The earlybird registration deadline for the 2018 Operations Managers meeting is tomorrow. We hope that those of you who were at the Government Affairs conference last week, and heard AWPA President John T. Johnson speaking about the importance of this meeting to operations personnel, have contacted the people at your company who would benefit from attending and encouraged them to register.
If you weren’t at last week’s meeting, here are some reasons why your company’s operations personnel should attend the Operations Managers Meeting:
Roundtable Discussions
Each meeting sets aside an hour for small group discussions about the specific challenges facing your managers and supervisors. It’s a chance to get input from other managers on scrap and mill scale liquidation, carrier/spool returns, wire packaging, labeling, Prop 65, workplace security, cell phone policies or a fork lift choice that’s getting the job done – anything that affects operations. It’s a rare opportunity and we hope you will take advantage.
Safety, Safety, Safety
Every year safety is a topic that ranks high on every manufacturing company’s list of concerns. It’s a non-competitive challenge that affects every single company. This year we will hear from safety personnel from several AWPA companies, and have a discussion about best practices in safety programs, OSHA requirements, and other issues. If you have a question or concern you’d like to hear addressed, this is a great opportunity.
Workforce Development
The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows over 25% of the manufacturing workforce is over the age of 55. A study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute predicts that over the next decade 2 million of the 3.5 million manufacturing jobs likely needed will go unfilled because of the skills gap. On top of these factors, as of the end of 2016, the opioid crisis has impacted manufacturing-centric counties across the US dramatically and marijuana is becoming increasingly legal. How is your company handling these employment challenges? This year we will have 3 related presentations – one on retaining existing workers, one on promoting your company to potential new hires, and one on meeting the challenge of drug-testing with best practices in this new environment.
Who should you send to the Operations Managers Meeting?
Often employees wear many hats – if you have employees that fall into any of these categories, they will benefit from this program:
Operations Managers
Safety Managers
Human Resource Professionals
Employees with Regulatory Compliance Responsibilities
Registration is available on the AWPA website here: http://www.awpa.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/18OPS
Discounted hotel reservations are still available by contacting Heather in the AWPA office: houthuse@awpa.org.