Thank you Mike!!

See the note below from Mike Marlowe.  The article is important but I also want to introduce you to a very important person to our efforts.  For those of you that don’t know Mike, he is staff for the Automation Federation.  He has been crucial  in our efforts to build the profession.  Mike is very well connected in Washington DC and has been instrumental in getting our meetings set up with the ministry level folks in the US government and other international organizations.  We simply would not be as far as we are today with the efforts of Mike.

Good Morning and Afternoon,

The U.S. Department of Labor has just launched a case summary for the Automation Competency Model.  The Case summary appears on DOL’s CareerOneStop Site.  http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/competencymodel_users.aspx

The Summary discusses how the Automation Competency Model is being put into action.  This Case Summary illustrates the commitment by DOL to keep the Automation Competency Model front and center to address the need to develop the “Next Generation of Automation Professionals” and to also show the strong partnership that has been forged between the DOL and AF.

 Mike

The Automation Federation was started by the ISA as an organization of similar organizations.  The strategy is that together, we can accomplish more.  

The Automation Federation got off to a rocky start and quickly discovered that their strategies had to be redirected toward defining and championing our profession in an inclusive manner outside of ISA.  Unfortunately, there are still a few ISA volunteer leaders and others who either do not comprehend the value of the Automation Federation or have not taken the time and effort to understand what AF accomplishments mean to the profession and ISA itself.  Yes, the ISA is the only funding source right now but for the minimal budget that it has allocated, we are accomplishing great things.  The small band of active volunteers in the AF are doing all of their work without receiving funds from AF or ISA for travel unlike some other volunteer leaders in ISA. 

With a focused mission, AF is now a clear powerhouse in accomplishing what it is tasked to do. I personally find it satisfying that ISA sponsors this organization and that more leaders now understand the ramifications to the Society and to Automation with each successful AF initiative.  If the mission of the ISA is to represent its members, AF’s is to represent the automation profession where it is unrecognized for the vital key to manufacturing that it is enlisting the help of ISA and other like-minded organizations who are AF members.  Thankfully, recent ISA staff and volunteer leadership have diligently worked to make this reality.  I would like to ask you all to let your ISA leadership know that you support the work of the Automation Federation and the importance of CAP.

And, if you get a chance, send a thank you to Mike.

Dean