‘Something to Point To’
As we focus on workforce development in this month’s edition of FlexPack VOICE®, I’m reminded of the classic book published in 1974, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, by Studs Terkel. Terkel explores the experiences, frustrations, and hopes of more than 100 American workers from the working class to the professional elite.
The book inspired a 2023 four-part Netflix docuseries, Working: What We Do All Day, and before that, in the late 1970s, the musical Working, with music and lyrics from Stephen Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, James Taylor, and Susan Birkenhead. The song “Something to Point To” from the musical says this:
Everyone should have something to point to
Something to be proud of
Look what I did
See what I’ve done
I did the job
I was the one
Everyone should have something to point to
Some way to be tall in the crowd
Proud
In this edition, some of our authors highlight important workforce research being conducted by our colleagues at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Our federal lobbying team, Capitoline Consulting, points to work being done in Congress and through federal agencies to expand apprenticeship opportunities and address aging, talent shortages, and the rapidly changing technologies within the American workforce.
Chelsey Quick with Industry Intelligence Inc. delves even deeper into technology, offering fantastic insights into how artificial intelligence (AI) can help our industry adapt to workforce changes affecting corporate and manufacturing knowledge transfer. “Using AI is not about replacing people,” Quick writes. “It is about making sure your people have the foundation they need to contribute at a higher level, faster.”
For manufacturing within the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) membership, I point to an interview with Printpack Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Jamie Clark, who has served as Printpack’s top human resources executive for 12 years. It provides valuable insights into demographic shifts and workforce development, as well as recruitment and retention challenges in manufacturing, particularly for hourly employees. Times have changed, and it is a great read about how Printpack, under Clark’s leadership, has adapted to maintain a committed workforce.
Speaking of commitment, look no further than our FlexFocus® feature this month, which highlights James Rosenberger, product manager for sustainable solutions at Charter Next Generation (CNG). In March, he was named the newest co-chair of FPA’s Emerging Leadership Council (ELC). He and co-chair Alana Carr, inside sales and marketing manager at Hosokawa Alpine American, Inc., are putting real work into workforce development through some of the initiatives they and others within the ELC are leading for FPA and the flexible packaging industry.
“Investing early in young talent—and taking the time to mentor and develop them—has proven to be one of the most effective long-term strategies for building strong teams and a resilient, high-performing organization,” Rosenberger says in the interview.
This summer, the ELC’s Summer Virtual Internship Program and FPA’s Student Flexible Packaging Design Challenge are proof of that commitment.
Finally, I believe that supporting professional development for employees is a critical component of a successful workforce development program. For that, I would be remiss if I did not return to the song lyrics above and point to FPA Vice President of Communications Dani Diehlmann for “something to be proud of” in having earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership earlier this year.
To be designated as a CAE—the highest professional credential in the association industry—an applicant must have experience with nonprofit organization management, complete a minimum of 100 hours of specialized professional development, pass a stringent examination in association management, and pledge to uphold a code of ethics. Dani put endless hours into preparing to sit for the CAE exam, and I am proud of her for this accomplishment.
I hope that you also have something to point to and something to be proud of at your work!
Dan Felton
President & CEO
Flexible Packaging Association
