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In 1999, as soon as he completed high school and following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Lionel Hamilton enlisted to serve his country. He worked as a helicopter mechanic before ultimately becoming a pilot. He flew a Blackhawk and helped save countless lives by transporting soldiers out of danger.
Lionel still works on flying machines. Today, he oversees assembly at a GE jet engine testing facility in Peebles, Ohio. Lionel Hamilton is doing something else, too. He is answering a key question in the debate on how we build a growing and sustainable American economy. That question is not whether companies are hiring again. Manufacturing companies, large and small, are ready to hire. The question is: where can these companies find the qualified, skilled workers required for the high-tech jobs that define advanced manufacturing today?
It turns out that many companies are looking, with great success, at veterans like Lionel, both those just transitioning back to civilian life and those who have made that transition but are still looking for meaningful work. That is why the Manufacturing Institute, companies like GE, Alcoa, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, community colleges, veterans organizations, and others are launching a coalition to bolster the manufacturing talent pipeline by training veterans for jobs in advanced manufacturing. Our reason is not patriotism alone.
Manufacturing currently employs about 12 million people, and both the pay and benefits in those jobs exceed the national average. Approximately seven out of every 10 dollars of our country’s R&D investments support manufacturing. The point is that while the methods of manufacturing have changed, it remains a critical component of our country’s economic future. We know that there are 600,000 open high-tech jobs, just waiting to be filled. With transition support and training, vets can succeed in these jobs.
Manufacturers need skilled workers. More than two and a half million workers will retire in the next decade. The number has recently decreased slightly, but there are still nearly one million unemployed veterans, many of whom are young and looking to start a meaningful career. When you add the technical proficiency and the list of intangible qualities from leadership to loyalty that they bring with them to the job, veterans are a perfect fit.
The need is obvious. The challenge is matching their skills to job openings, to help them find the right jobs now. According to new research, veterans and active duty soldiers who will be soon transitioning into civilian life are confident that they can contribute. They worry, however, that they will be undervalued and that their skills may not readily transfer to the workforce.
1. All of Lionel Hamilton’s deeds can best be described as being ______.
A) obedient
B) patriotic
C) impulsive
D) capable
2. According to Paragraph 3, manufacturing companies may be ready to ______.
A) hire experienced workers
B) set up new manufacturing companies
C) define advanced manufacturing today
D) train veterans to be qualified and skilled workers
3. The word “bolster” (Line 5, Paragraph 3) most probably implies that ______.
A) manufacturing is a high-income and high-profit sector
B) the coalition advocates patriotism
C) manufacturing companies support the training of veterans
D) high-tech jobs are just waiting to be filled
4. It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that ______.
A) veterans are becoming more and more undervalued
B) intangible qualities are more valuable than technical proficiency
C) veterans are entirely optimistic to find suitable jobs
D) there are both opportunities and challenges along the road
5. Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A) Manufacturing: We are ready to hire experienced workers.
B) Today’s advanced manufacturing
C) Veterans: What can we do after transition?
D) Veterans are the best choice for high-tech jobs in manufacturing.