No college degree, but willing to learn

As manufacturing moves out of the country, with it goes the apprenticeship programs and union hiring halls that once dominated the American work environment. Many employers find they must do on-the-job training to introduce a new generation of workers to manufacturing.

Ramiro Fausto, 22, is one of those next-generation workers introduced to casting on the foundry floor. He attended Carson High School, had no experience and now is pouring molten aluminum into permanent molds. The Carson City man makes upward of $10 an hour and enjoys what he's doing, despite the high temperatures and repetitive movements.

Through an interpreter, Fausto said he got this job 15 months ago because a friend recommended him. He's received all instruction on the job site, first working with a partner until advancing to his own machine and then to a "cell," which is two machines at once.

Production Pattern & Foundry Co. moved to Mound House a year-and-a-half ago from San Leandro, Calif., and has had no problem finding supervisors and laborers, said Steve Cochran, company vice president. Turnover tends to be higher for laborers during the warmer weather when construction companies need additional workers.

"In the metal casting industry, a lot of our knowledge is trade knowledge," Cochran said. "There are people who'll pick up on the training quickly and those who take more time. We've been fortunate to find the people we need for our size."

He said the company doesn't exclude non-high-school graduates from its workforce, but executives and supervisors have often attained higher degrees of education. The company has about 140 workers.

"My grandfather started this company and he just had his high-school diploma," Cochran said. "Some people may not do well in school, or they may not have had the opportunity. And some people tend to be more hands-on, and in these positions they excel."

Training new employees is normal for manufacturers everywhere, said Tom Rector, the machine shop supervisor. He said the difficulty in finding people with some skills or training can be pinned down to one reason: It's a dying industry in America.

Nevada is unusual because manufacturing is flourishing, particularly in Carson City, said Michele Petee, center manager for Carson JobConnect.

Finding employees for the construction industry is more challenging now than it has been in the past, said Scott Garrison, of Miles Brothers Construction.

"It tends to cycle," he said. "Right now it seems to be a challenging time, and I think because the economy is robust there are a lot of people working and not a lot of people looking for work. They tend to be happier and want to stay in a job because of the benefits."

The Carson City manufacturing sector saw a .4 percent employment increase in 2003-04, according to a report issued by AngelouEconomics for the Northern NVision study. Those jobs pay an average annual wage of $41,000.

These numbers are encouraging to the Northern Nevada Development Authority, which recently raised money through a golf-a-thon to send a student to the Employee Training Center at Western Nevada Community College.

"NNDA works with companies looking to move to the area and one thing we often hear is that we need a better skilled workforce," said Judi Bishop, development authority director of regional development. "We thought we'd put something back into the community for employees to be able to tap into."

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

By the numbers

Educational attainment of the labor force aged over 16 in Carson City and the state

• In Carson City:

Without a high-school education: 18 percent

High-school diploma or general equivalency degree: 25 percent

Some college or associate's degree: 37 percent

Bachelor's degree: 13 percent

• Statewide:

Without a high-school education: 18 percent

High-school diploma or general equivalency degree: 28 percent

Some college or associate's degree: 35 percent

Bachelor's degree: 13 percent

- Source: 2000 U.S. Census