AF Welcomes New Member: Society of Women Engineers

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

TSociety of Women Engineershe Automation  Federation (AF) announced that the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) signed a  memorandum of membership in October. SWE is the newest member of the Automation  Federation.

The  Automation Federation is an association of member organizations providing  awareness, programs and services that continually advance all facets of the  automation profession. Serving as the “Voice of Automation,” AF provides  advocacy and industry-wide strategic analysis and coordination through its  member organizations. The Automation Federation is committed to building “the  Next Generation of Automation Professionals” through its various workforce  development initiatives—including the promotion of K-12 science, technology,  engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, the Automation Competency Model  and the AutomationVets program.

The  Society of Women Engineers is a nonprofit educational and service organization  that encourages diversity and empowers women to succeed and advance in the  field of engineering. The goal of SWE is to establish engineering as a highly  desirable career for women through training and development programs,  scholarships and much more.

The  Society of Women Engineers provides the Automation Federation and its members  with a valuable advocacy resource for reaching out to a broader array of  potential automation professionals—more specifically young women—around the  world. Together, AF and SWE will work to spread the message to women and  students about the many careers available to them in engineering, and more  specifically in automation. In addition, AF and SWE will work to advance the  diversity and inclusion of the automation profession through education  improvement and the development and promotion of recommended or best practices.

“The  Automation Federation welcomes the Society of Women Engineers, SWE, as our  newest member organization! We look forward to working with SWE to inform young  women—students and seasoned professionals—about the many careers available to  them in automation,” said Automation Federation Managing Director, Mike  Marlowe.

The  Society of Women Engineers Executive Director and CEO, Betty Shanahan, stated, “By  joining the Automation Federation, the Society of Women Engineers can support  increasing the diversity of the automation profession through improving  inclusion in the automation workplace and highlighting opportunities in the  profession.”

About SWE

The  Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit  educational and service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes  engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers  women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and receive the recognition  and credit for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers  and leaders. For more information about the Society, please visit www.swe.org or call +1 312-596-5223.

Posted in New AF Member Organizations | Tagged ,

AF Welcomes New Member: Society of Manufacturing Engineers

Posted on December 12, 2011 by

Society of Manufacturing EngineersThe Automation Federation announced that, in October, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) signed a Memorandum of Membership, becoming one of the newest members of the Automation Federation.

The Automation Federation is an association of member organizations that provides awareness, programs and services that continually advance all facets of the automation profession. The Automation Federation serves as the “Voice of Automation” by providing advocacy and industry-wide strategic analysis and coordination through its member organizations.

SME is the world’s leading professional society that advances manufacturing knowledge and influences  more than half a million manufacturing practitioners annually.

The Automation Federation and SME will work together to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics education (STEM) and the Automation Competency Model to improve the general public’s awareness of automation and technology and to help small manufacturers around the country remain competitive.

“The Automation Federation puts a great deal of effort into communicating the importance of STEM to the next generation of automation professionals,” says Mike Marlowe, Automation Federation managing director. “We recognize that the collaboration with SME empowers the Automation Federation with a larger pool of resources to help us reach our audience and enhances our programs.

Mark Tomlinson, SME executive director says, “As the world’s leading professional society for manufacturing professionals, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers recognizes the importance of automation in improving the productivity and economic viability of our industry. SME and the Automation Federation are dedicated to working together to promote and advance the automation profession through education, new technology development, sharing our best practices and improving the quantity and quality of the automation workforce for the benefit of the manufacturing industry. Between the two organizations, we reach over half a million manufacturing practitioners, and by partnering, we leverage each other’s respective strengths. We look forward to working with the Automation Federation and its partner organizations as long as possible.”

About SME

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) is the world’s leading professional society advancing manufacturing knowledge and influencing more than half a million manufacturing practitioners annually.

Through its local chapters, technical communities, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and keeps manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, the Society has members in more than 70 countries and represents manufacturing practitioners across all industries.

Posted in New AF Member Organizations, Workforce Development Activities

CSIA December Newsletter: Automation Federation – Automation Competency Model

Posted on December 1, 2011 by

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CSIA is a member organization of the Automation Federation (AF) which is an organization focused on workforce education and also defining automation as a specific career, both in academia and with the Department of Labor and Industry. A cornerstone of AF is the Automation Competency Model (ACM) which defines the building blocks needed to meet the automation industry needs.  Follow this link for a full definition of the ACM and its impact on careers.  CSIA has a sincere interest in AF because one of the most pressing problems facing our industry is finding qualified people and AF will eventually help ease that problem. The success of CSIA members depends on the success of organizations like AF which is becoming a global initiative, particularly in Europe.”

Posted in Uncategorized

Automation Federation Career Day 2011 Success

Posted on November 9, 2011 by
Automation Career Day 2011

Automation Career Day 2011

The Automation Federation and ISA, along with Bishop State Community College, hosted a very successful Automation Career Day 2011 in October, at ISA Automation Week 2011 in Mobile, Alabama. This mini-career fair introduced over 900 high school students from the Mobile County School System to the many exciting careers in automation. 

The students learned about automation and related careers through hands-on interactive exhibits presented by local engineering and manufacturing companies. In addition, two FIRST® Robotics Teams were on hand to demonstrate automation in robotics. Representatives from local community colleges participated as well, talking to the students about the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for their future careers.

Presentation by Calum Pearson, theVice President of Technical and Show Support for the Resident Show Division of Cirque du Soleil

The highlight of the event was a presentation by theVice President of Technical and Show Support for the Resident Show Division of Cirque du Soleil, Calum Pearson. Pearson talked with the students about the world of automation as it related to the production of the Cirque du Soleil shows. His presentation was so interesting and eye-opening for the students in attendance that hundreds of them gathered around Pearson to ask questions and learn more about automation in the entertainment industry.

“It was amazing! The students were engaged and inquisitive. You know we did something great just by looking at them. We can be sure several of the students in attendance are already on their way to becoming automation professionals,” said Mike Marlowe, the Automation Federation managing director.

Since starting these Automation Career Day events in 2008, the Automation Federation and ISA have reached out to thousands of high school students and provided them with the opportunity to learn more about how they can pursue careers in automation. Plans are already underway for Automation Career Day events in 2012.

 To view images from this event, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/isa_interchange/sets/72157627957884741/.

Posted in Major Initiatives, Workforce Development Activities

The Automation Federation and ISA to Exhibit at the 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival

Posted on November 3, 2011 by

The Automation Federation (AF) announced today that AF and the International Society of Automation (ISA) will exhibit at the 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival, which will be held 28–29 April 2012, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and other key locations in Washington, D.C.,USA. The festival is a celebration of science and engineering and will feature more than 1500 hands-on activities and more than 75 performances.

The USA Science & Engineering Festival is the country’s largest national science festival. It was developed to increase public awareness of the importance of science and to encourage youth to pursue careers in science and engineering by celebrating science the same way people celebrate Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes and pop stars.

“AF and ISA have chosen to exhibit at the festival because we are committed to promoting science, technology, engineering and math education (STEM) to youth and to building the next generation of automation professionals, said Mike Marlowe, Automation Federation managing director. “Careers in automation are  exiting, rewarding and important to our future, ” he added. “Through our exhibition, AF and ISA aspire to increase awareness of the importance of automation and engineering among young people and to invite them to explore the fascinating career paths in automation.”

Learn about the Automation Federation’s workforce development initiatives at www.automationfederation.org.

Posted in Major Initiatives, Upcoming AF and AF Sponsored Events, Workforce Development Activities | Leave a comment

CSIA Blog Post: AF Pavillion at ISA Automation Week 2011

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

“CSIA thanks the Automation Federation (AF) for hosting us in the AF pavilion at ISA Automation Week last week. There were great opportunities to meet expo attendees. Amongst those I met was Jorge Ramos of Brazil who is on my Latin America Advisory Committee. He is the president of ISA District 4 which is all of South America. Jorge was responsible for getting CSIA a booth at their expo in Sao Paulo, November 8-10.

One of the main purposes of the event was technical training. I spoke with several people who attended training sessions and all of them said that it was top quality and their expectations were met. So congratulations to all the volunteers who contributed their time and talent for the advancement of the automation industry.

Attendance was more then two times that of 2010 so congratulations to the event organizers for a job well done. My preparation to attend was professionally managed and the technology tools used were the best.

ISA included a presentation opportunity for me and 25 people attended my presentation which also included Hunter Vagas of Avid Solutions, a CSIA Certified member, who spoke on important considerations when performing a process or machine upgrade. A press conference was provided also to keep the media current on the state of CSIA.

One of the purposes of AF is workforce education so to address that issue a Career Day event was held at the Convention Center. 800 students from the Mobile public schools attended the exhibition and presentations. Prism Systems, a CSIA member in Mobile AL, setup a table top exhibit to show the students that automation is a fun and creative field. So we owe Keith Jones of Prism a big thank you and perhaps someday a few of those students will work for him.

Thanks again to ISA and AF for their cooperation and collaboration. CSIA really appreciates it.

Bob Lowe
Executive Director”

Posted in Uncategorized

AF Welcomes New Member: American Small Manufacturers Coalition

Posted on April 27, 2011 by

The Automation Federation (AF) announced that, in March, the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) signed a Memorandum of Membership, becoming one of the newest members of AF. 

AF is an association of member organizations providing awareness, programs and services that continually advance all facets of the automation profession. AF serves as the “Voice of Automation” by providing advocacy and industry-wide strategic analysis and coordination through its member organizations. 

ASMC is a trade association of manufacturing extension agents working to improve the innovation and productivity of the United States of America’s manufacturing community. The goal of ASMC is to keep small U.S. manufacturing competitive in a global economy. 

AF and ASMC have worked together in support of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), which has assisted manufacturers around the U.S. AF anticipates an increase in this work with MEP as a result of ASMC’s becoming a member of AF. 

AF and ASMC will be working together to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics education (STEM) and the Automation Competency Model to improve the general public’s awareness of automation and technology, and to help small manufacturers around the country remain competitive. 

Nelson Ninin, 2011 chair of the Automation Federation, said, “I am pleased that our initial collaborations with the American Small Manufacturers Coalition have led to ASMC becoming a member of AF. We look forward to working with the ASMC members in each state to promote the importance of automation for the future of small manufacturing.” 

Carrie Hines, ASMC executive director, stated, “I have seen the work the Automation Federation has put forth to promote the automation profession in Washington, D.C. and the respect that AF has achieved with Congress and NIST. I am pleased that ASMC is a member of such a respected organization.” 

About ASMC
The American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC) is a trade association of manufacturing extension agents who work to improve the innovation and productivity of America’s manufacturing community. ASMC advocates for legislative and programmatic resources that allow our small manufacturing clients to better compete in the global marketplace. The Coalition and its members do this by increasing awareness of the importance of American small manufacturers, the challenges which they face and the federal legislation and programs which affect them. One program of primary focus is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

Posted in Major Initiatives, New AF Member Organizations, What have we been up to?