MSSC releases 2014 edition of Industry Skill Standards

The national Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) has announced the release of its 2014 National Work Standards for Production and Logistics.

The industry-led, non-profit MSSC is the national authority on defining industry-wide core technical competencies needed by front-line workers in advanced manufacturing and logistics.

“We believe that the use of a common language between industry and education will offer a more efficient and cost-effective way of preparing individuals with the higher skills needed by industry,” said MSSC chairman and CEO, Leo Reddy. “MSSC standards help produce agile knowledge workers—the industrial athletes of the future—with the stronger, cross-cutting foundational skills needed to help companies achieve greater productivity, innovation and global economic competitiveness.”

The detailed MSSC Work Standards provide the industry definitions, organizational taxonomy, syntax and nomenclature to describe the critical work functions, key activities and performance indicators for manufacturing and logistics. These standards enable industry, state agencies, community colleges and high schools to more effectively harmonize their curricula and credentialing programs, creating much higher levels of coherence, portability and economies of scale.

Specifically, MSSC advises organizations to use the MSSC Work Standards in two ways. First, it suggests using the standards as the starting point for defining industry skill requirements to make the process for defining needs far more efficient. It can also reassure companies, most of which operate within a national or global environment, that they are leveraging the authoritative national skills platform defined by MSSC.

Second, schools should embed the subject matter of the standards into for-credit courses at both the secondary and post-secondary levels and build credit articulation agreements between high schools and community colleges. MSSC has produced state-of-the-art online curriculum that schools can easily incorporate into new or existing programs. This enables students to work toward an industry certification as well as a high school diploma or associate’s degree.

“The current U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance is the main force leading the nation out of the Great Recession and is characterized by a growth in both manufacturing and logistics jobs,” said Reddy. “These standards provide the perfect foundation for training programs at the local, regional and national level to prepare people for these high-demand, well-paying jobs.”

To access the MSSC Work Standards, click here.