When you ask a child want they want to be when they grow up, they will often say: astronaut, teacher, firefighter, or ballet dancer. They have a vision of themselves in the future. Yet, very few children have a plan to get to that vision. The goals are missing.

2020 has taught us that Hope, Reflection and Gratitude, and the simple meanings behind each can be quite difficult to do or demonstrate in today’s environment…..as individuals, members of a community, manufacturing team members and leaders, each one of us has our own unique vantage point and an individual story on how this pandemic has affected us both personally and/or professionally.  

I had an AHA moment the other day. I shouldn’t have, really. What I’m about to reveal should have been painfully obvious. But, as the old saying goes, sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. I had been blinded by all the trees standing right in front of me and didn’t realize I was in the middle of a very large forest.

2020 highlighted the resiliency and significance of our manufacturers. Illinois manufacturers have been on the forefront as heroes during challenging times, contributing to efforts to become leaders in global competitiveness. Manufacturing leaders understand that in times of uncertainty, it is much better to navigate the unknown together with other forward-thinking leaders who are finding innovative ways to solve current challenges and build a stronger future.

Dedicated to cultivating ideas and sharing knowledge that can help Illinois manufacturers solve challenges and thrive through uncertainty, IMEC launched Manufacturing Leader Buzz Sessions over the summer. Buzz

Research shows that there continues to be an on-going shortage of skilled employees. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, everywhere you went there was a “Help Wanted” sign, and even during COVID-19, there is still a shortage of skilled employees. So, what do you do about it? The first order of business is to highly engage the team you have, and the second order of business is to create a highly skilled, energized team of producers.

An original article from the NIST Manufacturing Innovation Blog.

As a proud son of the Midwest (yes, my family does exchange holiday cheese, and yes, it’s delicious, we have no regrets), I was particularly interested in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Partnership Extension (NIST MEP) virtual round table for Midwest manufacturers. All our nation’s manufacturers are important to me and, of course, we at NIST MEP love them all equally, but there’s always a certain extra curiosity about how the home team’s doing, isn’t there? On Aug. 26, 2020, we brought together manufacturers virtually as part of a series of conversations about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic impact. Our goal in hosting these listening sessions, which we call the “National Conversation with Manufacturers,” was to discern how best to support manufacturers through the current uncertainty and beyond.

This is an original article written by Katie Rapp, Writer/Editor for the MEP National Network.

We are seeing large surges in COVID cases around the country and we are heading into winter when we tend to remain indoors for longer periods of time. It's important to consider optimizing your workplace ventilation to continue to provide a healthy workplace for your employees. Here is some guidance from OSHA on things you can do to optimize air flow and air turnover in your facility.

Written by Chicago Commons.

As workplaces continue to evolve during this unprecedented public health crisis, IMEC continues to help with strategies and creative systems to solve the challenges businesses face.

To that end, one of the unique challenges that many employers and employees face in this moment is childcare options. With so many parents trying to balance working remotely with facilitating their children’s virtual schooling and other developmental needs, it can feel like an endless struggle to find the right path forward.