NIMS Launches Website for Employers

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS; Fairfax, VA), a global authority on education and training for precision manufacturing jobs, launched a new website catered to employers seeking to fill open jobs and build a pipeline of globally competitive talent.

Nimsready.org provides concise information, tools and how-to guides to help employers learn about and implement industry-recognized credentials at their companies.

The website also includes resources on sourcing quality training programs and NIMS-certified talent; implementing industry-aligned training and credentialing within companies; and integrating NIMS skills standards and credentials into human resources practices.

“There are an estimated 99,500 projected job openings for machinists and 117,100 projected job openings for industrial maintenance technicians nationally through 2020,” said Jim Wall, the executive director of NIMS. “Our new website is a big step to help companies prepare more people for these growing careers.”

The organization has developed the skills standards in 24 operational areas ranging from entry-level to master-level that cover the breadth of metalworking operations, including metal forming and machining. All of these standards are industry-written and industry-validated, and are subject to regular, periodic reviews under the procedures accredited and audited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

The organization certifies individuals’ skills against these national standards via 52 distinct certifications that companies can use to recruit, hire, place, and promote individual workers. A total of 13,888 industry-recognized credentials were issued in 2013, representing a 59 percent increase from 2012.

NIMS has also launched a Competency-Based Apprenticeship System for the nation’s metalworking industry. Developed in partnership with the United States Department of Labor, and over 300 companies, the apprenticeship system integrates the organization’s national standards and skill certifications into an effective training solution.

www.nimsready.org