GETMORE
If you offer any moldmaking or manufacturing educational assistance programs (scholarships, grants, apprenticeships, etc.), send information to Angelina Ruiz at angelina@ctipublishing.com for publication on the Web site and/or in a future issue of the magazine.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeship 2000
Apprenticeship 2000 is a four-year, European style training program designed for high school students. It is a dual program where apprentices learn the tricks of the trade in the sponsor company and enhance their academic background by earning a college degree. Designated and experienced trade experts in the sponsor companies teach the apprentices everything they know about the trade. Trades include mold/plastics technician, CNC machinist and tool and die maker. Apprentices will earn a manufacturing technology degree at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina. Apprenticeship 2000 is earning while learning, meaning that students work in a progressive wage schedule. Every six months the students get a pay increase as well as a bonus based on performance. This program is registered with the Department of Labor. This is a sure way to get a high-paying career.
For more information visit www.apprenticeship2000.com.
Canadian Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA)
Annual Apprenticeship Competition
The competition highlights skills learned by the industry's apprentices and challenges them to demonstrate those skills. This event is open to all apprentices currently registered in a provincially recognized tooling trade (moldmaker, tool and diemaker, patternmaker, general machinist, etc.). The competition will include a common test piece for all trades and prizes will be awarded to the top three entries in the Junior category (apprentices with less than 4,000 hours in their respective trade) and the Senior category (apprentices with 4,000 to 8,000 hours in their respective trade). Prize levels will be subject to the level of sponsorship received.
For more information visit www.ctma.com.
The Tooling & Manufacturing Association
Apprenticeship Training Programs
The Tooling & Manufacturing Association has been helping member companies train their precision metalworking aprentices for 70 years through the association's Related Theory Program. Established as a member service in 1934, TMA provides apprentice training related theory courses for moldmakers, tool and die makers, precision machinists, and precision sheetmetal/model makers. The courses are held on three Chicago area campuses: Triton College (River Grove, IL), College of Du Page (Glen Ellyn, IL), Oakton Community College (at satellite campus) and Maine West High School (Des Plaines, IL).
For more information visit www.tmanet.com.
U.S. Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration provides a list of contacts to help you locate apprenticeship opportunities near you. Information is also available by subscribing to DOL's Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer, and Labor Services.
For more information visit www.doleta.gov.
Grants
The Society of Plastics Industry (SPI)—Moldmakers Division
Apprentice Training Grant Program
This grant program was established as a way of promoting and encouraging moldmaking in the U.S. Institutions or organizations that provide specific training for moldmakers for the plastics industry are eligible. In-house training programs provided by a moldmaking business are not eligible for grant funding. Awards of up to $6,000 per applicant ($2,000/year for three years) will be made to successful institutions or organizations. Accepted institutions or organizations will be required to submit an annual progress report to maintain funding. Reapplication for refunding is permitted after three years.
For more information visit www.spi.org.
Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
Manufacturing Education Plan (MEP) Grant
Funding priority is given to educational institutions committed to improving the quality and development of manufacturing engineering and technology education and increasing manufacturing productivity through academia. The foundation will provide financial support to community colleges and university programs in North America in the areas of degree-based education.
Requests for proposals will solicit grant applications that target not only high academic quality, but also closing of the competency gaps. Exceptions will be considered for Research Initiation projects. Fewer but larger grants will be given priority where greater impact on students, faculty and curriculum can be projected. Cash grants will be restricted to colleges and universities offering degreed programs in manufacturing-related disciplines. Certificate programs will not be funded unless they are directly tied to an overall approach to provide continuing educational opportunities leading to at least an associate's degree in a manufacturing related discipline. Requests will be considered for up to $500,000 provided that they target and support the MEP criteria. The term of the grant can be up to two years.
Research Initiation
This grant award policy provides money for the development and definition of research projects in manufacturing. The duration of a Research Initiation grant is one year from the date of the Foundation's award letter.
M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Textbook Award
One of the critical needs in the development of manufacturing education is the availability of outstanding textbooks for use in the instructional programs of either manufacturing engineering or manufacturing engineering technology. Designed specifically for faculty, this award recognizes the development of outstanding manufacturing textbooks. It consists of a check for $2,500 and an appropriate plaque which may be given annually to the author(s) of the textbook judged as outstanding by the review committee.
Nominated textbooks must be published initially in the English language and the first edition published in North America. Only copyright dates of the current or previous year are eligible. Revised editions of earlier works normally are not acceptable. The textbook should be a teaching text of standard format with questions, problems and references. The text should present a significant contribution to the field of knowledge and should be directly concerned with one or more areas of manufacturing engineering.
Sargent Americanism Award
This award is designed to recognize faculty who have developed significant and innovative course work that creates a better understanding of business skills related to manufacturing among the students in colleges and universities in North America. One award consisting of a check for $2,500 and an appropriate plaque may be given annually to the faculty member(s) who develop innovative collegiate course work on business skills related to manufacturing.
The developed course should be available to undergraduate and/or graduate students in an engineering or technology discipline and may include, but not be limited to, developing an understanding of cash flow; return on investment; new product development costs; engineering economics; operations of the manufacturing enterprise; understanding of entrepreneurship; customer focus; risk analysis; risk management; and life cycle costing.
For more information on SME grants, visit www.sme.org.
Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)
Capital Fund
Grants from The SPE Foundation are available every year, funds permitting, for programs/projects that will benefit the members of SPE, the plastics industry and/or the general public. To apply for a grant, the grant application cover sheet must completed and returned with your application. The application must indicate a specific amount for a specific program/project (program) and must be submitted prior to the inception of that program and a clear statement about the objectives of the program.
Quarterly progress reports must be submitted to The SPE Foundation on the use of the grant funds. Copies of records from the organization's latest accounting cycle may be required as a final step in the grant process. All requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For more information visit www.4spe.org.
National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA)
Parker Endowment Grants
The National Tooling And Machining Foundation (NTMF) will fund project proposals under the Metric Machining/ Richard R. and Joan M. Parker Endowment. Approved activities will involve implementing performance standards from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) in metalworking education/training programs and integrating the standards into the human resource functions of area companies. The Parker Endowment was established in 1999 to promote the use of industry developed skill standards by educational institutions and companies in the Western states.
For more information visit www.ntma.org.
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