Sen. Paul R. Feeney has been named senate chair of the Legislative Manufacturing Caucus and will join Representative Roy as co-chair of this caucus.
The Legislative Manufacturing Caucus was formed in 2014 and represents a bipartisan effort consisting of more than 60 legislators from around the commonwealth. The caucus focuses on training for manufacturing employees, encouraging innovation by helping start-ups access resources and expanding apprenticeship opportunities in key manufacturing sectors.
“It is a great honor to join Representative Roy as co-chair of the Legislative Manufacturing Caucus to highlight the work of our commonwealth’s leading manufacturers and support the needs of this vital and ever-growing industry,” said Feeney. “As the manufacturing industry continues to face employment roadblocks and frustration with gaps in the skilled-workforce, I look forward to working within the caucus to find new ways to invest in this industry to improve production and provide good-paying jobs for our residents. I am eager to work collaboratively with our manufacturing partners to guide the work of this caucus.”
Manufacturing is the sixth largest employment sector in the Commonwealth, comprising 7.8 percent of the total workforce in the state. Manufacturing provides pathways to economic prosperity for residents of varied educational levels. However, manufacturers are struggling to find skilled employees to fill vacant positions and to overcome a negative image of the industry among young people.
The Manufacturing Caucus focuses on training, innovation and expanding apprenticeship opportunities to address the lack of skilled manufacturing workers in Massachusetts. Manufacturing is increasingly reliant on advanced and emerging technologies. By fostering collaboration between manufacturers, community colleges, technical high schools and regional work force boards, the Caucus seeks to create regionally specific talent pipelines and continued growth.
