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9/27/12 Businesses, schools hit it off I Star News <br /> city of Elk River is also working with local manufacturers to partner and provide open houses to <br /> the public. <br /> Elk River has more than 6o manufacturers,who employ more than 900 people. They make things <br /> such as the Jack Link's wrappers on beef jerky (Quality Label) to plastic sailboats in Great Clips <br /> Salons across the nation (Classic Acrylics). <br /> Businesses such as Alliance Machine, M&M Machine and Faribault Foods have been participants in <br /> the Sherburne County Manufacturers Connection. So have Elk River, Princeton, Becker and Big <br /> Lake schools. <br /> Tuesday's meeting was held at Glenn Metalcraft in Princeton. It was the third in a series of <br /> meetings between manufacturers and community development and economic development <br /> departments in Elk River, Big Lake, Becker and Princeton. <br /> Up to this week it has been informational in nature.All things seemed to point to a meeting with <br /> schools and manufacturers. <br /> Manufacturers locally and across the nation are grappling with a workforce shortage. School <br /> administrators are trying to figure out the best possible plan of action for this brave new world <br /> they find themselves in,while at the same time make decisions about the costly nature of shop <br /> classes. <br /> "My dream is to influence some of these guys coming out of high school that don't have a career <br /> path chosen yet," said Brian Provo,the owner of Alliance Machine and an Elk River graduate <br /> himself. "There's a good living to be made for a lot of people. <br /> "There's a lot of manufacturing in Sherburne County, and we're all in desperate need of help. I'd <br /> give my eyeteeth for a dozen more people right now." <br /> People are needed to be machinists and to work with robotics and other forms of automation. <br /> These jobs do not align very well with the stereotypical images people have a factory laborers. <br /> "Ninety percent of the job is monitoring robots and computers," said Provo,who also serves on the <br /> Elk River Economic Development Authority. "They do less handwork than ... I do in a day.A lot of <br /> it's like the work of a brain surgeon. Measure twice. Cut once." <br /> These workers need to come in with some experience and baseline knowledge. That's why they <br /> are looking to high schools and two-year tech schools for help. <br /> "The manufacturers want to see how we can improve the skilled labor force, and prepare kids for <br /> erstarnews.com/2012/09/24/businesses-schools-hit-it-off/ 2/3 <br />