Kennedy’s bill praised as job creator

Lawmakers and industry experts are applauding U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III’s efforts on a manufacturing bill that they say will help spur job growth.

The Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act, first introduced by Kennedy last August, is headed to the House floor after it won bipartisan support from legislators on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

The bill, co-sponsored with U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, R-New York, would establish regional manufacturing institutes across the country to serve as hubs for education and research. This network of institutes is to receive funding from a $600 million investment in the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

State Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin, and Rep. John Fernandes, D- Milford, both members of the Legislature’s manufacturing caucus, believe Kennedy’s bill could create new opportunities to educate the workforce. Among the difficulties employers face is a  lack of skilled workers.

They held roundtables in January with manufacturers to explore and address the challenges they face. Since then, the caucus has been focusing on linking students with opportunities to train in manufacturing.

"We feel this legislation is a way to solve the problem in advanced manufacturing," Roy said. "We do know that we have a lot of jobs available, but we don’t have the people with the adequate education and training background. Having the federal government step in and participate in this process to foster a growing industry could not come at a better time."

Fernandes said: "These are going to be the incubators for new ideas, including as to how to handle the growth of manufacturing," he said. "It’s growing dramatically with fewer workers."

There are 7,680 manufacturing companies in Massachusetts that employ more than 275,000 people, data provided by the legislators show. According to the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, manufacturing lost 1,100 jobs in June, or about 0.4 percent. Over the year, it lost 1,600, or about 0.6 percent.

Sustaining a thriving industry presents a hurdle for local manufacturers, who are concened by the absence of interested or qualified applicants.

"We’re always in search of qualified people," said Bob Vozzella, a professor of manufacturing at Wentworth Institute of Technology and the manager of manufacturing at TE Connectivity, a Norwood company. "It’s difficult to find folks with that skill set. The mindset of manufacturing is that it’s a dark, dirty, dingy field; that may have held true in the 1960s, but in 2014, it’s state-of-the-art, always moving forward."

Kennedy developed the bill in part drawing from what he learned during a trip around Massachusetts, visiting with leaders in science, technology, engineering and math.

He was particularly struck by local efforts to connect the labor market's needs with workforce training, such as the internship and co-op programs offered at vocational schools.

"As sectors like biotech and precision manufacturing rapidly expand across the Milford area, it is critical that students receive the training necessary to fill the jobs being created in their backyard," Kennedy said in a statement. "Efforts like the EMC co-op program for Tri-County students ensure the needs of workforce and industry are in sync, creating a sustainable course for long-term economic growth."

The bill, he added, "would encourage similar partnerships across our country by bringing education, government and business under one roof to support domestic manufacturing."

Roynan Jones, EMC’s senior vice president of manufacturing operations, said the company has continued to invest in maintaining a pipeline of workers, even through the economic downturn in 2002 when most firms were looking abroad.

Kennedy’s bill, Jones said, will allow EMC and other manufacturers to continue building pools of skilled workers and even spark interest in the different fields.

"I think it helps us as a company in hiring more talent, and it’s a necessity for the industry as we’re growing and becoming more competitive," she said.

The bill passed committee last week and may be taken up for a vote in the fall. The Senate Commerce Committee approved a companion bill earlier this year.

"A strong manufacturing base is fundamental to U.S. economic success and national security," Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said in a statement. "This bill gives a targeted boost to America’s manufacturers. It will ensure that new and innovative products come equipped with ‘Made in America’ on their labels."

Matt Tota can be reached at 508-634-7521 or mtota@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @matttotamdn.