The U.S. the leading producer of cutting-edge products such as those on display at the Consumer Electronics Show.  Whether it’s in IT, biotech, aerospace, medical devices or heavy machinery, US companies will be the ones to constantly and consistently create new and better things. This future promises to be bright, but only if we have the workforce capable of pushing that leading-edge. And right now, that doesn’t look like a very good bet.  The lack of a skilled workforce is a constant threat to manufacturing growth. In fact in a recent survey 82% of manufacturers reported a moderate-to-serious shortage in skilled production labor.  Worker shortages abound not only among machinists and welders but also in occupations requiring expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), where the unemployment rate today lies well below 4%.

The US needs to refocus our workforce training resources and reform our immigration system to continue to grow and innovate. Immigration reform is a serious issue for Manufacturers not only in the High-tech arena but across manufacturing sectors. Without a skilled workforce – from the PhDs to production labor, the nation’s economy will suffer and jobs will be moved overseas. Access to the right individual with the right skills at the right time will ensure that the US remains a global innovation leader.

The Bosch Group and Global Foundries are two companies taking this critical issue head on. The Bosch Community Fund launched last year to improve STEM education and will award up to $3 million in grants annually, providing additional support for the company’s charitable and community efforts in the U.S., with a focus on science, technology and environmental initiatives.

Global Foundries has committed to growing their talent through partnerships with community colleges and universities. At their Fab 8 facility in Malta, New York their workforce development efforts have begun to bear fruit with hundreds of hires made through ongoing collaboration with local partners including Hudson Valley County Community College, Schenectady County Community College, RPI, College of Nanoscale and Engineering at U Albany and Saratoga Board of Supervisors.

The Consumer Electronics Show puts on the display the best of American innovation and a skilled workforce invents, plans, produces and markets that innovation. We should focus American resources towards ensuring the CES of tomorrow will be even stronger than this year.

Today at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) it is hard not to go anywhere without seeing the impact of manufacturing innovation. We were amazed to learn more about NAM member Corning and how their products have revolutionized the tech industry.

Corning Incorporated is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 160 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. This innovation going back to the 1800’s was on full display here in Las Vegas.

For example, if you are reading this blog post on your mobile device, the odds are you are viewing it through Corning® Gorilla® Glass. Gorilla Glass is the standard for protective cover glass performance and can be found on more than 33 brands, 900 models, and 1 billion of the world’s coolest smartphones, tablets and PCs.

As cool as Gorilla Glass is what’s even cooler for the U.S. manufacturing economy is that it is designed and produced in Harrodsburg, Kentucky and other Corning facilities, from which it is then exported all around the world. It is a true U.S. manufacturing success story – driven by Corning’s strategic innovation – that capitalized on the technology boom around the world. Even in the economic downturn, Corning’s plant in Kentucky and its 400 workers were busy supplying their global customers.

Another part of the Gorilla Glass story is that Corning made another strategic decision to keep their research, development and the resulting intellectual property (IP) here in the United States. IP is what separates Corning from its competitors around the world and they need to ensure they operate in a system which protects it.

This year on Capitol Hill the issue of intellectual property and how to strengthen the system that protects it is likely to be a hot topic. The NAM will continue to be the voice of manufacturers so that products like Gorilla Glass continue to be developed in the U.S. – and create jobs here.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off tomorrow in Las Vegas and manufacturers are all over the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow. The NAM is here at the convention center with a front row seat and talking with our member companies and the policy makers in town for the event. We are excited to see the latest innovations from manufacturers that will be on display this week and we plan to tell you all about it in real-time through this blog series and the NAM twitter feed, @shopfloorNAM.

Manufacturers are leading technology innovators. The NAM hears from our members around the country almost every day about the high-tech solutions they deliver. They know they need to innovate in their products, processes, and delivery if they are to compete globally.

At CES, which is owned and produced by NAM member the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), consumers and customers alike will see manufacturers’ innovation leadership up close and personal. They will see it in the stand alone products from semi-conductors to home appliances. They will feel it when they sit in the driver’s seat of the newest vehicle or download the latest app to reduce their home or office energy costs.

Eric Reed, Verizon’s Vice President of Entertainment & Tech Policy and chair of the NAM Technology Subcommittee, had this to say about the 2013 CES. “The International CES show is important to the manufacturing community because it demonstrates how manufacturers are a critical component of the innovation ecosystem. Be it a Smart TV, advanced telematics for automobiles, mobile devices or the next generation set-top box, NAM members are at the cutting edge of technological innovation. CES 2013 is shaping up to be the most exciting ever, and NAM members are big contributors.”

This technology leadership is also driving our policy agenda in Washington. The NAM is working to make sure the intellectual property of manufacturers is protected; that broadband technologies are widely available and accessible to power the new devices and machines on the shop floor; that the workers with the right skills for high-tech manufacturing environments are available; and developing the latest security and privacy tools to secure the data in our facilities and that of our customers.

The NAM is going to highlight from the CES floor all week how manufacturers are leveraging technology. Stay tuned to Shopfloor.org to learn more about why manufacturers are a solid bet if you want to ensure we create jobs and grow the U.S. economy.