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President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
One of the key messages in President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night was about training for re-employment in jobs and industries of the future. As a long standing voice in the manufacturing industry, the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) is poised to fulfill demand for skilled jobs in the composites industry.
To illustrate this point, the President used the story of ACMA member Bryan Ritterby, a technician at Energetx Composites in Holland, Mich., who lost his job in the furniture business, seized a job retraining opportunity and is now employed with a local wind blade manufacturer. “The renewable energy industry is a great example of an industry of the future,” said ACMA Board Member Julian Francis. Blade manufacturers are continually seeking new solutions that enable them to produce lighter and longer blades which generate more power. Francis continued, “As demand for renewable energy increases, so does the use of composite solutions in applications like wind blades and solar panels that demand light weight, strength and corrosion resistance.”
Growth in the composites industry means there will be greater need for skilled workers. ACMA recognizes that and is a trade organization dedicated to research and education, offering a Certified Composites Technician program. The program was created in 1999 in response to a need for uniform training and technical skills in the industry. “As of November 2011, nearly 1,300 individuals have earned their certifications and are employed in more than 200 companies across the country,” said ACMA President Lori Luchak. “We expect to see these numbers grow with the composites industry.” For more information on how you can take advantage of ACMA’s various education tools, click here.
