Sponsored by BishopWisecarver Corp.                                        Vol. 4 No. 12

Tackling the skilled labor shortage at the root of the problem

Finding it difficult to find and keep skilled employees? You're not alone, according to Beverlie Cook, project manager, Skilled Trades Promotion Project (careersintrades.ca).

Studies show, Cook says, that "most youth in the country look down on skilled trades and ... flock to universities, almost as a matter of instinct, with the strong encouragement of their parents or guidance counselors."

A recent Ipsos-Reid study done for the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) and Skills Canada (SC) based on two phases of research conducted in 2004 and 2005 revealed that only 41% of youth say tradespersons are respected in society, and only 45% say they would be proud to work in skilled trades.

It's no wonder Canada has a skilled labor shortage. According to the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association, for example, 50,000 metal trades' people will be needed in the next five years.

To address this shortage, the CAF and SC, with the help of the Government of Canada, launched "Skilled Trades: A Career You Can Build On," an awareness campaign through December 2006. The objectives are to make skilled trades a number one career choice of Canadian youth and to encourage employers to hire and retain more apprentices.

Do your part and make a "youth" more aware today!

Happy Holidays,
Mike Edwards, Editor,
DPN Magazine medwards@clbmedia.ca
Past e-LETTERs: go to dpncanada.com, then  click Articles

USEFUL SITES

Plastic materials. IDES Inc. (ides.com) has announced its web content offering now includes over 60,000 plastic material data sheets from 500 global resin suppliers.

Portable electronics shock control. A white paper created by E-A-R Specialty Composites, "Shock Control for Portable Electronics," is now available (earshockandvibe.com/whitepapers).

Heater design. Minco has launched a "Heater Configurator" tool to allow designers to specify, evaluate, select and order heaters online (minco.com/heater_config).

Pressure sensitive adhesives. Applications, physical properties, chemical resistance and shelf lives of MACtac pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes are available in product performance guides online (mactac.com).

Pneumatic components. Pisco USA website (pisco.com) includes close to 1000 models of tube fittings, controllers, switching devices, vacuum devices, tubings and other pneumatic components.

Low pressure sensors. The ASDX and ASDX DO Series sensors from Honeywell S&C are available in pressure ranges that cover pressures from 0 psi to 1 psi up to 0 psi to 100 psi.

Slide for white box enclosures. Accuride has introduced the model 2907WB, a slide that features brackets and hole patterns said to provide maximum installation flexibility in 1-4U applications.

Programmable dc motor speed control. The MD3E from Dart Controls is a programmable, microprocessor-based digital, closed loop speed control for dc motors up to 2 hp.

15 mm tooth pitch timing belts. BRECOflex CO., L.L.C., has introduced "ARC-POWER 15" timing belts and pulleys. The technology offers increased tooth shear strength and increased tensile strength over previous versions.

        Coming in the
    January DPN

• Breakthrough hydraulics research
• Computer-aided industrial design
• Autodesk University roundup
• Bill Vance scopes student Formula SAE
• Altair Engineering (below) boosts CAE

Robert Little, president of the newly-formed Altair Engineering Canada Ltd. (altairengineering.ca) at the company's "Innovating Product Design with Altair Hyperworks" conference in Oakville, ON.

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 22-25, 2006. Las Vegas. SolidWorks World 2006 User Conference & Exhibition (solidworks.com/pages/swworld/).

March 20-23, 2006. Rosemont, IL. National Manufacturing Week, including the National Design Engineering Show and Conference and the National Industrial Automation Show and Conference (manufacturingweek.com).

March 30-April 1, 2006. Bonita Springs, FL.
AEC Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference sponsored by the Aluminum Extruders Council (aec.org).

April 3-6, 2006. Detroit. SAE 2006 World Congress (sae.org/congress) sponsored by SAE International.

April 24-28, 2006. Hannover, Germany. Hannover Fair 2006 (hannovermesse.de) includes exhibitions for factory, process and industrial building automation, as well as energy and research & technology. Travel arrangements from Canada via The Traveldesk (callthetraveldesk.com).

November 14-17, 2006. Munich, Germany. International trade fair, electronica 2006 (global-electronics.net), for automotive, wireless, micro technology and embedded applications. Travel arrangements from Canada through Canada Unlimited Inc. (canada-unlimited.com).

CLICK HERE FOR MORE EVENTS

GET MORE FROM OUR SPONSOR: BishopWisecarver Corp.

PRT Precision Rotary and Curved Track Systems
 
The HepcoMotion(r) PRT from BishopWisecarver Corporation is available in nine precision ground ring diameters with four different cross sections and fully adjustable corresponding bearing assemblies. It is tolerant of misalignment and dirt and debris, easy to install, virtually maintenance free, and works in a variety of orientations. Load capacities to 40 kN, ring diameters to 5 ft, and straight slides up to 13 ft long allow for a comprehensive system that fits virtually every application need. Drive options include rack and pinion, belt or manual.
(888) 580-8272 Toll Free
(925) 439-8272 Main
(925) 439-5931 Fax
www.bwc.com

Visit us at booth #559 during Lab Automation 2006 from January 22-24, 2006 in Palm Springs, California. Register to attend at http://www.labautomation.org/LA/LA06/exhibition.php