Increasing diversity in the manufacturing workforce will be the topic of a free, half-day institute titled “4.0: Reinventing Manufacturing – Driving Manufacturing Talent” Friday, Oct. 5, in the Lecture Hall at Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Oak Creek Campus, 6555 S. Howell Ave. Scheduled on National Manufacturing Day, the Manufacturing Diversity Institute (MDI) will hold its fifth annual Innovation Café for manufacturers, innovators, government and community leaders, policy experts, workforce development leaders and educators. The event begins with networking at 7:15 a.m. and ends with a 12:30 p.m. lunch.
Dr. Kamela Goodwyn, associate dean of MATC’s School of Technology and Applied Sciences, will speak on “Lessons from Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas” at 8:15 a.m.
William Martin, director, strategic workforce initiatives for the Office of the Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, will speak at 8:30 a.m. on “Employment & Business Opportunities with Foxconn and in ‘Wisconn Valley.’”
A panel discussion on “Connecting African-American and Latino Talent to Outreach & Transportation in the Wisconn Valley,” begins at 9:10 a.m. Introduced by Dorothy Walker, dean of MATC’s School of Technology and Applied Sciences, panelists include Ray Allen, secretary, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Stacy Waltz, director, global talent effectiveness, Rockwell Automation; Dr. Sadique Isahaku, dean, MATC School of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Nelson Soler, president and founder, Latino Chamber of Commerce of Southeastern Wisconsin; Bob Seitz, deputy secretary, Wisconsin Department of Transportation; and Fred Royal, educator, Milwaukee Center for Self Sufficiency, and president, NAACP Milwaukee Branch.
A town hall meeting called “Overcoming the Talent Shortage in the 4.0 Manufacturing Industry” will be presented at 11 a.m. Dr. Keenan D. Grenell, executive director, Manufacturing Diversity Institute, will introduce panelists David Dull, president and CEO, Allis-Roller, LLC, and chairperson, MATC District Board; Thomas Schulz, vice president, manufacturing, Krones AG, North America; and Matthew Kirchner, president, LAB Midwest, LLC.
Dr. Vicki J. Martin, as president of MATC, where the majority of students are students of color, will discuss the college’s strategies to break down barriers to education and family-sustaining jobs. Dr. Mark Felsheim, vice president of MATC’s Oak Creek Campus, will provide a welcome.
MDI, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit organization, was established in 2013 to ensure that individuals from underserved communities (including veterans) succeed in manufacturing careers and businesses.