Manufacturing Connection December Newsletter

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) is committed to supporting manufacturers. One of LCTCS’ initiatives is to train a successful workforce. The system office works with each individual community college to create relevant, timely programs and services that address their specific industry needs. In support of these goals, we welcomed two new project managers to our team: Ms. Miriam Russell, who has been part of the manufacturing industry for 30+ years, worked with over 3,000 clients, and trained more than 5,000 individuals; and Mr. John Garrison, who has more than 15 years of experience executing projects such as visual management systems, work standardization, and enhanced facility layouts. Additionally, the search is ongoing for project managers to be located at the following colleges:

• Central Louisiana Technical Community College

• SOWELA Technical Community College

Please visit https://www.lctcs.edu/human-resources/jobs for job descriptions and directions to apply.

As we wrap up 2018, I would like to reflect on the progress that we are making in Louisiana. The most recent IMPACT score is at its highest level in four years, which is a testament to the great work being accomplished by our team members. This year, we worked with more than 70 manufacturers, and most of them were “new” clients. Moreover, the surveyed manufacturers over the past four quarters reported the following:

·          More than 20 Million in Retained Sales

·          More than 12 Million in New Sales

·          More than 1,100 Created and Retained Jobs

·          More than 17 Million in New Investments

·          More than 10 Million in Cost Savings

·          More than 95% in Improved Competitiveness

·          A Net Promoter Score ® greater than 95%

Recently, Pat Toth, a Computer Scientist at NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) participated in an interview with Samm Bowman titled What Manufacturers Need to Know About Cybersecurity Right Now . Toth explains that according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the “manufacturing industry is the second most targeted industry based on the number of reported cyber-attacks.” Fortunately, there are things that small and medium-sized manufacturers can do that are low-to no-cost and easy to implement like putting policies in place and educating employees. If a company is ready to improve its cybersecurity, it can start by utilizing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework which focuses on five simple steps: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. This month’s Partner Spotlight features Ingalls Information Security, a Louisiana based cybersecurity services provider. Make sure you read their article which focuses on the Phishing Epidemic and how to protect your company even further.

I look forward to 2019 and to working with the MEP team to continue partnering with manufacturers across Louisiana, who are working each day to make a difference in the lives of our communities, state, country and world through innovative products, value-added processes, and economic impact.

Happy Holidays

Dr. Ali Ahmad, Director

Continue reading the Manufacturing Connection December Newsletter here.