Listen to the ~3 minute broadcast here: NPR clip

Here’s what manufacturers want when they say “We need people with math skills” :

North American Tool’s  Jim Hoyt: “I’ll write a few numbers down, mostly numbers with decimal points, because that’s what we use in manufacturing, and have them add, subtract or divide by two”

And often they can’t do it. Having basic math knowledge, especially of decimals, is important because of the precise inputs of modern CNC machines.”- NPR reporter.

Read the CNC screen to get an idea why decimals are important.

The inability to add, subtract,  and divide decimals is keeping a lot of people unemployed, and a lot of advanced manufacturing jobs unfilled.

What is sad is that the student that NPR quotes at the end of their interview as having been successfully trained  in math is unconvincing that the math skills problem is anywhere near solved: in fact, he remains proof of the lack of math understanding we face as employers.

He is clearly confused, and doesn’t seem to understand the values of the numbers he is speaking about.

If “the vernier caliper reads to a hundred thousandths of an inch  (0.100”) ,”  how can he be reading in ten thousandths of an inch (0.0001″) as he tells the reporter?

A vernier caliper, regardless of 50 line or 25 line type can read to thousandths (0.001″) not ten thousandths (0.0001″).

“…some of these parts are small- as small as 10 thousandths. If you don’t know what 10 thousandths of an inch is, just take a strand of your hair and that’s like twenty  or thirty thousandths of an inch.”

Really? Doesn’t he  actually mean twenty or thirty ten-thousandths?

A human hair is on average 0.0039″,  read 3.9 thousandths of an inch.  Not 25 or 30 thousandths.

(Actually its about 100 µm but I’ll not start down that path…)

So how does 0.0039″ come out to the “25 or 30  thousandths of an inch” claimed by the student?Maybe he meant 25 or thirty ten-thousandths  0.0025-0.0030″.

But that is not what he said.

Thirty thousandths  is 0.030 in. – that is off by a factor of at least ten. Unless he meant 30 ten-thousandths.

How would you like to have an error of a factor of ten on say the fuel injector on your car, or the nozzle that delivers your medicine or portion controls your food or drink or that deploys your air bag in the event of a crash?

Our industry makes critical human safety medical parts, brake and airbag parts for automobiles, as well as parts for numerous aerospace and munitions and food service applications.

We need people who don’t confuse 0.003″ to be 0.030.” It’s kind of important.

Thanks to NPR for showing just how pervasive the math skills problem really is- even after “bridge training,” they still don’t get it.

Now you know the problem that manufacturers are facing.

NPR has just given you the proof.

And why doesn’t anyone ever ask, “Why aren’t the high schools held accountable for the fact that their graduates can’t do the math?”

Click here for  the NPR clip

Lou Dobbs is hosting a program exploring the shortage of skilled workers tonight on Fox News.

Yet our precision machining shops have openings for skilled machinists.

Out of Work” is the name of the show.  Business owners speak about the need for skilled labor and not enough candidates.

Look for “Out of Work”  on Fox News (National) tonight at (9:00 P.M. and tomorrow at 4:00 P.M.

One  clip with a CNC instructor at Lehigh CTC near Allentown, PA shows the jobs he has open and not enough candidates.

I will be talking with faculty from Cuyahoga Community College today about some internships for the fall.

The shortage of skilled workers is real.

The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM)  “Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)”  plunged 3.8  points for June, to a level of 49.7.  According to ISM,  a PMI below “50” is consistent with a contraction of manufacturing.

Our respondents are still showing strong order books, with many shops only taking off one day for the holiday this week.

With only one day off this week due to order volume and backlog, finding time for grilling will be a scheduling challenge too!

While the June  PMI of 49.7  shows contraction in manufacturing, it nevertheless is  consistent with an increase of real GDP, according to the ISM. About 2.4% as I read the release.

History lesson: This is the first instance of the PMI coming in below 50 since July 2009- the end of the “Great Recession;” it had been on a 34 consecutive month run indicating growth in manufacturing.

Circumstances today around the world make it easy to use this indicator as a sign that bad days are coming here. Our data and conversations with shops indicate that that would be a great way to miss the opportunities that are available right now.

Why let the talking heads scare you out of today’s opportunity to employ your productive assets and employees?

This is an important indicator, but it does not sound  the death knell for our very strong manufacturing business es at this time.

Our business trends report for June will be out in two weeks. We’ll revisit this then.