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9/27/12 Businesses,schools hit it off I Star News <br /> erstarnews.com httplierstarnews.com/2012/09/24/businesses-schools-hit-it-offi <br /> Businesses, schools hit it off <br /> By Jim Boyle on September 24, 2012 at 1:42 pm <br /> by Jim Boyle <br /> Editor <br /> If you had to describe this past week's introductory meeting between school officials and area <br /> manufacturers as a first date,you could say it ended with a passionate kiss and an agreement to <br /> meet again. <br /> Both groups and their matchmakers — the economic development departments at four cities in <br /> Sherburne County — left the 7 a.m. meeting feeling a sense of excitement and promise. <br /> Clay Wilfahrt,the city of Elk River's assistant director of economic development who got <br /> representatives of Elk River schools at the table,was still pumped later that day. "It was such a <br /> great tone setter to walk out and see so many people buzzing," Wilfahrt said. <br /> There's a lot of work to be done to address a labor shortage in skilled positions working with <br /> automation, robotics and such. It's a problem both locally and nationally. <br /> One of the nation's largest manufacturers at a recent symposium estimated this country is 900 <br /> machine shops short of fulfilling its needs alone over the next 20 years. In Elk River there are 80 <br /> manufacturers, and all seem to feel the effects of the skilled labor shortage in a field that has <br /> largely fallen out of favor with Generations X and Y. <br /> Manufacturers,who say they battle an image problem created by the dungeons of old that etched <br /> a dark and dirty picture in people's minds, have welcomed the Sherburne County Manufacturers <br /> Connection being spearheaded by people like Wilfahrt. <br /> It has been the goal Annie Deckert, the city director of economic development, and Wilfahrt to get <br /> these groups together to address common concerns and increase interest in manufacturing <br /> careers. <br /> "This is a huge win under the economic development belt," Deckert said of connecting <br /> manufacturers with our high schools and middle schools.The program should lead nicely into <br /> Minnesota's Manufacturing Week, slated for Oct. 22-28. <br /> One goal will be to give high school kids a chance to tour Sherburne County manufacturers.The <br /> erstamews.com/2012/09/24/businesses-schools-hit-it-of f/ 1/3 <br />