The G1 production line will manufacture automotive glass and architectural float glass. Production line construction is expected to begin this summer and be completed by the end of the year. The North American glass company hopes to offer the available new jobs to those that were recently laid off due to the shutdown of its Blue Ridge plant in Kingsport. The K1 production line in Kingsport produces glass for the solar industry. Since its shutdown AGC officials say that business has been negatively affected by the large amounts of imports from China.

President and CEO of the AGC Glass Company, Mark Ishiko, stated “We plan to service the growing demands of the North American automotive business, and grow our architectural business with higher quality clear and tinted float glass…Northeast Tennessee is an important region for our company and hopefully this restart [in Church Hill] will help lessen the effects from the K1 shutdown.”

Tennessee state officials as well as The Hawkins County Industrial Development Board have been working with AGC over the past two years to help secure taxes and other incentives to help restart the Church Hill plant. AGC Glass Company says they plan to include the latest environmentally friendly equipment as part of the reconstruction and have already for its state construction permit. AGC is based in Alpharetta, GA and is owned by Asahi Glass of Japan.

Increased hiring always leads to the opportunity to further industrial training skills. With easily accessible online courseware, employees are able receive industrial training from virtually anywhere and advance their education in an effort to boost productivity on the plant floor.

Despite tough economic times the United States is still the leading manufacturing nation in the world. This past Tuesday night President Barak Obama spoke to millions of viewers in his State of Union address. In his speech he reminded the American public that manufacturing has long been the backbone of the American economy and if invested in, the industry can boost our economy back to stability. While there have been struggles over the past years, the percent of GDP that manufacturing fills has remained nearly the same for more than 30 years. Businesses also provide a great portion of taxes that help run state and local governments and manufacturing is in close second, contributing nearly 20% of business taxation.

With the government taking a stand on improving the manufacturing industry and employers becoming more confident when it comes to hiring, a chance to train presents itself. Initial training and retraining are equally important when it comes to industrial skills. Manufacturing laborers often work in a wide variety of areas within the plant and without proper training it is almost certain they will not be able to perform their job safely or correctly. By allowing your workforce to improve their industrial skills and expand their expertise you’re giving them a chance to help themselves and your business.

ITC Learning is dedicated to providing quality courseware to help train your industrial employees. The goal of any industrial training skills program is to minimize downtime and maximize productivity, but at ITC Learning we take industrial skills training a step further by offering not only safety and mechanical training but also process training, control training, boiler training and much more. In an unsure time there is one thing you should be sure confident in, and that is the capabilities and the talent of your team. By providing comprehensive courseware that includes animations, audio and interactive exercises trainees receive a well-rounded learning experience. Additionally, all ITC content has undergone a thorough SME review to ensure accuracy and can be tailored to your business. Contact ITC Learning today to find out how interactive online courseware can increase your bottom line.

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Manufacturers have long been playing the waiting game when it comes to hiring new employees. The question is consistently whether to hire then train or to wait for the properly trained employee to come along. Well, the problem with the latter is that as the Baby Boomer generation continues to retire, older skilled workers are going to be hard to come by. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, a third of manufacturers are already facing relatively serious shortages of skilled employees left in the labor pool. So the only answer is to recruit, develop and maintain a talented workforce.

In order to develop and maintain a workforce rich in industrial training skills, top level managers must realize that the culture of their plant may also need to adapt to the younger industrial worker. Instead of a command and control environment, the younger generation responds better to working as a team.

When it comes to hiring, manufacturers need to look at the long term rather than the immediate. Although an employee that has extensive industrial skills upon hiring may seem ideal, technology is constantly changing and retraining will be required at some point. So then, why not train new hires properly when they first hit the plant floor? By developing the industrial skill sets of committed workers, younger employees can see the potential path ahead of them and in turn work harder to achieve those goals. But in order for them to reach those ambitions they must not only work hard but also efficiently and productively. By providing industrial skills training, manufacturers will benefit their business and their workforce. The return on investment is obvious, as productivity is bound to increase when abled and knowledgeable employees are working the plant floor.

So in today’s high tech society how do we supply training skills to new hires in an easy and accessible format? SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) based e learning systems make this simple. With SCORM online courseware is required to meet specific software standards so that trainees can access modules from an office computer or even their home computer. SCORM also makes it easy for plant managers to track their progress and update the courseware. In a quickly evolving world, SCORM makes delivering online industrial training simple and effective.

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On Tuesday the Samsung Group, an electronics firm headquartered in South Korea, announced they will invest upwards of 47.8 trillion won, which translates to approximately 41.56 billion U.S. dollars, in expansion. They plan to spend this year which will prompt them to hire nearly 26,000 new employees. The electronics conglomerate has proposed to largely invest funds in their new business segment. The group is made up of 66 affiliates which range from electronics to insurance and even finance. In South Korea, the top 30 business groups vowed to invest a collective 151.4 trillion won in 2012 and hire nearly 123,000 new workers.

With new plants come new responsibilities and in many cases new hires as well. All plant developers, owners and managers want their new beginning to run smoothly and profitably. So, in an effort to meet that goal, employing a properly trained workforce can help. Over the years technology has greatly affected process monitoring, control and industrial automation which has in turn helped improve productivity. This is precisely why control training and process training are critical when it comes to educating a new staff. Same goes for hydraulic training, pump training and boiler training.

Since all aspects of the manufacturing industry are constantly changing, we recommend keeping your employees up to date on the newest industrial advances and procedures. Online training courseware, like ITC Learning’s, can make training new employees and re-training your existing staff simple and affordable. Our online courseware was built following the SCORM standards so that we could provide our clients with the most user friendly industrial courseware that could be accessed from anywhere. Not only has SCORM allowed us to offer easily accessible online courseware but it also permits us to deliver courses that are easy to track and update, so you can see the progression of your trainees. Contact ITC Learning today to learn more.

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With the manufacturing production output for the coming year seeming much more positive than those of the past, many economists are already looking to 2013 as another great year for hiring. The once struggling automaker, Chrysler, plans to add nearly 1,250 jobs to two Detroit factories. 1,100 new hires will go to The Jefferson North Assembly Plant which will also add a third shift to help produce the new diesel model of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. An addition 150 new hires will go to the Conner Avenue factory once it reopens later this year to produce a new version of the Dodge Viper for the Street Racing Team.

Eager for new hiring to begin, the United Auto Workers Union Vice President General Holiefield stated, “Our workers nationwide have had a rough couple of years along with the American auto industry and we are proud to be partners in building a future of success starting right here in Detroit.”

Last Thursday, an update to Mayor Dave Bing’s financial and operational restricting plan noted the city’s unemployment rate had reached 24 percent. The Chief of Governmental and Corporate Affairs, Kirk Lewis, said the percentage accounted for those in Detroit actively looking for work. He said, “It could be as high as 40 percent of our citizens who don’t have jobs.”

A state appointed review team is currently looking into the city’s finances which could ultimately result in Michigan taking over Detroit’s city government. As of now the city is faced with a general fund deficit of almost $200 million. In an effort to save nearly $14 million, thousands of city jobs will be cut in the next few weeks. The hope is that a stable auto industry hiring will help fill jobs.

During the bailouts of 2009 the U.S. auto industry reached record lows over the past 30 years. Since then, auto sales have grown for two years and are expected to rise again this year. Automakers are once again making profits which give high hopes to those searching for manufacturing jobs in the industry.

When new jobs are in development, training your industrial employees becomes an essential part of hiring. The greatest benefit to industrial skills training is that it benefits both your business and your workforce. By enhancing the industrial training skills of your employees you can potentially increase output and ultimately increase revenue. With ITC Learning’s SORM based online courseware industrial skills training is made easy to learn and track. With increased output and a properly trained workforce your return on investment will be easy to see.

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December of 2011 has been noted as the month in which manufacturing grew at the fastest pace during the past six months. Hiring in U.S. factories continued to rise, with plants hiring more people more quickly since June of 2011. New orders also increased which shows a positive future in store for production. According to the Institute for Supply Management, in November the manufacturing index rose from 52.7 to 53.9-any reading above 50 marks expansion.

With the end of 2011 indicating expansions in the manufacturing industry, stocks surged on the first trading day of 2012 partly due to news that manufacturing also grew in India and China. The industrial average of the Dow Jones was reported to have gone up more than 250 points during the first hour of trading.

After the recession was officially over in 2009, factories were the first area of the economy to see improvement. And now, consumers have become more confident and in turn are spending more money. The Conference Board says its consumer confidence index increased in December to the highest point since last April. This greatly affects the economy as consumer spending accounts for approximately 70% of the economy.  Economists predict that car sales also went up in December due to increased sales in November. Not only will those increased sales boost output of automakers but also for other industry suppliers such as steel companies and tire makers. The Department of Commerce reported that orders made for long-lasting goods also rose in November, mostly due to increased commercial aircraft orders.

Unemployment applications continue to drop as well, which proves companies have laid off fewer employees and are expanding their workforces. During the past three months, weekly applications have dropped by almost 10%. With such positive outlooks for 2012, an Associated Press survey of economists predicts a steady expansion of 2.4% in 2012.

As confidence grows and agencies continue to hire, proper industrial training increases in importance. ITC Learning offers SCORM based online courseware which is dedicated to improving the industrial skills of your employees. From control training and process training to air compressor repair and boiler training, ITC Learning administers all necessary training skills in an online format that is sure to educate your workforce.  Contact us today to learn how our manufacturing training courseware can make a difference in your output.

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In 1871, the first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana. And today, almost 141 years later, Indiana is proving to be more than just a great place to hold baseball games, it has become a welcoming host to the manufacturing industry.

In 2003, Brian Emerick narrowed the focus of his Columbia City, Indiana based manufacturing plant to concentrate on the medical device industry after business in other segments had slowed down. Today, Mr. Emerick says it was the greatest move he ever made for his privately owned company, Micropulse Inc. Now, Micropulse has upwards of 200 employees and operates out of a 100,000 square foot manufacturing plant in Columbia City, Indiana, just 30 minutes outside of Warsaw where medical device manufacturing moguls such as Biomet, Symmetry Medical and Zimmer are headquartered. Fortunately, Columbia City is far enough from the Warsaw that is has no trouble finding qualified help. Emerick says, “There’s a rich manufacturing heritage in the area. It’s a very stable climate”. Micropulse has experienced steady expansion since it started and with the help of Whitley County and the state of Indiana it’s been able to further its business even more. In 2007, Micropulse was given tax cuts and matching funds to help add 47,000 square feet to their manufacturing facility in Columbia City.

While Warsaw has proven to be the orthopedic device manufacturing capital of the world, Northeast Indiana is in close second. With Fort Wayne at its center, the 10 county region is home to over 60 medical device companies that employ almost 2,000 workers. The areas proximity to Warsaw is also a major factor. In fact, it was a major selling point to Iotron Industries Canada Inc., a manufacturer that uses electron-beam radiation technology to sterilize agricultural products and medical devices. Iotron, which is based out of Vancouver, is currently finishing up a $15.3 million project that will build a new 54,000 square foot facility near Columbia County which is due to start production in 2012.

Not too far from Iotron, Fort Wayne Metals, which already has six facilities in Northeast Indiana, is expanding their production capabilities even more with a $12.9 million expansion project that hopes to create approximately 68 jobs by 2014. The metal manufacturer produces fine-grade wire used in medical tools.

While the medical device manufacturing industry is booming in the region, Northeast Indiana’s largest money makers continue to be industries such as transportation equipment, metals and plastics and rubber. General Motors is the region’s biggest industry employer and just recently announced in October that they will invest almost $275 million in its Fort Wayne plant in order to develop its next generation pickup truck.

Government officials in the region have made it a top priority to make sure the 335,000 industrial employees in the region continue to be properly prepared and placed for their work in the manufacturing field. With this effort in mind, there is a $20 million grant in the works, named the Talent Initiative, which plans to improve the industrial skill sets of the areas labor force. The Talent Initiative, which is being funded by a philanthropic foundation based in Indianapolis, will attempt to retrain adult workers for manufacturing jobs that are evolving due to changing technologies, expand engineering programs at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and start New Tech high schools that utilize project based learning models in an effort to keep the youth interested in the manufacturing industry.

While government intervention is a great way to amp up industrial training, ultimately the responsibility is left to manufacturing employers to ensure their workforce is properly trained with the right industrial skill sets. At ITC Learning we offer superior industrial training that is offered through a variety of mediums, each of which enables trainees to educate themselves on the basic and advanced industrial skills sets necessary in the manufacturing industry. Contact ITC Learning today to find out how you can get stared.

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On Tuesday the Obama administration approved onshore solar and wind farms in the West and pressed for off shore wind power in the Atlantic Ocean, in an attempt to increase renewable energy on each coast. The Interior department approved 300-megawatt solar farm to be placed on public land in Arizona as well as a 200-megawatt wind farm to be located in Southern California. The farms are the 24^th and 25^th renewable energy projects to be approved for placement on public land within the past two years. The two farms are expected to produce the amount of clean energy equivalent to that of 18 coal fired power plants. Currently developing Arizona’s Sonoran Solar Energy Project is NextEra Energy Resources from Florida. The solar energy farm aims to produce enough energy to power upwards of 90,000 homes.  Iberdrola Renewables, a Spanish based energy company, is heading the Tule Wind Project in California which hopes to produce enough electricity to power approximately 65,000 homes.

Last year, Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar sanctioned the Cape Wind project located in Massachusetts. The project was reviewed federally for several years before being approved and allowing the first offshore wind farm to be built.

Salazar stated on Tuesday they are also moving forward with a massive transmission project that plans to transmit wind energy produced offshore from Virginia to New Jersey. The project would require the construction of high voltage transmission lines along the Atlantic Coast.

Over the years the wind industry has faced some setbacks. Including the failure of Congress to extend a production tax credit and a cash grant program, that has helped advance the industry’s growth in the past. The American Wind Energy Association led a study that found that should Congress not renew the tax credit, almost 37,000 U.S. jobs could potentially be lost.

However, with the two new renewable energy farm projects underway the hope it that they will create U.S. jobs within the industry. And with projects starting fresh, employers have the opportunity to train a well-rounded industrial workforce. ITC Learning offers just that, the materials you need in an easy and accessible format that will enhance the industrial skill sets of your staff as well as ensure the success of your industrial business. With ITC Learning’s online training courseware, content is user friendly and the progress of your trainees can easily be tracked. Contact ITC Learning today to find out how our SCORM based online training courseware can help boost your output.

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On Friday, the Obama administration proposed a plan for the Environmental Protection Agency to ease up on some of the rules which intend to reduce air pollution from industrial boilers and incinerators. Without compromising the health benefits of the proposed regulations, the EPA revised the emissions limits for industrial boilers so that they are more flexible.

The EPA’s top air pollution official, Gina McCarthy, told the press “We have found a way to get better protections, lower emissions and lower costs as well.” With the newest revisions, the EPA’s standards will affect less than 1 percent of U.S. boilers and will cost approximately $1.5 billion less than the original proposal put forth in 2010. Approximately 5,500 of the largest and most polluting boilers in the U.S. will require pollution controls, most of these boilers are located in major refineries and chemical plants. About 195,000 smaller boilers will need routine checkups in order to meet the new standards. The majority of boilers in the U.S., which amounts to almost 1.3 million, are too small and do not release enough pollution to be effected by the rule.

The new rule will most likely require improvements of current pollution controls in chemical plants, refineries and paper mills that may ultimately cost nearly $3 billion. These new standards could potentially put 230,00 jobs at risk however, they may also create a market valued at around $24 billion for companies that offer pollution control services, such as Babcock & Wilcox Co. and the Shaw Group of Baton Rouge, LA.

The standards are intended to benefit the health of Americans and reduce the risk of cancer and asthma, potentially saving as many as 8,100 lives in 2015.

ITC learning offers boiler training in a multimedia format. Our boiler training program focuses on the operation and maintenance of boilers and the safety systems associated with them. Once the Environmental Protection Agency’s new standards are put into effect, proper boiler training will be all the more important in every industrial organization that utilizes boiler equipment. Click here to find out how we can aid your organization in superior boiler training so that you’re well-appointed with properly trained industrial employees before and after the EPA’s new boiler standards are implemented.

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With the beginning of a new month comes the statistics of the past month. And this year, they’re looking positive. Thanks to an increase in new orders and production, U.S. factories saw the greatest increase in business since June 2011. Washington reported that manufacturing has increased for the past 28 consecutive months. The Department of Labor said that the number of unemployment applications increased to approximately 400,000 last week, the greatest increase over the past four weeks. While they also reported productivity of those employed rose at an annual rate of 2.3 percent during the July through September quarter. These statistics suggest that the hiring market may be growing at a slower rate compared to production output. The Commerce Department states that construction spending rose for the third consecutive month, however in spite of the increase spending overall remained low in November.

While the unemployment rate stayed at 9 percent for the second month in a row, payroll provider ADP seems optimistic, stating that companies added nearly 206,000 workers last month. Few economic indicators point toward the economy slowly reaching recovery while U.S. factories are reaping the benefits from increased auto sales and subsequent parts and raw material sales.

Consumer confidence seemed to reach an all-time high over the holiday weekend, giving corporations hope that steady growth is here to stay and ultimately will create more jobs in the coming year.

Hopeful corporations means factories and plants will want to ensure their workforce is trained to meet the highest of standards. ITC Learning strives to help organizations achieve the productive and efficient output goals they aim to reach. ITC Learning’s impeccable industrial training skills ensure that your workforce is properly and effectively trained for their job on the factory floor. From process training to maintenance training we aim to provide easy to use and innovative training courseware. At ITC Learning we offer full motion video courseware. With video gradually becoming a more engaging form of communication compared to simple text and images, we are able to provide a learning experience for adult learners like no other training program. By utilizing video courseware, instruction is put into action. As a result, your trainees are able to see how processes and procedures are carried out in real time.  Click here to browse ITC’s video courseware catalogue and our expansive library of online training courseware.

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