While some manufacturing professionals have had difficulty finding work in recent years because of the recession and and outsourcing of manufacturing jobs, the one area of the manufacturing job market that seems to be abundant is in the area of specifically skilled labor, which is both higher paying and offers higher levels of job security.

What do interested parties need to do to advance their manufacturing careers? A good place to start is your local community college–many of these colleges have basic and advanced trade training programs that can help you start in a more in-demand field or climb higher in a sector you already have experience in. Another resource are local intern programs, which may be temporarily lower paying but offer the specific skills you need to advance. If you don’t have these resources at your disposal or find them to be inaccessible because of cost or hours, many technical schools offer similar programs during the evenings and at a low cost.

The bottom line for workers and the economy is this: the opportunity to seek advanced training and education in specific skills means better jobs, better job security and a stronger manufacturing job market for everyone. It also means that seeking manufacturing work straight out of high school and skipping college may be a more lucrative option for recent graduates–and educational alternative in a nation where college educations are becoming less practical and more expensive at the same time.

As in many other developed countries, manufacturing is an important part of the Australian economic climate and especially the country’s job market–Manufacturing jobs account for just under 9% of the nation’s employment.

In order to raise awareness of the innovations and potential for growth within the sector, manufacturers from around the continent will be gather in Sydney this week to participate in National Manufacturing Week. Specific categories of industry, including sustainable factories, and automation technologies, will be among the dozen featured.

This convention comes after a multi-corporation plan introduced by manufacturing companies within all industries and from all geographic regions in March, which seeks to address their growing concerns over the collapse of the manufacturing market while encouraging reform that they claim will benefit the manufacturing companies and employees who work for them.

Tomorrow the Australian government will be issuing a new budget, and many experts and manufacturing-interest advocates are hopeful that it will include the much needed financial assistance for the manufacturers of Australia.

What is the limiting factor when it comes to bringing these jobs back to the States? The answer may surprise you—new information shows that it’s not the companies that keep the jobs overseas, but a shortage of American workers—but this isn’t entirely bad news.

Rather, it means that there is an untapped job market for American workers and a very real chance that American manufacturers will be able to ship manufacturing jobs back to our own economy.

There’s a limited number of workers with the skill set necessary to do specific manufacturing jobs, and those who have the skills have found jobs—leaving domestic manufacturing plants with job openings in those niches scrambling to find labor.  What’s the solution? Leaders in the industry say that revitalizing career training for these positions can encourage young people to seek out a career in manufacturing that can almost guarantee them job placement in a weak economy but also strengthen that economy at the same time.

Vocational programs at high schools, community college and local technical schools can improve the economic welfare of the individuals working in these industries, the communities where manufacturing facilities are located and the national economy as a whole.

A new product has come to our attention, and we think it’s one worth considering as the alternative to traditional plywood pallets (finally!). These innovate pallets are made of 100% recycled cardboard. Pallets that are lightweight, fully recyclable and cost less to ship? Sounds like a cost-cutting solution if ever we hear of one! Need another reason to try cardboard shipping pallets? Here’s a few more:

1. Environmental Footprint - Wooden pallets can be used a few times, but then they need to be retired because of cracks, splintering and general wear and tear. For those pallets, a few uses means heading to the dump or being burned in an incinerator that releases the toxic chemicals, used to seal and treat the wood, into the air. Not only that, the process used to produce wooden pallets uses huge amounts of energy to harvest trees, process lumber and assemble the pallet each time a new pallet is needed. Paper pallets are made from 100% recycled paper and are 100% recyclable—cutting back the use of new products and the energy necessary to create a sturdy industrial pallet.
2. Storage & Convenience – One of the great things about cardboard shipping pallets is that they are sent to you with the final stage of assembly (which is relatively easy, just watch this video about the use and assembly of cardboard shipping pallets) they take up less space than fully assembled pallets. You can even continue to customize them after you order by using the same triangular supports with different sizes of flat cardboard bases.
3. Cost – The shipping costs associated with ordering a large number of wooden pallets is huge—they are large, bulky and heavy. Paper pallets, while still sturdy enough to hold an industrial load, are lighter to ship (10 lbs each rather than the 40 lbs wooden counterpart!) and take up far less space in initial transit.
4. Ease of Use – Assembling these pallets has been likened to assembling a cardboard box: EASY! And once they’re assembled, paper industrial pallets can be carried with little effort to a staging area in preparation for loading. They still work with forklifts and other pallet moving devices, so there’s no disadvantage to choosing this design.

BLI serves corporations, law offices, universities, government agencies and marketing firms. BLI provides translators for conferences.

One of the services that BLI Translations provides is translation. To be a great translator, it’s not enough just to know the language. A good translator is also a good writer, has a good understanding of the culture and has some technical expertise.

BLI Translators also provides interpreting services for their clients. You can be sure that a team of people at BLI are working on your project. Whether its simultaneous interpreting or consecutive interpreting, BLI provides the tools to provide both professional services in the courtroom or in the board room.

Another key component to BLI Translations’ offering is its multimedia offerings. Providing voice-overs allows companies to get their message and their brand to international audiences. BLI employs only experienced translators who are native to the language.

As communication advances, so does the need for BLI Translations. In a world of global and international communication, BLI Translations provides the necessary components for language translation

The first tip for moving is to have a plan. Packing up your current residence and dealing with all of the details is going to take longer than you think. The packing itself has to be completed, then loaded, then transported and then unloaded. But, that’s just the beginning. You need to clean up the place you are leaving behind so you get your deposit back. You also need to call all of the utility companies and make arrangements to have the utilities shut off at the current residence and turned on at the next. Get started early!

The second tip is before you start packing, go through all of your belongings and throw some things out. That’s right, get rid of it. Throw away anything broken, broke down or never used. It makes no sense to haul around junk your entire life. It will also make your loading and unloading much easier.

The third tip is to decide on the company you want to entrust with your belongings. Are they trustworthy? Can I purchase insurance? How long will it take to get my stuff to my new destination? You may just decide to do it yourself, especially if its not a far distance.

The fourth tip is to get the proper supplies. It’s best if you find a place that sells cheap moving supplies. You need packing tape. Duct tape and other similar tapes will not stick to boxes. And no, scotch tape is way too weak. Speaking of boxes, these are very necessary. Unless you want to carry everything one at a time, you need boxes. They protect your possessions and they make transportation easier. You’ll also want to purchase a box cutter, and maybe a marker too, in order to mark the boxes so you know what room they will be going in.

The fifth and final tip is to invite as many friends as you can to help. Some will not be able to make it, and some will simply not want to help. So, invite everyone you know to ensure a good turnout. Moving is hard work, and you are not going to want to do all of this lifting yourself. The more people you have helping, the faster it goes. Buy some pizzas and refreshments to entice people to come. They will be happy they did.

Some “talking points” to consider:

• Manufacturing means jobs: Production jobs are varied in terms of skill required, wage paid and opportunity for advancement—and this is what makes them such a invaluable resource for our country. Manufacturing jobs are accessible to a wide variety of Americans and with the proper training and professional development, manufacturing jobs can easily turn into careers that will provide income and opportunity for people for the rest of their working life.
• Manufacturing means national and financial security: The less we rely on other countries for our essential products, the less influence they have over our national policies and international standing. Being independent in terms of manufacturing not only makes us less susceptible to international influence, it also gives us power in the international economy.
• Manufacturing means prosperity: By manufacturing domestically, companies give America a boost by keeping the profit here and contributing to our tax system, consumer commodity market and by reducing the costs of products by cutting the costs imposed by international tariffs and international distribution costs.

Is manufacturing on your list of voting issues this year? What’s your reason for caring about manufacturing?

Shoe-scraping mats improve commercial buildings with:

• Less dirt and moisture tracked inside
• Reduced risk of slipping on interior floors
• Lowering flooring maintenance costs
• Longer life for interior rugs and flooring
• A welcoming entrance with a finished look

A durable, brushing or scraping outdoor mat is an investment in your interior maintenance and long-term building upkeep costs.  Whether you need a basic but dependable mat for your building’s front entrance or an ultra-duty heavy duty mud-scrapper mat for an industrial building, construction entrance or loading dock, you can find them.

The heavy duty floor mats can be used outdoors to provide improved traction in work environments. The anti fatigue floor mats lessen work strain and fatigue during jobs that require extended on a loading dock, behind a food cart or in a wet outdoor environment.

Rubber matting is a great way to reduce your floor maintenance costs by protecting the flooring of your building from dirt, moisture and foot traffic. the rubber mats are perfect for:

• Lengthening the life of your permanent flooring
• Reducing the amount of daily maintenance required to maintain your office
• Improving traction on slippery or heavily trafficked floors

If you want to keep your floors cleaner, entryway mats provide a polished look to your entryway, and make your office floors cleaner and less slippery. Indoor entry mats are the perfect way to welcome customers while keeping your floors clean and dry. There are a wide variety of styles, colors and sizes. Indoor entry mats make a great addition to entryways, foyers and tiled or high traffic hallways. They are also a good option for covered outdoor areas.

Many facility owners and managers are aware of these potential costs but aren’t sure how to go about detecting them. A good first step is to find a local gas leak detection firm that can help you locate leaks. Generally, these firms will also be able to advise you on ways to reduce fugitive emissions and prevent future leaks.

One of the most reliable ways to detect leaks is to have an expert use a FLIR Systems ThermaCAM GasFindIR video imaging camera to scan your facility for leaks. These cameras work by using infrared technology to detect areas with high concentrations of gas leaks, pinpointing problem areas and allowing you to address gas leaks at their source.

Because of the precision of this method, the images collected can also help you assess the risks your workers were exposed to because of the leak and your compliance with federal regulations.

Monitoring gas emissions is an important part of your responsibility to your employees and the environment. Don’t get caught with a leaky plant or facility and always carefully monitor your emissions.

Car washes have been around for years. They are a quick, cheap and convenient way to clean your car or truck.

Car washes work by wetting down the vehicle and applying  lots of soap. Cloth spinners then wash the vehicle, the vehicle is rinsed and blowers dry the car as it exits. Most car washes will have a staging area at the end of the wash where people will detail and wipe the car down. This all happens in about a minute and a half – maybe less. The car wash business is a big business. We know this is true because they are all over the place.

What most people do not think about is the water. Car washes use a ton of water. How does the water stay hot; and why don’t they ever run out of hot water? The answer is because car washes use  a gas tankless water heater. The system consists of a high-powered gas burner that heats the water very quickly as it runs through a heat exchanger. Unlike a traditional water heater, like the one you would typically find in a home, as long as the water supply is endless; you have endless hot water. This is a must-have for the car wash business.

Another thing most people never stop to think about is the floor. How do car washes keep the floor from freezing with all of that water, especially in the winter? The answer is that they have floor heat boilers. These boilers not only melt ice and snow off of the bottom of the vehicles, they keep the water from freezing on the ground as it drains and they add heat to the car wash drive-thru to keep ice from forming on the car. This is must-have number two.

So the next time you go to the car wash, remember how important the things that you can’t see, that are vital to the success of a clean car.