Kansas Manufacturing Solutions Inc

PURPOSE: EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2022 VIA THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT THIS RECIPIENT WAS GRANTED FUNDING TO OPERATE AN MEP CENTER IN THE STATE OF KANSAS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO PROVIDE MANUFACTURING EXTENSION SERVICES TO PRIMARILY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS IN THE STATE OF KANSAS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THROUGH ITS COLLABORATIONS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL, THE CENTER WILL ADDRESS WORKFORCE THAT ADDRESS PRODUCTIVITY AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE ISSUES, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND COMPANY GROWTH FOR MANUFACTURERS AND IN MOST MANUFACTURING SECTORS IN THE STATE. THE CENTER EXPECTS TO ADD AN INTERNAL WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS DELIVERY PROVIDER, TO DEVELOP AND MANAGE THESE CUSTOMIZED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS. THIS ROLE WILL ALSO MANAGE THE CREATION AND SUPPORT OF ADDITIONAL FEDERATION OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING EDUCATION (FAME) CHAPTERS THROUGHOUT KANSAS. CENTER WILL LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS IN THE UPCOMING THREE-YEAR PLAN.EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE CENTER WILL STRENGTHEN MANUFACTURING IN KANSAS BY CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, LEADERSHIP COACHING/STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS. THE CENTER ALSO PLANS TO WORK WITH MORE FOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANIES TO DELIVER FOOD SAFETY RELATED PROJECTS. THE CENTER ALSO PLANS TO DRIVE MORE TECHNOLOGY AND AUTOMATION PROJECTS WITH COMPANIES. THIS IS SEEN AS AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE DATA AS COMPANIES REPORTED THAT THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH ON-RAMPS TO AUTOMATION. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: KANSAS MEP SERVES SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED MANUFACTURING ENTITIES THROUGH ITS SIX CENTERS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF KANSAS. LOCATIONS INCLUDE LENEXA, CHANUTE, WICHITA, HUTCHINSON, GREAT BEND. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.THEY WILL ALSO FACILITATE THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR TO THE PRIVATE MANUFACTURING SECTOR WITH THE OVERALL GOAL OF GROWING CLIENT PROFITS AND GENERATING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO KANSAS MANUFACTURERS AS PART OF THE NIST-MEP PROGRAM.

PURPOSE: THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS FUNDING UNDER THE NIST MEP COMPETITIVE AWARDS PROGRAM TO ADDRESS WORKER SHORTAGES IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WITH NEW APPROACHES TO EMPLOYEE RETENTION. THE PROJECT, LED BY KANSAS MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS, IS A SIX-STATE MEP CENTER COLLABORATION THAT WILL DEVELOP AND DEPLOY A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO EMPLOYEE RETENTION APPLYING PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE'S JOB QUALITY TOOLKIT AND BEST PRACTICES FROM AROUND THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK.ACTIVITIES: THE THREE-PHASE PROJECT INCLUDES PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TO ANALYZE EXISTING WORKFORCE RETENTION METHODS AND TOOLS AND DETERMINE GAPS, IDENTIFY PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE EIGHT KEY DRIVERS OF THE JOB QUALITY TOOLKIT, AND CREATE TOOLS SUCH AS ASSESSMENTS, ROADMAPS, AND A BENCHMARKING-CAPABLE DATABASE TO ENHANCE OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT. PROJECT DEPLOYMENT TO UTILIZE THE TOOLS IDENTIFIED ABOVE TO ASSESS GAPS AND NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS (SMMS) IN EACH GEOGRAPHY AND INITIATE INTERVENTIONS/PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS EMPLOYEE RETENTION; PROJECT TYPES WILL VARY BASED ON EACH CENTER'S CAPABILITIES BUT MAY FOCUS ON CULTURE ANALYSES, HR CONSULTING, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING, QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ENHANCEMENTS, SUCCESSION PLANNING, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, HIRING BEST PRACTICES, INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN, COACHING, TEAM BUILDING, EMERGING LEADERS, HANDS-ON SKILLS TRAINING, QUALITY JOBS, TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACHES TO CULTURE CHANGE, AND PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WITH BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT IN MANUFACTURING, INCLUDING WOMEN, UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS, UNDEREMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS, JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS, AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. EVALUATION/REPORTING/BEST PRACTICE SHARING WHICH WILL INCLUDE NIST/MEIS REPORTING FOR COMPLETED PROJECTS, CONSOLIDATION OF THE TOOLS AND METHODS IDENTIFIED ABOVE INTO A WORKFORCE RETENTION TOOLKIT THAT CAN BE SHARED, ALONG WITH FINDINGS AND SUCCESS STORIES, WITH THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK THROUGH WEBINARS AND APPLY FOR PRESENTATIONS AT THE NATIONAL MEP CONFERENCE.OUTCOMES: THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT AIM TO CREATE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM BENEFITS FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR: ECONOMIC IMPACT: 2,000 COMPANIES TOUCHED, 150 COMPANIES SERVED (PROJECTS), AND 2,000 JOBS CREATED/RETAINED. UPSKILLED WORKFORCE: COMPANY LEADERS, MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND EMPLOYEES WILL GAIN NEW SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES, ALIGNING WITH THE DEMANDS OF MODERN MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENTS. REDUCED TURNOVER: ENHANCED JOB SATISFACTION AND ENGAGEMENT THROUGH TARGETED RETENTION STRATEGIES WILL LOWER TURNOVER RATES. ADDED CAPACITY TO MEP NATIONAL NETWORK: PRODUCTS AND ACTIVITIES FROM PROJECT WILL BE SHARED WITH THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK.BENEFICIARIES: THE PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES WILL BE THE SMMS AND INCUMBENT WORKERS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ACROSS THE SIX STATES INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT. THE INITIATIVE WILL PROVIDE THESE STAKEHOLDERS WITH ADVANCED TOOLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND STRATEGIES TO TACKLE WORKFORCE RETENTION CHALLENGES.SUBRECIPIENTS: THE PROJECT WILL BE EXECUTED IN COLLABORATION WITH MEP CENTERS ACROSS SIX STATES, SPEARHEADED BY KANSAS MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS (KANSAS MEP). SUBRECIPIENTS INCLUDE: CATALYST CONNECTION (PART OF PENNSYLVANIA MEP), MAGNET: THE MANUFACTURING ADVOCACY AND GROWTH NETWORK, INC. (PART OF OHIO MEP), MANUFACTURER'S EDGE (COLORADO MEP), MICHIGAN MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTER (MICHIGAN MEP), AND POLARIS (RHODE ISLAND MEP). THESE PARTNERS WILL LEAD VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM, FROM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION, LEVERAGING THEIR REGIONAL INSIGHTS AND EXPERTISE TO MAXIMIZE THE PROJECT'S IMPACT AND SHARE BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK.

MID-AMERICA MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC - MAMTC

MID-AMERICA MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTER, INC.

INNOVATION IN MANUFACTURING AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN - MID-AMERICA MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTER (MAMTC-KS)

ADAPT KANSAS MEP CENTER SERVICES AND FOCUS TO BE ABLE TO HELP KANSAS COMPANIES PREVENT, PREPARE AND RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO EXPAND EXISTING MEP CAPABILITIES TO PROVIDE NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN OPTIMIZATION AND TO ESTABLISH A SUPPLY CHAIN INTELLIGENCE NETWORK. IMPROVE THE RESILIENCY AND OPTIMIZATION FOR DOMESTIC SUPPLY CHAINS IN THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK IN THE STATE OF KANSAS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN SUPPLIER SCOUTING AND NATIONAL NETWORK SUPPLY CHAIN INITIATIVES; BUILD OUT A STATE SUPPLY CHAIN DATABASE THAT WILL IDENTIFY STATE MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES, MAP INDUSTRY SUPPLY CHAINS, AND ALLOW MANUFACTURERS TO BOTH FIND EACH OTHER FOR SOURCING AND BE FOUND FOR GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES; PROACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH MANUFACTURERS AND PARTNERS TO UNDERSTAND GAPS IN THE STATE'S SUPPLY CHAIN AND CREATE NEW SOLUTIONS TO FILL THOSE GAPS. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR KANSAS MANUFACTURERS TO SUPPORT NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN NEEDS INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY. UNDERSTAND AND DOCUMENT THE STRENGTHS OF AND GAPS IN THE KANSAS SUPPLY CHAIN. IT WILL ALSO BENEFIT KANSAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS (OEMS) AND TIER 1 SUPPLIERS THROUGH IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE AND VISIBILITY TO MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES WITHIN THE STATE. KANSAS SMMS WILL ALSO BE SERVED AS SUPPLIER OPTIONS ARE MORE VISIBLE AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ARISE AS LARGER MANUFACTURERS SEEK TO LOCALIZE AND DIVERSIFY THEIR SUPPLY CHAINS. THE KANSAS SUPPLY CHAIN INTELLIGENCE GAINED THROUGH THIS PROJECT WILL HELP STATE PARTNERS AS THEY CRAFT AND EXECUTE A STATEWIDE MANUFACTURING STRATEGY. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS (SMMS) IN THE STATE OF KANSAS.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT PLANS TO SUBAWARD FUNDS TO PARTICIPATE IN CONDUCTING THE ACTIVITIES OF THIS PROJECT AS STATED ABOVE.

PD - MANDATORY RENEWABLE ENERGY AUDIT GRANTS