2. Ab t th S k
About the Speaker
Michael D. Albano is the Site Maintenance Leader in Dow s Louisiana
Michael D Albano is the Site Maintenance Leader in Dow's Louisiana
Operations in Plaquemine and a Lead Reliability Director in Dow’s global
Chemicals & Energy Division. He presently chairs Dow global teams that
oversee industrial cleaning, equipment leak prevention, and contractor
operating discipline.
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Mike, his wife Lisa, and their six children currently reside in the Baton Rouge
area.
Mike graduated from Louisiana State University in 1987 with a Bachelor of
g g g y g
Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. After one year working as an
engineer in gas turbine design for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, he joined The Dow
Chemical Company in 1989 as a mechanical engineer in Louisiana Operations.
Mike and his family relocated to Dow’s Texas Operations in Freeport in 1998,
and to Dow’s ANGUS Chemical Sterlington Operations in 2003. In 2008, he
started his second assignment in Dow s Louisiana Operations.
started his second assignment in Do ’s Louisiana Operations
Mike has contributed his talents in leadership positions within Dow over the
past twenty‐three years in operations, construction, engineering and
maintenance for a variety of Dow businesses. He is also a board member and
committee co‐chair for the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance, and a board
committee co‐chair for the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance and a board
member and campaign chair for the Capital Area United Way.

3. Setting the Stage
I was having a discussion on the importance of quality
craftsmanship to profitability with a very seasoned
plant director.
I commented that it is hard to measure
craftsmanship…
“You sure know it when you DON’T see it” replied the
seasoned plant director.

4. Setting the Stage
My observations tell me that manufacturing feels the
shortage of truly skilled craftspeople on the U.S. Gulf
g y p p
Coast.
Feedback from contractors who work in the
petrochemical industry in this region increasingly
h l d h l
indicate to me that they have difficulty filling skilled
craft roles.
craft roles
And it is going to get tighter…

5. March 23, 2012
“Moret points to Louisiana’s strong industrial construction labor
base as one of the key reasons the state is so well positioned to
land such projects.”
“ ‘We’re going to have several multibillion dollar construction
projects under construction at the same time,’ Moret says.”
j t d t ti t th ti ’ M t ”
“Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret
predicts Louisiana will land at least five major, new industrial
construction projects over the next 12 to 18 months…”
Source: http://businessreport.com/section/daily‐reportPM&date=20120325

6. Notice that after the peak due to large projects, our steady state
baseline seems to have increased! Why would we expect it to be
different even after this construction boom? What we build, we
must maintain This is a permanent opportunit not a
must maintain. This is a permanent opportunity, not a
temporary one.
Source: “GBRIA Special Advertising Section”,
enr.com/Texas‐Louisiana/SpecialAd, April 16, 2012

7. Are We Next?
May 2012 BIC Alliance

9. Peter Voser, CEO, Royal Dutch Shell
This “gas revolution,” this “golden age of gas,” this
“shale gale” is the best, most promising opportunity we
have today to make substantial progress towards a
cleaner, more secure, more abundant and more
affordable energy supply.
gy pp y
In a speech at the 31st Annual CERA Week Executive
Conference, Houston, TX, March 7, 2012.

10. Rex Tillerson, CEO, ExxonMobil
“The transformation unfolding in North America
represents a potentially decisive shift in the history of
energy”
In a speech at the 31st A
I h h t Annual CERA Week Executive
l CERA W k E i
Conference, Houston, TX, March 7, 2012.

11. Why Is Action Required?
Skilled craft labor is already tight ‐ Individuals are
frequently brought in from outside of the state to take
positions on a temporary basis, and return out of state
positions on a temporary basis and return out of state
to spend much of the income earned.
Significant new demand for labor ‐ due to
economic development efforts and the low price of
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natural gas.

12. Vision

13. Who Benefits?
Individuals
Local communities
The state of Louisiana
Louisiana manufacturers and their
maintenance and construction contractors
i t d t ti t t

14. What are the Benefits?
To individuals ‐ Locally unemployed or under
employed individuals will have access to jobs or higher
paying jobs due to having the skills necessary to fill
these roles.
Industry especially desires to attract persons who live
in communities directly adjacent to plants.

15. What are the Benefits?
To local communities ‐ Expanded tax base due to
spending by a local vs. transient workforce.
This will result in increased sales tax and property tax
Thi ill l i i d l d
revenue. Publicly funded institutions will graduate
more craft workers.
more craft workers

16. What are the Benefits?
To the state ‐ Expanded tax base due to spending by a
local vs. out of state workforce.
This will result in increased sales tax revenue.
Thi ill l i i d l
More people will be able to move out of poverty.
The state will be able to attract more industry.
Th ill b bl i d

17. What are the Benefits?
To manufacturers and their maintenance and
construction contractors ‐ An available, stable,
qualified, and cost effective craft workforce that meets
qualified and cost effective craft workforce that meets
the needs of industry.
This can lead to increased profitability, bigger
This can lead to increased profitability bigger
spending locally, and potential to attract further
growth.

18. What Must We Do?
Train!
Attract!

19. Wh d t T i ?
Who needs to Train?
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and Organized
A i d B ild d C (ABC) d O i d
Labor – educators of individuals who have already started careers in
crafts or have completed all education besides craft training.
Increase awareness of these resources and fill to capacity.
Train!

20. Wh d t T i ?
Who needs to Train?
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High Schools –Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and
schools are the educator for individuals desiring to enter crafts but
still enrolled in high school.
Create and increase enrollment in CTE and IBC programs and
train more teachers with industry experience.
Train!

21. Who needs to Train?
Louisiana Community and Technical College System
(LCTCS) and other private technical colleges –
Technical Colleges will serve as the educator for individuals
desiring to enter crafts upon graduation from high school
or receiving a General Educational Development (GED)
diploma.
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Direct more students to these institutions, raise
awareness of programs and increase dual enrollment.
Train!

22. What are the Training Challenges?
Money… it is not inexpensive to train skilled crafts
properly… we need to INVEST!
Qualified instructors… we need people who can do
AND can teach.
CTE & IBC programs to bring to the classrooms.
Students… these are great jobs, cool jobs, and we
Students these are great jobs “cool” jobs and we
need to get our message out.
Train!

23. Wh N d t I ti T i i ?
Who Needs to Invest in Training?
Everyone
Industrial Manufacturers
Contract Companies
Louisiana Construction Education Foundation (LCEF)
contributions,
contributions
Local contributions/High Schools
State contributions/LCTCS/LA DOE,
State contributions/LCTCS/LA DOE
Federal contributions/WIBS’s/WIA, etc.
Train!

24. Wh N d t I ti T i i ?
Who Needs to Invest in Training?
The manufacturing industry has voluntarily paid for craft training for those
in our industry and those who use this training in other industries. We are
in our industry and those who use this training in other industries We are
still committed but to have growth, we need more investment by the state
and community.
Since 1985, GBRIA member companies and their contractors have privately
Since 1985 GBRIA member companies and their contractors have privately
funded craft worker training through a partnership with ABC.
Over $25 million has been donated and over 42,000 craft persons have been
trained at ABC over this time. Members also pay training fees to various
organized labor groups.
Similar organizations around the state have made these types of investments as
well.
Manufacturing also recognizes the investments made by the public sector
and other entities. More opportunity makes more investment a wise
decision, even when… no, especially when, times are tight.
d i i h i ll h i i h
Train!

25. Attract!
How Do We Attract Crafts?
Build a coalition of stakeholders
B ild liti f t k h ld
Implement G B ildL i i
I l GoBuildLouisiana (
(see
www.gobuildalabama.com for example).
Support existing programs such as NCCER’s BYF
Improve Workforce projections

26. E l
Example:

27. Wh S t I N d d?
Whose Support Is Needed?
Industrial alliances and interested parties (GBRIA, LCA, SLCUC, GNOBR, ABC, Organized Labor
Organizations, NCCER, U.S. Military, BRT, CURT, etc.).
State government, through the Louisiana Governor’s office, Departments of the Executive Branch:
Workforce Commission, Workforce Investment Council, Education, Economic Development, Social
Workforce Commission Workforce Investment Council Education Economic Development Social
Services, Corrections, and Workforce Investment Boards.
Board of Elementary and Secondary School Boards (BESE) and Local School Boards and Districts and
local School Superintendents and individual schools
Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS)
Board of Regents
Legislature
Chambers of Commerce (BRAC, Ascension, Iberville, etc.)

28. What is Next?
We have a broad coalition who have agreed to
reconvene the Louisiana Craft Workforce
Development Board (from 2006). Specific
deliverables include:
Build relationships between the many individuals
groups that are needed for Louisiana to succeed in this
Vision.
Vision
Improve workforce occupation forecasting through
closer collaboration with the State.
Immediately implement a robust attraction system

29. Some of the Coalition Collaborators
ABC
Louisiana Chemical Association
Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
AFL‐CIO of Louisiana
Louisiana Workforce Commission
Louisiana Workforce Investment Council
L i i W kf I t t C il
SLCUC
GNOBR
Baton Rouge Area Chamber
Special thanks to GBRIA and LCEF for sponsoring the
first step of facilitation

30. Source: “GBRIA Special Advertising Section”, enr.com/Texas‐
Louisiana/SpecialAd, April 16, 2012