martin Guzmán, has resigned as the country's economic crisis intensifies.
Mr Guzmán had been in office since late 2019 and led negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the restructuring of Argentina's debt.
He called for "a political agreement within the governing coalition" to choose his successor. Read Article
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Canada, Europe and Great Britain |
Welsh independence: Thousands March Through Wrexham
BBC News - Liam Evans
Thousands of people have taken part in a rally in Wrexham calling for Welsh independence.
Organisers said it was a chance for people to express their wish to "go in a different direction".
The event caused some controversy with Wrexham council initially saying a march on Llwyn Isaf - in front of its Guildhall offices - would be a breach of policy. Read Article https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62020631
Germany Slams UK's Plan to Dismantle Post-Brexit Agreement
DeutscheWelle
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has written an opinion piece with her Irish counterpart in a British paper, saying the UK was "not engaging in good faith" with its plans to change the Northern Ireland protocol.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaking to reporters
The German foreign minister co-wrote her piece with her Irish counterpart
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemned London's plan to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol, agreed as part of the post-Brexit trade deal, in an opinion piece published in the British newspaper The Observer on Sunday. Read Article
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Hong Kong Handover: What Will the Next 25 Years Hold?
BBC News - Grace Tsoi and Jeff Li
In 1997 Hong Kong was handed back to China, triggering the start of a grand political experiment.
Many were anxious about how the capitalist, free-wheeling former British colony would fare under Communist Chinese rule.
So Beijing promised Hong Kong's civil liberties and freedom - unavailable in the mainland - would be preserved for at least 50 years under a novel arrangement called "one country, two systems". Read Article
Indonesia: Jokowi Visits Ukraine and Russia Amid Global Food Crisis
DeutscheWelle
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said he will try to convince the Ukrainian and Russian leaders to end the war, which has stoked inflation as well as caused food and energy shortages in many developing countries.
Jokowi, who is serving his second and final term, has recently taken a more active role in foreign affairs
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, becoming the first Asian leader to visit the country since Russian launched its invasion at the end of February.
"The eleven-hour train journey from the Polish city of Przemysl to the Ukrainian capital was smooth. We arrived at Platform 1 of Kyiv Central Station, around 8:50 local time, to be greeted by several Ukrainian officials," Jokowi tweeted. Read Article
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Asia, India and Australia |
Australia Honey Bees Put in Lockdown Due to Deadly Varroa Parasite
BBC News, Sydney -Tiffanie Turnbull
The tiny varroa mite can kill bee colonies by feasting on them and transmitting viruses.
Millions of Australian bees are in "lockdown" and thousands will be destroyed after a deadly parasite was detected in the country.
The varroa destructor was first found at a port near Sydney last week but has since been spotted in hives 100km away.
The outbreak threatens to cost the honey and food production industries millions of dollars. Read Article
India Farm Law: Seven Months After Repeal, Farmers are Ready for New Protests
BBC Punjabi, Chandigarh - Arvind Chhabra
Fear, anger and lots of uncertainty.
That's what Bachittar Kaur and other women from her village in the northern Indian state of Punjab said they felt when they first began protesting.
They were among thousands of farmers who demonstrated on the borders of the capital, Delhi, against the agricultural reforms passed by the government in 2020. The protesters hunkered down on the edges of the city for over a year and stayed there against all odds - braving scorching heat, a bitter winter and even a deadly second wave of Covid. Read Article
Ferdinand Marcos Jr Sworn in as Philippines President, Replacing Duterte
BBC News, Manila, Philippines - Howard Johnson & Zubaidah Abdul Jalil
Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been sworn in as the Philippine president in a ceremony in Manila, succeeding the outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte.
His inauguration marks a stunning comeback for the Marcos political dynasty, which was ousted after a popular revolt in 1986.
Mr Marcos Jr - nicknamed Bongbong - won an election landslide last month. Read Article
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Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia |
Nigerians Blame Fuel Shortage on Ukraine War, Fixed Prices
Associated Press – Chinedu Asadu
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria is grappling with widespread fuel shortages that are forcing motorists to spend hours in lines to buy gas and causing prices to surge for transportation and basic commodities.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused prices to import fuel go up by more than 100% but retailers complain they can only charge the price set by the government, causing them to operate at a loss.
The government’s promises that the shortages will soon end have not improved the situation. Fuel retailers are pleading with the government to deregulate the market to allow them set their own prices. Read Article
How to Help Victims of the Afghanistan Earthquake
CNN Impact Your World
(CNN)More than 1,000 people have been killed and at least 1,500 injured after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on June 22nd. It is the country's deadliest earthquake in decades and comes at a time when the Taliban-led country faces a hunger and economic crisis.
The death toll and the number of those injured is expected to rise as rescue and aid missions continue. Read Article
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Proactive Technologies' Project Partners |
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Frank J. Gibson Consulting |
"One thing is certain... nothing is certain!"
The rate of change affecting work, the worker, management and the educational institutions that service all three has been accelerating - made worse by the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic. The economy, the consumer, supply chains and operational strategies have all been disrupted in the short-term, casting doubt on the long-term.
Rapid adaptation is the key to survivability, sustainability and growth. Sometimes an experienced outside advisor can help facilitate needed improvements to take the worry out of change and the fear out of growth. Frank J. Gibson Management and Workforce Excellence Advisor
- Business Development & Growth
- Workforce Development and Optimization
- Training and Cross-Training
- Local,/Regional Workforce Development Projects and Community Development
- Facilitated Problem Solving
- Process Improvement Cross-Functional Leadership Coaching and Mentoring
- Internship and Apprenticeship Projects
- Strategic Doing/Strategic Planning
Copyright © 2022 Frank J. Gibson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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PTI Systems
International, Inc.™
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- Affiliated with Proactive Technologies, Inc. for projects outside the United States;
- Workforce development partner for employers, and education/ training providers who support employers, to ensure every worker can be trained to full job mastery;
- Experienced with governmental, IDB, GIZ and economic development agency sponsored projects;
- Experienced in assuring multinational employers expanding to the U.S. have the skilled workforce they need.
- PTI Systems International sets-up complete worker development and performance management systems, and provides technical implementation support;
- We provide strategies for our project's transition to local management.
- Speakers for seminars and conferences.
Don't complain about a "skills gap," deliberately develop every worker to full job mastery!
© 2018-22 PTI Systems International, Inc.™
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“You don't know what you don't know.”
American engineer, statistician,
professor, author, lecturer, and
management consultant
1900 - 1993
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.”
German-born theoretical physicist, best known for developing the theory of relativity,
, but the theory of quantum mechanics.
1879 – 1955
"The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing."
American stock investor best known as
the author of Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits. Founder of Fisher & Co.
1907 – 2004
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U.S. Department of Commerce - Bureau of Economic Analysis |
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, May 2022
The U.S. monthly international trade deficit decreased in April 2022 according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. The deficit decreased from $107.7 billion in March (revised) to $87.1 billion in April, as exports increased and imports decreased. The previously published March deficit was $109.8 billion. The goods deficit decreased $19.1 billion in April to $107.7 billion. The services surplus increased $1.5 billion in April to $20.7 billion. Read Report
U.S. International Transactions, First Quarter 2022 and Annual Update
The U.S. current-account deficit widened by $66.6 billion, or 29.6 percent, to $291.4 billion in the first quarter of 2022, according to statistics released today by BEA. The revised fourth-quarter deficit was $224.8 billion. The first-quarter deficit was 4.8 percent of current-dollar gross domestic product, up from 3.7 percent in the fourth quarter. Read Report
New Foreign Direct Investment in the United States
The statistics on new foreign direct investment in the United States provide information on the acquisition, establishment, and expansion of U.S. business enterprises by foreign direct investors. Read Reports
BEA International Trade and Investment Country Facts
Trade in Value Added Statistics
These new prototype statistics can help answer questions such as global value chains. Access Tables
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U.S. Department of Commerce - Bureau of the Census |
Monthly Wholesale Trade
April 2022 sales of merchant wholesalers were $691.6 billion, up 0.7 percent (+/- 0.4 percent) from last month. End-of-month inventories were $861.8 billion, up 2.2 percent (+/- 0.2 percent) from last month.
April 2022: +2.2 % change in Inventories; March 2022 (r): +2.7 % change in Inventories. Read Report
Manufacturing and Trade Inventory and Sales – April, 2022
U.S. total business end-of-month inventories for April 2022 were $2,345.1 billion, up 1.2 percent (+/- 0.1 percent) from last month. U.S. total business sales were $1,813.9 billion, up 0.4 percent (+/- 0.2 percent) from last month. April 2022: +1.2 % change in Inventories; March 2022 (r): +2.4 % change in Inventories. Read Report
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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
U.S. Data versus the World
Find, compare and share the latest OECD data: charts, maps, tables and related publications. Access Data
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International Trade in Services
Trade in services records the value of services exchanged between residents and non-residents of an economy, including services provided through foreign affiliates established abroad. This indicator is measured in million USD and percentage of GDP for exports, imports and net trade. Services include transport (both freight and passengers), travel, communications services (postal, telephone, satellite, etc.), construction services, insurance and financial services, computer and information services, royalties and license fees, other business services (merchanting, operational leasing, technical and professional services, etc.), cultural and recreational services, and government services not included in the list above. Trade in services drives the exchange of ideas, know-how and technology, although it is often restricted by barriers such as domestic regulations. All OECD countries compile their data according to the 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA). Access Data and Tables
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The Robust Rise of Reshoring |
IndustryWeek - Anna Smith
The total number of reshoring and foreign direct investment jobs announced since 2010 is now over 1.3 million, according to a report.
Reshoring and foreign direct investment (FDI) job announcements hit a record 261,000 in 2021, according to the Reshoring Initiative’s 2021 Data Report.
“We publish this data semiannually to show companies that their peers are successfully reshoring and that they should reevaluate their sourcing and siting decisions,” said Harry Moser, founder and president of the Reshoring Initiative. This report includes 2021 data in several categories and projections for 2022.
According to the report data, reshoring exceeded FDI by 100%—a change from 2014 through 2019, when FDI exceeded reshoring—and the number of companies reporting reshoring and FDI projects set another record of over 1,800 companies. Read Article
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OECD Sees Lower World Growth Due to Ukraine War's 'Hefty Price' |
IndustryWeek - Agence France-Presse
In its latest economic outlook, the organization doubled its forecast for inflation among its members.
The OECD warned Wednesday that the world economy will pay a "hefty price" for Russia's invasion of Ukraine as it slashed its 2022 growth forecast and projected higher inflation.
The Paris-based organization, which represents 38 mostly developed countries, is the latest institution to predict lower GDP growth due to the conflict, which has sent food and energy prices soaring.
In its latest economic outlook, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said global gross domestic product would grow by 3% in 2022 -- down sharply from the 4.5% estimated in December. Read Article
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US Trade Deficit Posts Sharp Retreat on Falling Imports |
IndustryWeek - Agence France-Presse
Pushed by jumps in industrial supplies and foods, exports increased by $8.5 billion, according to the report.
A jump in exports and similar decline in imports caused the U.S. trade gap in April to reverse most of the prior month's increase, retreating from a record to $87.1 billion, according to government data released Tuesday.
The $20.6 billion drop from March was the largest decline on record, the Commerce Department reported.
Imports fell by $12.1 billion, half of which was due to the decline in purchases of consumer goods, added to a drop in industrial supplies, while auto imports rose, according to the data. Read Article
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Russia Takes First Steps to Withdraw from WTO, WHO |
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH - Politico, Sarah Anne Aarup and Ashleigh Furlong
The Russian government is starting the process of unilaterally withdrawing from a series of international bodies, including the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization, the Russian Duma’s Deputy
Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy said on Tuesday. "We have work to revise our international obligations, treaties that today bring no benefit, but instead directly harm our country. The Foreign Ministry sent a list of such agreements to the State Duma,” Tolstoy said. “Together with the Federation Council, we plan to analyze them and to propose to withdraw," he added. Tolstoy singled out the international trade and health organizations, saying that "the next step is to withdraw from the WTO and the WHO, which have neglected all obligations towards our country." Read Article
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African Economic Outlook 2022: Africa’s 2021 Economic Rebound Impacted by Lingering Covid-19 Pandemic and Russia-Ukraine War |
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH – African Development Bank Group
Africa’s gross domestic product has recovered strongly in the last year, but the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing war could pose considerable challenges in the medium term. This is according to the 2022 African Economic Outlook, released by the African Development Bank on Wednesday. Africa’s gross domestic product grew by an estimated 6.9% in 2021. This is after the continent suffered a pandemic-induced contraction of 1.6% in 2020, says the Bank’s flagship publication. Read Article
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International Trade Statistics: Trends in First Quarter 2022 |
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH – Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Following six quarters of sustained growth, the value of international merchandise trade for the G20 reached a new high in Q1 2022. Exports and imports increased by 3.6% and 5.8%, as compared to Q4 2021 and measured in current US dollars. The increase is largely explained by rising commodity prices, as the war in Ukraine and COVID-19 containment measures in East Asia placed further pressure on the prices of traded goods and on already strained supply chains. Read Report
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The New Wave of Defensive Trade Policy Measures in the European Union: Design, Structure, and Trade Effects |
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH – European Centre for International Political Economy
This study undertakes a comprehensive review of proposed and adopted defensive trade policy instruments in the EU, with the purpose of better understanding their design, functioning, and implications. The study covers eight policy instruments at different stages of development. These are: Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), International Procurement Instrument (IPI), Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Foreign Subsidy Instrument (FSI), Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (DD), Level Playing Field Provisions in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (LPF), Enforcement Regulation (ER), and the Deforestation Initiative (DI). Download Report
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China Factory Output, Retail Sales Weak as Covid Shadow Persists |
IndustryWeek - Agence France-Presse
Industrial output ticked up a mere 0.7% in May, according to figures from the Chinese government.
China's factory output and retail sales remained weak in May, official data showed Wednesday, with tepid demand and lingering Covid restrictions putting a damper on growth in the world's second-largest economy.
The government is persisting with a zero-Covid strategy to stamp out clusters as they emerge, but this has placed companies and consumers at the mercy of snap, economically damaging lockdowns.
Retail sales sank 6.7% on-year in May, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, though that was an improvement from April's 11.1% drop. Read Article
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South Korean Trucker Strike Snarls Supply Chains |
IndustryWeek - Agence France-Presse
South Korea is the world's largest memory chip exporter and home to global chip powerhouse Samsung Electronics, as well as large car companies including Kia and Hyundai Motors.
South Korean truck drivers staged an eighth day of protests Tuesday over rising fuel costs that have further snarled global supply chains, with the government warning their actions had caused more than $1 billion in losses.
The strike has disrupted shipment and production for the crucial steel, petrochemical and automobiles industries, causing about 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in losses, according to data from Seoul's trade ministry. Read Article
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What Is the Scope of Russian Sanctions? |
IndustryWeek - Edward J. Heath, Kevin P. Daly
The rules are multilayered, but there are some general categories to be aware of and red flags to look for.
Since March 2022, U.S. companies doing business internationally have faced governmental sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Controls affecting interactions with Russian, Belarussian and Ukrainian companies and individuals have created layers of challenges to be resolved.
As the war in Ukraine persists, many U.S. businesses are evaluating how best to proceed. A clear-eyed assessment of the scope of the new sanctions is essential to understanding how to navigate them in the months, and possibly years, ahead. Moreover, there are techniques available that companies may wish to consider as they evaluate opportunities in light of current and evolving restrictions. Read Article
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Government, Suppliers say China's Auto Industry is Back to Normal Output Level |
Assembly Magazine
BEIJING—China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology agency said last week that the country's automobile sector is back to normal, with both output and sales in May increasing more than 50 percent from April. Major suppliers SAIC Motor and SKF concur.
SAIC, which is one of the largest Chinese automakers based in Shanghai, says all of its three major plants there have returned to pre-epidemic production levels. The company says that the combined daily output of its Motor Passenger Vehicle Co., Volkswagen Automotive Corp. and General Motors Corp. has reached 13,000 units—the normal level before the recent COVID-19 outbreak in the city. Read Article
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Russia-Ukraine War: Perspectives U.S. Exporters Need to Know |
International Trade Administration - Evan Johnson and Agnes Pawelkowska (international trade specialists at the International Trade Administration’s Office of Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia)
Russia’s latest unprovoked attack on Ukraine, and the Western sanctions that have followed, have had profound impacts on the global economy and forced businesses operating in Russia to re-think their way forward. Although numerous U.S. companies have successfully operated in Russia for many years, many are deciding to either withdraw from the market or suspend their operations in Russia, regardless of the significant economic losses incurred.
In a series of market intelligence pieces, we’ll try to address some of the pressing questions, offer insights, and share updates on how the International Trade Administration and its U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service are working to support U.S. exporters as they navigate these complex considerations. Read Post
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American Manufacturers’ Share of U.S. Market Hits New Low |
Coalition for a Prosperous America
Just how much of the goods consumed in the U.S. is actually made in the U.S.? Are we making anything for sale inside of a Target or Home Depot these days? Is the U.S. manufacturer seeing an increase in domestic market share over time, or is it whittling away to imports?
We all know that most of the goods sold in a big box store of any kind come from Asia and Central America. This has been a trend for at least 20 years. People will be hard-pressed to find an American-made watch at Macy’s, let alone clothing. While not impossible, good luck finding an American-made washing machine at Home Depot. This was not always the case. Read Article
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Survey: 70% of Companies Planning Reshoring or Nearshoring Projects |
IndustryWeek - Geert De Lombaerde
ABB's poll of more 1,600 executives suggests many more investments in the U.S. and nearby in coming years.
Seven out of 10 U.S.-based manufacturing companies are planning to invest in new production capacity closer to their home bases as a result of the global upheavals of recent years, a new survey has found.
The robotics and automation arm of global conglomerate ABB recently polled 1,610 executives in the U.S. and Europe about their capital spending plans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic’s arrival, the resulting supply chain chaos and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Of the respondents, 37% said they plan to return production to U.S. shores while a third said they will look to nearshore new operations. Read Article
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Education And Workforce Development News |
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Improving How We Identify and Support Students Experiencing Homelessness |
Brookings Institution – Tasminda K. Dhaliwal, Assistant Professor of Education Policy – Michigan State University; Soledad De Gregorio, Associate – Abt Associates
The American Rescue Plan Act set aside $800 million to support the identification, enrollment, and participation in schools of students experiencing homelessness. This influx of funding has created a historic opportunity to strengthen services for one of the most underserved groups of students in U.S. schools.
We draw on several recently published studies to, first, describe why it is important to focus on students experiencing homelessness, and second, to share ways that state and local education agencies might improve the identification and support they provide to this vulnerable group. Read Article
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BASF Apprenticeship Program Hits the Right Note |
IndustryWeek - Adrienne Selko
“Consider how you want to build your workforce and create a training cycle that works within your company," advises Jonathan Weatherly, vice president of operations for BASF’s Performance Materials business.
When BASF, the world’s largest chemical producer, advertised last year for applicants to enroll in its North American Apprenticeship Development Program (NAADP) located in Wyandotte, Michigan, over 200 people applied. That’s a strong number, especially when you consider there were only 10 spots available.
What does BASF know that other manufacturers need to learn? Read Article
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Getting Hacked — and Then What? |
Community College Daily News – Ed Finkel
In early January 2021, Mott Community College (MCC) in Flint, Michigan, faced every institution’s worst cybersecurity nightmare: its network was breached and taken down, users were effectively locked out, and sensitive information was compromised.
“This whole episode stopped the college cold,” says MCC President Beverly Walker-Griffea. “It was January, and we could not open for the semester. We were totally taken down.” Read Article
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Training And Organizational Development News |
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Leaders Need Direction, Too: Are You Articulating Clear Expectations? |
IndustryWeek – Vince Molinaro
A compelling leadership contract can bring commitment and consistency.
Many manufacturing companies are facing critical inflection points. The last two years have been challenging. However, as they look to the future, they may now see the opportunity to drive accelerated growth, expand global operations, integrate cultures after a merger or acquisition, turn lagging performance around or completely shift their business model.
The challenges brought on by a critical inflection point present opportunities, but also, they can be demanding and complex for leaders to navigate successfully. Invariably, to succeed, leaders will need to step up in significantly different ways. What worked in the past may not be sufficient for the future.
Unfortunately, through global research that I share in my book, Accountable Leaders, I discovered that only 49% of organizations take the time to define and articulate new expectations for their leaders. Is your company one of them? Read Article
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When Your Plan B Needs a Plan C |
IndustryWeek – Mirko Merlo
With disruptions proliferating, leaders are fine-tuning even their backup strategies as the situation evolves.
In this constantly changing business environment, leaders need the ability not only to predict change but also prepare for its resulting consequences and any potential opportunities it may present. Having a Plan B is important for addressing any problems or disruptions, but that may not be enough.
When the potential problems that a company leader identified three, six or even 12 months ago continue to evolve, Plan Bs must also evolve. Managers must have a routine to address any deviations, changes or unexpected factors and determine whether a plan remains applicable. At the same time, it’s important to be flexible. Read Article
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What Makes Great Leaders? Ask the People Who Work for Them |
IndustryWeek – John Baird, Edward Sullivan
Five core characteristics shine through.
The following is an excerpt from the new book Leading with Heart: 5 Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results by John Baird and Edward Sullivan (Harper Business: 2022).
There is no arguing that we are in the middle of a leadership crisis. And not just in politics but in the business world as well. We know this first and foremost because people aren’t excited about their work. According to Gallup, two in three Americans are not “involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace,” and 50% are actively looking for a new job. When we investigate why so many people are looking for a new job, the problem is clear: too many people work for leaders who are disempowering, lacking curiosity and simply unwilling or unable to establish real emotional connections with their teams. Read Article
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Access Proactive Technologies' Recent "Proactive Technologies Workforce News" Article Quicklinks |
Located on the left panel below, this includes articles on structured worker development, achieving worker "full job mastery," engineering/quality/safety compliance, ISO/TS/AS quality program support and compliance, and many other contemporary worker development and management topics. |
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Recent Proactive Technologies News Article Quicklinks |
June
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations - Eastern U.S. - Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations - Eastern U.S. - Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
May
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
Director of Operations - Eastern U.S. - Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Frank Gibson, Workforce Development Advisor, retired from The Ohio State University – Alber Enterprise Center
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
APRIL
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations - Eastern U.S. - Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Dr. Dave Just, formally Dean of Corporate and Continuing Education at Community Colleges in MA, OH, PA, SC. Currently President of K&D Consulting
MARCH
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Stacey Lett, Regional Director of Operations - Eastern U.S. - Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Frank Gibson, Workforce Development Advisor, retired from The Ohio State University – Alber Enterprise Center
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
FEBRUARY
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Stacey Lett, Regional Director of Operations – Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.
by Dr. Dave Just, formally Dean of Corporate and Continuing Education at Community Colleges in MA, OH, PA, SC. Currently President of K&D Consulting
by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.
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Proactive Technologies, Inc. Partners With Educational Institutions, Workforce/Economic
Development Groups, Government Agencies
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Structured on-the-job training attracts and engages employers in workforce development partnerships...some projects sustainable for more than 18 years!
This creates a steady need for your related technical instruction, services and a pathway for employment.
These partnerships:
- enhance your institution's opportunity to market your products and services to incumbent workers;
- allow your organization to include structured on-the-job training as a capstone to preemployment preparation;
- document a trainee-to worker's increasing value to the employer - the key to retention - rather than leaving it to chance;
- properly aligns workforce development resources and maximizes the impact and results; allows you to engage an employer's facility, equipment and staff in the training process;
- provides the best, sustainable infrastructure for apprenticeships and internships that last!
- is a win for the trainee, win for the worker, win for the employer, win for the institution and win for the community!
This approach has continued to prove itself since 1988, and does not compete with your school's or agency's products and services; it adds to your efforts the clear, tangible, measurable advantage that employers seek.
Copyright © 2022 Proactive Technologies, Inc.™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Tri-Rivers Career Center - Adult Education provides lifelong, continuous learning for a diverse adult population. We utilize practical skills with an eye toward technological advancement.
We partner with state agencies and employers to provide targeted skill development to future and incumbent workers.
Our RAMTEC (Robotic and Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Collaborative) facility - one of many throughout the state - offers advanced technical training in specialized areas such as robotics, robotic welding, and engineering technology.
Copyright © 2022 Tri-Rivers Career Center - Adult Education - RAMTEC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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PROACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. CLIENT SERVICES |
To supplement onsite PROTECH™ system of managed human resource development classes, these regularly scheduled webinars are available to the registered staff of clients:
- Structured On-The-Job Training Instructor Certification
- Structured On-The Job Training Checklist Administrator Certification
- Management Structured On-The-Job Training Project Support Briefing
- Integrating Support for Plant-Wide ISO/AS/IATF Quality and Safety Systems with PROTECH Workforce Development System
- Supporting "Pay-For-Value" Systems
- Promoting Continuous Process Improvement While Implementing the PROTECH System for the Accelerated Transfer of Expertise™
- PROTECH Onsite Lead Trainer and System Administrator Certification
Contact US t o attend one of these seminars and we will send you an e-reservation. Include your client ID, name and user ID number and which webinar you would like to attend.
Copyright © 2019-22 Proactive Technologies, Inc.™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Lean Is Futile If Customers Come Last |
IndustryWeek – Rick Bohan, Ron Jacques
Are you cutting costs and ‘increasing efficiency’ at their expense?
Last year, we wrote an article expressing our view that increasing customer value, not cost-cutting, is the primary goal of any lean initiative. It seems, however, that too many manufacturing organizations still haven’t gotten that message.
Perhaps your company has applied lean methods for some time, and you can show that the improved flow of information and material within your organization has reduced lead times and improved quality. But are you certain that it’s easy for your customers to get access to those benefits?
Our guess is that many of you have applied lean concepts and methods to your own manufacturing processes, while ignoring the experience of existing and prospective customers as they try to work with you. Read Article
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NHTSA Report Shows Tesla Autopilot Led the Pack in Crashes, But the Data Has Gaps |
TechCrunch – Mark Harris
On the face of it, data from the first year of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s project to track the safety of advanced driver assistance systems look terrible for Tesla. Its electric vehicles were involved in 70% of the reported crashes involving Level 2 technologies, 60% of those resulting in serious injuries and nearly 85% of the fatal ones.
The data released early Wednesday were collected under the federal regulator’s Standing General Order issued last June, requiring automakers to report the most serious crashes that involved Level 2 ADAS, which need a human driver to remain fully engaged in the driving task. NHTSA is also tracking crashes involving fully automated vehicles — none of which are currently available to consumers.
There are five levels of automation under standards created by SAE International. Level 2 means two functions such as adaptive cruise and lane keeping are automated and still have a human driver in the loop at all times. Level 2 is an advanced driver assistance system, and has become increasingly common in new vehicles. Read Article
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Lean Talent Wins Over Six Sigma Skills |
IndustryWeek – Jill Jusko
New study shows desire for Six Sigma continues to wane.
When it comes to lean versus Six Sigma talent demand, lean wins, hands down.
That’s the primary takeaway from a 2022 study by executive search and recruiting firm the Avery Point Group, based on its review of Internet job board postings seeking these two continuous improvement skills.
While more than half of the postings (62%) sought out pure lean skills, just 13% searched for pure Six Sigma talent, with the remaining percentage looking for a mix of the two. That 62% is considerably up from the 41% of job postings seeking pure lean in 2013, the last year in which the Avery Point Group conducted the study. In that same year, the search for pure Six Sigma talent came in at 27%, a comeback of sorts over what had been a record low 20% in the previous year’s study. Read Article
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IndustryWeek – Rick Bohan, Ron Jacques
Numbers on a spreadsheet are no substitute for witnessing the flow of material and work on the plant floor.
We’re confident that readers are familiar with terms like “gemba walk” and “going to the gemba.” The practice of getting oneself to where the work is being done and seeing what is happening there is a central principle of lean management.
Lean practitioners are taught to “go see” in order to truly understand just how well (or not) manufacturing processes are performing. Rick tells clients that they should organize their operations so that anyone can see at a glance whether the processes are in control … or not. Ron, early in his career, learned to “go see” by simply “standing in the circle,” which entailed simply standing in one spot out on the shop floor where he could observe anything that struck him as unusual or abnormal. In today’s data-intensive world, though, managers convince themselves that they can keep up with operations just fine simply by looking at spread sheets on their computer screens. When Rick advocates making information about operations visible on the plant floor, he often gets the response, “Well, that’s already on the computer. Why do we need to display it on the floor as well?” Read Article
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Hardness Testing of Coatings |
Quality Magazine – Dr. Mike Keeble
Hardness testing is a simple mechanical test developed to provide a quantitative measurement in a quick and efficient manner. Hardness testing is used in place of other techniques such as tensile testing. There is often good correlation to tensile strength, but requires significantly less time and effort, as well as being comparatively nondestructive.
Coatings are applied to materials for a wide variety of reasons including protection from the environment, wear resistance, and surface finish modification. They are often relatively thin, but the quality of the coating can be critical to the performance and lifetime of the coated component. A full understanding of the properties of the coating is therefore critical to quality control. Compliance checks are often carried out including thickness measurements, bond strength, continuity of interfaces, contamination and porosity among many others. Hardness testing can be a quick and effective tool for checking coating properties, especially in high volume production environments. However, selection of an appropriate approach and understanding key advantages and limitations is important to ensuring an accurate result. Read Article
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Toyota Recalls First Mass-produced EVs Less Than 2 Months After Launch |
Reuters
TOKYO, June 23 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Thursday it would recall 2,700 of its first mass-produced electric vehicles (EVs) for the global market because of a riskthe wheels could come loose.
The world's largest automaker by sales submitted the recall of the bZ4X SUVs to Japan's transportation ministry. Of the 2,700 vehicles, 2,200 were earmarked for Europe, 260 for the United States, 10 for Canada and 110 for Japan, the company said. Read Article
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After Millennia of Agricultural Expansion, the World has Passed ‘Peak Agricultural Land’ |
Our World in Data – Hannah Ritchie
The world produces more food than ever, but the amount of land we use is now falling. This means we can feed more people while restoring wild habitat.
Humans have been reshaping the planet’s land for millennia by clearing wildlands to grow crops and raise livestock. As a result, humans have cleared one-third of the world’s forests and two-thirds of wild grasslands since the end of the last ice age.
This has come at a huge cost to the planet’s biodiversity. In the last 50,000 years – and as humans settled in regions around the world – wild mammal biomass has declined by 85%.
Expanding agriculture has been the biggest driver of the destruction of the world’s wildlands. Read Article
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Why Your Workplace Should be Psychologically Safe |
IndustryWeek - Adrienne Selko
When employees can bring their authentic selves to work, the result is a more productive environment.
Psychological safety is achieved when an employee feels that they can be their authentic self, especially in a team setting, and not suffer any negative consequences as a result. The realization that an employee should have a safe environment where they can be who they are every day at work is something that became especially important due to the pandemic. As companies and employees had to adjust to a variety of circumstances, a more open atmosphere was essential.
“When I think of psychological safety prior to the pandemic, it was always important to me as a leader,” explains Jean Angus, president and CEO of Saint-Gobain Life Sciences, a Solon, Ohio-based manufacturer of materials and solutions for the pharmaceutical, medical and biotech industries. “When I became the director of innovation processes at our Performance Plastics group, our goal was to help everyone be creative. I quickly realized that in order for everyone to bring their best ideas to the table, they had to feel they are working in a safe environment.” Read Article
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Sea Level Rise From Climate Change is Threatening Home Septic Systems and Public Health |
Brookings Institution - Rebecca Mann, Cassidy Pearson, and Jenny Schuetz
Dramatic storms, wildfires, floods, and similar events draw the most public attention as examples of how climate change threatens human lives and homes. But more subtle, persistent changes in the environment, such as sea level rise and increasingly hot summers, are also creating health and safety hazards across the U.S.
One example is the Tidewater region of Virginia, where sea level rise is causing frequent failures of home septic systems. In Virginia alone, over 1 million homes rely on individual septic tanks rather than public sewer systems for residential sewage treatment. And when septic systems fail, the results are catastrophic—polluting drinking water and threatening human health. The burden of repairing septic tanks and mitigating the impact on neighbors falls mostly on homeowners and local governments—a particularly tough challenge for smaller, less affluent rural communities. Read Article
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The Strange Underground Economy of Tree Poaching |
NPR Planet Money - Greg Rosalsky
NOTE: This is Part Two of a two-part Planet Money newsletter series on the struggles of a former logging town named Orick, California. Part One, “The tale of a distressed American town on the doorstep of a natural paradise,” can be found here.
On the morning of March 27, 2018, rangers from Redwood National and State Parks put on their bulletproof vests and jumped into their cars. Their destination wasn’t far: a house in the small town of Orick, California, the same town as the park headquarters where the rangers are based. Pulling up to the house, they grabbed their AR-15s. Guns in hand, they pounded on the door, shouting they had a search warrant.
One of the residents opened the door, and the rangers began searching the premises. Two of them rounded the property and went into the backyard, where there was a shed. Holding their semi-automatic rifles up, ready to shoot, they entered the shed and found their suspect, Derek Hughes. “If you shoot me, you’re going to have all hell to pay,” Hughes reportedly said.
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The Economic and Societal Effects of COVID-19 on our Brains |
Brookings Institution - Atlantic Fellow, Global Brain Health Institute Steering Committee Member - OECD Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative (NIPI) Stanford University School of Medicine; Carol Graham,
Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow and Research Director - Global Economy and Development; Eric Lenze,
Incoming Chair of Psychiatry and Professor of Psychiatry - Washington University, St Louis; William Hynes, Head of the New Approaches to Economic Challenges Unit - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; Harris A. Eyre, Co-lead - OECD Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative (NIPI)
Brain Capital conceptualizes brain health (e.g., the lack of mental illness and neurodegenerative disease) and brain skills (e.g., education) as essential to the knowledge economy. This concept is based on the assumption that our brains are our greatest asset and provides a framework to define brain issues, quantify them, and track them. Brain Capital can be driven into policies and investments
COVID-19 has had enormous negative effects on individual, societal, and worldwide Brain Capital. We are in the infancy stages of understanding COVID-19’s short- and long-term effects on the brain. However, what we do know is alarming. While COVID-19 is mainly a respiratory illness, long-COVID-19 is increasingly being revealed as a neuropsychiatric disorder. In other words, long-COVID-19 is all about the brain. Read Article
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It's Raining Anchovies in San Francisco |
LiveScience - Jennifer Nalewicki
Experts blame the fishy storm on a recent spawning event.
It's raining fish in San Francisco, and locals are finding anchovies in unlikely places around the Bay Area, including sidewalks, driveways, rooftops and bus stops.
Experts believe the fishy precipitation is the result of a surge in coastal anchovy populations, SF Gate(opens in new tab) reported. Read Article
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Octopuses May be so Terrifyingly Smart Because They Share Humans’ Genes for Intelligence |
LiveScience - Donavyn Coffey
Genetic sequences called transposons help regulate learning.
Octopuses are brainy creatures with sophisticated smarts, and now scientists have uncovered a clue that may partly explain the cephalopods' remarkable intelligence: Its genes have a genetic quirk that is also seen in humans, a new study finds. Read Article
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The West Texas Rancher Exposing Big Oil’s Buried Secrets |
Texas Monthly - Russell Gold
Wet weather had sprouted unusually green vegetation throughout Antina Ranch that spring. Wedged between the sky above and the sandy-brown soil below, the verdant plant life gave the landscape the look of a three-layer cake. An unseen fourth layer sat underground—home to the aquifers containing the ranch’s water, as well as the deposits of oil being pumped by the wells Ash Stoker had been hired by a small Midland company to inspect that June day in 2021.
As he drove along the caliche road, the 38-year-old oil-lease operator unexpectedly encountered a glare of bright West Texas sun reflecting up from a newly formed pool of water amid a clump of sickly mesquites. He parked his truck, got out to take a closer look, and began recording with his cellphone. Read Article
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Cyber Security And IT News |
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Supreme Court Blocks Texas Social Media Law From Taking Effect |
NPR - Nina Totenberg
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a Texas social media law from taking effect that intended to punish online platforms for removing political speech.
The vote was 5-to-4, with the court's three most conservative justices filing a written dissent that would have allowed the Texas law to start. In a surprise move, liberal Justice Elena Kagan joined in the dissent, but she did not explain her rationale.
The Texas law bars Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other popular social media sites from blocking content based on viewpoint. Gov. Greg Abbott maintained that the law was a justifiable response to "a dangerous movement by social media companies to silence conservative viewpoints and ideas." Read Article
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3 Hurdles to Moving on From Excel |
CFO.com - Bob Violino
Staffers often resist pivoting away from the popular spreadsheet platform.
For corporate finance departments, Microsoft Excel remains a key tool for handling an array of tasks. They will likely continue to rely on the platform for a long time.
But Excel does not always deliver what finance needs at a time when organizations are moving away from manual tasks and siloed data. The emergence of cloud-based financial applications enables departments to move certain functions away from manual processes in Excel.
“I am an accountant and accountants love Excel,” said Robert Bendetti, CFO of Life Cycle Engineering, an engineering technologies and services provider, and founder of the Global CFO Council, an educational and networking forum.
“Excel is a powerful tool, but a tool with limitations [such as] security, version control, and ease of collaboration,” Bendetti said. “Structured query language (SQL) is a much better tool for working with large volumes of data and working with relational databases.” Read Article
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How to Erase Those Private Details Google Knows About You |
USA Today - Kim Komando
You can delete almost everything you’ve shared with Google and get at least some of your privacy back.
Ever think about how much Google knows about you? You don’t have to wonder. Sign in to your Google account and check this page to see exactly what the search giant thinks you’re interested in.
It’s not just search. Your Gmail inbox, Google Drive files, Maps history, YouTube views, and much more are added to the dossier of info on you. Here’s a buried Google Maps setting you should change right now. Read Article
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Bank Data Breach Exposes 1.5 Million Social Security Numbers |
Komando.com - Charlie Fripp
Things like your social media accounts are precious to cybercriminals. Some are even more sought after than banking details. Tap or click here for how much your stolen credit card is worth on the Dark Web. But the last thing you want to hear is that your bank account or Social Security number has been breached.
Unfortunately, that happened recently to millions of customers at a popular bank in the U.S. The bank suffered a data breach late last year but only notified its customers this month that hackers stole the personal details of over 1.5 million users. This included Social Security numbers. Read Article
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OT Cybersecurity Readiness is Dangerously Behind |
IndustryWeek - Dennis Scimeca
Manufacturers continue to leave themselves vulnerable to criminal attacks with their operational technology systems.
References to cybersecurity conjure IT concerns of ransomware or theft of proprietary data from company servers. Instead, imagine a factory floor full of networked machines. In an Industry 4.0 world, protecting OT assets is just as important as protecting IT assets.
This April, the United States government issued a Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) about threats of bad actors accessing and/or taking control of industrial control systems (ICS) supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) devices and programmable logic controllers (PLCs.) Criminals could exploit systems to upload malicious code, modify device parameters and break network connections among other nuisances that may or may not cost companies a lot of money to address. Read Article
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Cybercriminals Allegedly Stole 450GB of Data from AMD |
IndustryWeek - Dennis Scimeca
Ransomware group responsible says the security breach took place a year ago.
Powerhouse semiconductor manufacturer AMD may have been hacked for 450 GB of data, allegedly last year according to the cybercriminals trying to fence the data.
BleepingComputer reports that the RansomHouse ransomware group, after teasing for a week on the Telegram app that the group had for sale data stolen from a well-known company, yesterday revealed both the name of the company and the amount of data allegedly stolen.
“An era of high-end technology, progress and top security…there’s so much in these words for the crowds. But it seems those are still just beautiful words when even technology giants like AMD use simple passwords like…” reads a post on the RansomHouse data leak site, followed by a string of sample passwords like “password” and "P@ssw0rd," as the hackers poured salt into an alleged cyberwound. Read Article
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Human Resource Management News |
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C-suite May Soon Join the Great Resignation |
EHS Today Staff
Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence finds nearly 70% of executives are seriously considering quitting their roles for a job that better supports their well-being.
It turns out that is' not just employees who are struggling at work, it's executive-level business leaders as well. This came to light in a Deloitte survey, released on June 22, which was done in collaboration with independent research firm Workplace Intelligence. The survey explores the C-suite’s role in organizational well-being and examines how an overall poor state of health is affecting retention for workers and executives alike.
The report discovered that 57% of employees and nearly 70% of the C-suite said they are seriously considering quitting for a job that better supports their well-being. Read Article
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Manufacturing’s Back Is to the Wall on the Skilled Labor Shortage |
IndustryWeek – Michael Collins
How did we get into this jam, and how do we get out?
Multinational corporations are today faced with a changing world economy. Cracks have formed in their outsourcing model, and they are being forced to re-examine their supply chains. The total cost of manufacturing overseas has risen because of:
- Increased foreign labor costs
- Increased transportation costs
- Intellectual property theft
- Long lead times
- Problems with joint partnerships
- The loss of technologies through forced technology transfer agreements
- Trump’s tariffs
- The distance from consumer markets
- Product quality and customer satisfaction problems
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Shortages of critical materials to manufacture semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, electric batteries, etc.
These problems have been exacerbated by Russia’s war in the Ukraine and China’s zero-COVID policy, which led to lockdowns in many cities and a resurgence of port congestion. The problems have made Chinese supply chains an expensive and risky proposition. American corporations including HP, Stanley Black & Decker, Dell, Sony, Caterpillar, GE, Intel, Under Armor and others have moved production out of China, sometimes to the U.S. Read Article
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The New Get-Rich Quick Scheme - Work Two Jobs Remotely |
HR Digest - Anna Verasai
Over two-thirds of US workers are working two jobs remotely to make ends meet and to save money for the future. More than half of them admitted that they are more productive while juggling two jobs side-by-side.
At the start of the pandemic, people focused on binging on shows, taking naps, baking, and consuming alcohol to deal with the quarantine. Later, they started adding certain side hustles to their routine to maintain their physical and mental health. Now that people have eased into the concept of hustling from home, many of the respondents revealed that they are working with another company while on the clock with their primary employer. Working two remote jobs at once is the new thing as everyone admits inflation has shredded their budgets and forced them to take steps to be financially secure. Read Article
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How to Implement a Four-Day Workweek |
Society for Human Resource Management - Kylie Ora Lobell
In early June, more than 3,000 workers in the United Kingdom started working four days a week as part of a trial program that will last six months. During this time, their pay will stay the same as long as they promise to continue to be as productive as they were when working five-day weeks. The trial is the largest ever held in the U.K. and includes 70 different companies in a variety of industries.
The idea of the four-day workweek has been gaining popularity in recent years, especially given the shift in work schedules and locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more companies in the U.S. are testing out the concept to see the impact it may have on employee retention and productivity. Read Article
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Environmental, Health & Safety News |
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The 12 Most Dangerous Companies of 2022 |
EHS Today - Dave Blanchard
National COSH is back with an all-new list of companies for its annual compilation of the Dirty Dozen.
After shelving its annual compilation of the country's "Dirty Dozen" employers last year during the pandemic, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) is back with an all-new list of companies who, according to National COSH, "put workers, families and communities at risk." Actually, the list isn't quite all-new, as Amazon has now appeared on it three times.
"The Dirty Dozen are companies that needlessly expose workers to preventable hazards, leading to preventable illnesses, injuries and fatalities," explains Jessica Martinez, co-executive director of National COSH. View Slideshow
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Thinking About Using Wearables in the Workplace to Reduce Stress? |
EHS Today - Adrienne Selko
The high number of employees resigning is a top reason for employers to use this technology to both evaluate and decrease stress.
Stress in the workplace has been increasing at an exponential rate for a variety of factors. Even before the pandemic, workers were feeling stressed either by the nature of their jobs or the culture of the company. But the additional stress from the pandemic has caused many employees to vote with their feet and they are choosing to leave their jobs.
In a 2021 study, done by the American Psychological Association, those who typically feel tense or stressed out during the workday are more than three times as likely to say they intend to seek employment elsewhere in the next year (71% vs. 20%).
Employers are looking at several methods to help reduce workplace stress and one of those is using wearables that can measure employees’ stress levels with the goal of using aggregate data to formulate plans to reduce it. Read Article
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Having trouble finding, selecting, training and keeping the skilled workers you need? Are your employee turnover costs a concern?
Let's start with what we already know:
- Classes alone will not train workers to perform your tasks...
- Quality Control policies and Process Documents are not a substitute for task training...
- Putting 2 people together and hoping for the best is not a training strategy...
- Wishing and hoping won't develop the skilled workers you need...
The cost of one worker malperformance or one worker's under-capacity or under-performance - due to lack of proper training - can more than justify the investment to train all your workers properly!
AND, unstructured, uncontrolled, undocumented task training is going on all day, every day. But if you cannot explain the process, you surely cannot measure and improve it.
Proactive Technologies's approach to structured on-the-job training takes place where, and while, the work is performed. You need no additional staff and structured on-the-job training does not interrupt your work schedule like unstructured, haphazard and ad hoc training or classroom learning does.
You probably have most of the pieces are already in place; they just need structure around them to make the training experience work for everyone through the accelerated transfer of expertise™.
As part of every project, Proactive Technologies provides the support to set-up, implement, manage, document and revise the worker development system so you can stay focused on business.
Copyright © 2019-22 Proactive Technologies, Inc.™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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EMPLOYERS!
If your organization sees training as a cost, not as an investment, maybe you should consider another approach!
- Cuts the employer's internal costs of training;
- Lowers the costs associated with turnover;
- Drives new-hires and incumbent workers to "full job mastery;"
- Increases worker capacity, work quality, productivity and compliance (ISO/AS/IATF training and records requirement, engineering specifications and safety mandates);
- Creates framework for cross-training, retraining and worker certification;
- Establishes the framework for employer specific/job-specific apprenticeships and internships - registered or not;
- Builds career development tracks and succession plans for hourly (and salary) workers;
- Ensures the increased and maintained "Return on Worker investment" through any type of change...
ALL OF THIS FROM ONE APPROACH!
This structured on-the-job training is performed where, and while, the work takes place!
You need no additional staff, and this will not disrupt your work schedule or burden your existing staff!
If your firm is partnered with local career and technical educational institutions, use of shared employer's equipment, facilities and paid wages of trainer(s) and trainee(s) are attractive match for potential grant assistance.
for more information.
Copyright © 2019-22 Proactive Technologies, Inc.™
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Copyright © 1988 - 2022 Proactive Technologies, Inc.TM
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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