Category: Uncategorized

Sourcing Talent Pools Is Critical and Often Overlooked

Many times in my career when I was in or associated with HR, we talked about recruitment. Seldom did that discussion ever cover the activity and approach of sourcing. What is Sourcing?  Sourcing is the identification of the total pool of talent that may be able either immediately or with structured training to fill the […]

Written by on February 6, 2023

Manufacturing Day (MFG Day/ Month) 2022 is almost here!

What is it about? The goal of MFG Day/ Month is to spread the word about the importance of manufacturing, its benefits to our economy, and the many career opportunities that exist within the industry. When does it start and how long does it run? October 7, 2022 is the “official” MFG Day, but many states–including […]

Written by on August 11, 2022

Are You Ready for a Revolution?

The term “Industrial Revolution” often recalls images of 19th century factories, steam engines, and the shift from an agricultural economy to the manufacturing focus that shaped the last 150 years, especially here in the northeast.  Today, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is already underway, and it has the potential to fundamentally change the way we work, […]

Written by on June 1, 2022

Four Key Stages Business Leaders Must Overcome to Change Results

The following blog post is reprinted with permission from CONNSTEP, VMEC’s Connecticut sister MEP Center.  Many small to mid-sized manufacturers, as well as other businesses, simply plod along from year to year. Revenues hover around the same level while wrestling with recurring operational challenges and not managing to “crack the code” for what it takes […]

Written by on February 10, 2022

Broken Supply Chains Call for New Strategies

When offshoring became a necessity a few decades ago, primarily as a way to achieve the cost reductions demanded by big box stores and others, few people considered how fragile the resulting supply chain might become.  Now it’s on everyone’s lips.  You might be able to Zoom in real time with your Asian supplier, but […]

Written by on January 3, 2022

TWI Explained

As Vermont manufacturers work to adjust to the new normal, business leaders are finding value in improved employee relationships as we return to work, along with the ever-present need for standardized training and instruction. VMEC’s Training Within Industry (TWI) programs offer opportunities to expand supervisor knowledge in the areas of Job Instruction (JI) and Job […]

Written by on June 21, 2021

Small Technical Assistance Grants Yield Big Impacts

In September 2020, the Vermont Legislature allocated $2.5 million of federal CARES Act funding for small business technical support in Act 137. Governor Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development announced that the RDCs of Vermont (Regional Development Corporations) would be tasked with deploying $1,400,000 in technical assistance funding for small businesses across […]

Written by on February 5, 2021

Partnerships Create Rapid Innovation During COVID-19 Crisis

Like their counterparts around the country, Vermont manufacturers found themselves facing a long list of challenges as Coronavirus-related shutdowns pushed clients and suppliers into dramatically different new modes of operation last year. Many turned to new product and service offerings, leveraging their capabilities in creative ways to offset the many and varied challenges that presented […]

Written by on January 12, 2021