Success Story

Helping organizations achieve their goals is a primary focus for the Irvine CACT. Here's an example of an early success story.

Pacific Coast Manufacturers Association (PCMA), a non-profit industry-driven organization established in July 1997, is committed to ensuring the global competitiveness of manufacturing companies in the United States. In the fall of 1997, the Irvine CACT learned of PCMA's existence via the OC4, a collaborative made up of Orange County Community College administrators.

In CACT's early meetings with PCMA, two things became apparent.

• Both organizations had the same goals.
   
• Assistance was needed by PCMA to survey industry needs, to increase membership and also to increase awareness of manufacturing as a career option.
  

In conjunction with the California Manufacturing Technology Center (CMTC) and the Orange Coast College Technology Program, the Irvine CACT provided the following support to PCMA during 1998.

• Sponsored two career fairs (summer and winter) at the Orange Coast College Technology Center for the machine technology industry. These events provided a forum for the networking of students, industry recruiting representatives and those seeking employment opportunities. Companies attending included Textron, Varco Systems, Aluminum Precision Products, Shurlok and SPS Technologies.
• 
  Funding for an industry survey (mailed July 1998 to Orange County firms) to assess issues with availability of skilled labor (current and future) and also to determine current opinions of manufacturing as a career. Survey results indicated that more than three-fourths of companies are impacted by a shortage of skilled labor and about one-third reported that the negative image of manufacturing makes recruitment of new employees difficult.
• 
  A number of initiatives were recommended by PCMA as a result of the survey.
  

Through these efforts, the Irvine CACT and its partners have helped create positive exposure for PCMA. Currently, Larry DeShazer, Irvine CACT Director, sits on the PCMA Board of Directors and is participating in the development of objectives covering the next three years.