My child is attending a votech school while in high school. Since there are no more steel mills in our region, what kind of a job will he/she be able to find with this education?
If your child is serious about school work and acquires good skills, there are many job and career opportunities within the over 4,000 small to mid-sized manufacturing companies in the region. The region has a shortage of skilled workers and was unable to fill over 1200 skilled manufacturing jobs in 2003. See: Manufacturing in Southwest PA.

I recently lost my job as airplane mechanic for United Airlines. Is there a job in manufacturing that I could find that would use my mechanical skills?
Yes, the skills and experience you acquired while employed with the airlines can be transferred into the manufacturing field. For example, electronics, electrical and welding skills are easily transferred into manufacturing positions. Combining your hands on experience and good work ethic makes you very marketable in this field.

What type of career advancement is there in a machine shop?
Working in a machine shop at an entry level production position can be just the beginning of an interesting and profitable career path within manufacturing. With On the Job Training (OJT) and additional educational options career advancements are well within reach. Demonstrating the willingness to learn more, upgrade skills, accept new techniques, challenges and responsibilities and provide a good work ethic could result in advancement to Team Leader, Shift Supervisor, Manufacturng Engineer, Plant Manager, Training Manager. The sky is the limit.

My daughter is very good at taking things apart and putting them back together or even modifying them. She will be entering high school in this fall. Who should I talk to about this interest and the fact that I really don't think she is college material?
This is a very common question. Here are a few suggestions to follow: Find out if your school district has a career counselor and make an appointment to talk to that person as soon as possible. If there is no career counselor in your district contact the school guidance counselor who has been assigned to your daughter. Also contact the Career Technology Center (CTC) and/or Area Vocational Technical School (AVTS) that is partnered with your school district and ask if you and your daughter can have a tour of the facility and talk to one of their career counselors and/or admissions representatives Stay true to your course and remember persistence pays off.

Is there any proof that career and technical education works?
Many state and local studies have confirmed that career and technical education pays. A recent large-scale study of 13,000 Ohio vocational education graduates found that seven years after high school, vocational graduates earned significantly more than a comparable group of non-vocational graduates and that the earnings gap between the two groups appeared to widen with time. (See www.acteonline.org)

My son will be entering 9th grade August, 2004 and he has been registered to attend a Career and Technology (CTC) part time during the school week. Can he find gainful employment with this training?
If your son has chosen a program in drafting, electronics, machining or welding, future employment opportunities are varied and many. Manufacturing is still the 2nd largest employment sector in southwestern PA. He may find a job immediately after high school with the skills he acquired during his technical training working for one the many manufacturing companies or he may choose to continue his education in our region's post secondary programs related to manufacturing in area technical schools, community colleges and universities. See education and careers

What is career and technical education?
Career and technical education prepares both youth and adults for a wide range of manufacturing careers that require specific technical skills. These careers require varying levels of education from high school to post-secondary certificates to two and four year colleges. See Education.

Where is career and technical education offered?
Public middle schools typically offer some career and technical education courses. At the end of eigth grade students often have to decide whether they are interested in techncial training as they select their courses for ninth grade. Students can get technical training at their local Career and Technology Center/Area Vocational and Technical School. In some high schools technology courses are integrated into the regular high school program. Career and technical programs are often supplemented by wok-based experiences such as internships or apprenticeships. See Education/High School.

Is career and technical education only for students who are not college bound?
No. Career and technical education provides high school students the opportunity to learn specific skills that will enable them to become gainfully employed either full-time or part-time while in college. Students often find that rigorous academic content is easier to learn when it is tied to hands-on technical applications. The academic component of technical training ensures that students will also be prepared to go to college. Tech prep programs link high school and community college curricula to help students make a smooth transition to postsecondary education and careers. See Education/High school/Tech Prep.

How is career and technical education funded?
The US federal government funds career and technical education through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act. Federal funding represents about 8-10% of the budgets for these programs. Remaining costs are funded through state and local revenue. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Higher Education Act, and the Workforce Investment Act also fund these programs.

What type of technology is being used currently in manfuacturing?
High tech equipment is frequently used to describe the new manufacturing facilities. High tech equipment refers to the computerized advancements in manufacturing equipment and machinery. Many of the pieces of existing machinery have been modified by the addition of computers and the development of software packages that allow technicians to operate more than one piece of equipment at a time and to improve productivity and quality at the same time.

Who sponsors AMCSquared (AMC2)?
The initial contract to develop the collaborative was provided by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development. Currently there are 70+ members with new additions being added weekly working on a collaborative informational system to spread the good news concerning jobs, career pathways and education and training within SW PA relating to the Manufacturing sector. See About Us.

How can I become a part of the AMCSquared (AMC2) Advisory Board?
You can reach us through the Contact Us link top right corner on the home page of www.amcsquared.com.

What is AMCSquared/AMC2?
AMC Squared (AMC2) is an acronym for the Advanced Manufacturing Career Collaborative which is a unique partnership between the Southwester PA manufacturing community, secondary/post secondary institutions and workforce development agencies throughout a 9 county region. The purpose is to be a one stop source for information gathering and distribution as it relates to the manufacturing industry and career and education options and planning.

What is the best way to communicate with AMCSquared (AMC2)?
We want to hear from you! Send us your questions or suggestions to contact us at the www.amcsquared.com home page.

How can I link my site to AMCSquared (AMC2)?
Choose from the HTML linking options below:

1) Adding a graphical link along with a text link and descriptive text

This option will appear like this:

www.amcsquared.com - Your link to manufacturing career opportunities in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Copy and Paste this code into your web page:

<!— BEGIN AMC2 Linking CODE —>
<a href="http://www.amcsquared.com"> 
<img width="125" height="39" border="0" 
ismap alt="AMC2"
src="http://www.amcsquared.com/images
/link_logo.gif">
www.amcsquared.com</a> 
- Your link to manufacturing career 
opportunities in Southwestern 
Pennsylvania.
<!— END AMC2 Linking CODE —>

2) Adding a text link and descriptive text only.

This option will appear like this:

www.amcsquared.com - Your link to manufacturing career opportunities in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Copy and Paste this code into your web page:

<!— BEGIN AMC2 Linking CODE —>
<a href="http://www.amcsquared.com">
www.amcsquared.com</a> 
- Your link to manufacturing career 
opportunities in Southwestern 
Pennsylvania.
<!— END AMC2 Linking CODE —>

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