Increasing Agility - ESCO and the Employer Workforce Training Fund

DOES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WORK?

ASK ESCO...
ESCO, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a metals manufacturing company with factories in twenty-six countries. Its two Portland foundries employ over 1,000 workers. As ESCO faced changes in the industry, it realized that it needed to retool its workers as well. With high costs and a challenging economic environment, ESCO turned to its Local Workforce Investment Board, Worksystems Inc., for help. Worksystems provided a federally funded Employer Workforce Training Fund grant for ESCO to create and implement a training program based on lean manufacturing principles and leadership training. The program addressed the need for ESCO workers at all levels to be actively engaged in problem solving and recommending continuous improvements. ESCO was so pleased with the results of the program that the company implemented the training as the standard for all of its sites.

As ESCO continued its efforts to increase competitiveness through worker training, the company recognized that it was not alone in the workforce challenges facing the metals industry. So it returned to Worksystems Inc. to partner in a new way. They helped to convene other metals companies as the Portland Metals Manufacturing Consortium. The consortium members work together on common training needs and industry challenges. Worksystems provides staffing to the consortium to help member companies pool training needs and implement high quality, lower cost solutions for more employees than companies would be able to provide individually.

ESCO considers Worksystems a strong partner in building a more competitive industry base for the Portland area. Training has helped workers grow and take on new responsibility. Facilitation and project management from Worksystems has allowed companies to expand training options and explore new opportunities for additional skill development.

Does Workforce Investment Work? Ask ESCO.

"I think of Worksystems as a reliable right hand person. I feel like they're on top of what's out there. They let us know. They bring opportunities to us. They're great communicators, great project coordinators. They've done a great job of providing a platform for companies to work together. "
Heather Noel, ESCO and the Portland Metals manufacturing Consortium, Portland

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ESCO
• Oregon Workforce Partnership
• Workforce Investment Act
• Industry competitiveness
• metals manufacturing
• high performance
• skill
• worker training