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FREE
FILM DEVELOPING AND PIZZAS
By Phil
Pratt, President
Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
Are
you aware that the United States government offers free photo
development and for every roll of film, you get two free pizzas
as well? Their
service isn’t exactly “One Hour Development” but what can
one expect when it’s free. As absurd as this sounds, this is actually true, but one has
to find themselves in unique situations to take advantage of it.
Well, Bob Pavone of Pavone Fite Fulwiler (our marketing
agency) and I did just that a couple of months ago.
While
we were in Washington, DC visiting Senators, prior to leaving
town, we decided to drive by the Pentagon to see the September
11th crash site. Upon
exiting an overpass, Bob snapped a photograph, but in the
forefront were a military Humvee and a Marine.
The Sergeant immediately stopped all traffic and directed
our car to the side informing us that pictures of a “military
installation” were prohibited.
It was okay to photograph the Pentagon but the Humvee was
off limits and therefore, he would have to confiscate Bob’s
film and, upon processing it and deleting any high security
pictures, would
return the balance. Upon
hearing this, Bob’s face lit up as he asked whether he could
get his other rolls of film developed in doubles, 4" X
6" glossies. The
Marine actually laughed. Whew!
Fortunately he had a sense of humor.
But doesn’t this episode tell us something about how
our lives have changed since September 11th.
Our
trip to Washington, DC was to further our Image
of Welding campaign and in the past three months, I’ve had
the opportunity to meet with six United States Senators and/or
their aides plus three United States Congressmen in addition to
Ohio Governor Taft’s Chief Policy Advisor.
Again, our message was “There
are simply too few welders and welding engineers to meet the
current and future needs of the United States manufacturing
base.” The
typical comment back from practically everyone was that “They
didn’t know there was a shortage of welders”; or “That’s
the first time welding has hit our radar screen”; or “I knew
there was a shortage of nurses but not welders.”
Do we have an awareness problem or what?
In
this same time frame, I’ve been in close communications with
the American Welding Society
and one of their sub-committees, WEMCO,
which stands for the Welding Equipment Manufacturing Companies.
They have a task force devoted to the Image of Welding. There’s
some good news, and not so good news.
The AWS has been reviewing proposals by various marketing
agencies for ways to improve the image of welding.
This is good news! The
disappointment is that we may not see the impact of the project
for months to come and that’s if the AWS Board approves the
budget this coming March. I
guess that I’m just too impatient.
In
the mean time, rather than waiting for an official campaign,
there are things we can do “at the grass roots level” that
may help get the ball rolling.
With this in mind, let’s address “What can we do NOW
to help improve the image of welding?”
Some inexpensive
ways to help improve the Image of Welding:
- Start
reaching out in your own community:
- Develop
joint relationships between manufacturing and education
in your area.
- Promote
open houses to
show how
welding has
progressed from
the “dark,
dirty, dingy,
dangerous” work environment to clean, advanced
manufacturing facilities
- Invite
school counselors and parents (especially MOTHERS, as
they’re typically the influencers in a family where
children are considering career paths) to visit your
facilities and see the opportunities
- Make
the influencers in your area aware of the Gold Collar
Workers. This
is the individual who pursues additional post high school
vocational training and who’s earning potential is often
equal to or greater than college graduates.
- Promote
the concept that welding is not an end in itself, but a
stepping stone to future career paths, such as:
-
- Manufacturing
- Research
and Development
- Teaching
- Sales
- Artistry
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-
Construction
-
Sole
Proprietorship
-
Welding
Engineering
-
And
many more
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- Encourage
a career, not just a job.
- If
not already an American Welding Society member, join your
AWS Chapter and use it as a forum to devise local campaigns
& idea generation
- Follow
Ohio’s Springfield-Clark
County Joint Vocational School example:
The senior welding class “adopts” the fourth
graders at a local elementary school. Several times
throughout the school year, these two groups spend a school
day together
doing some type of welding or fabrication that introduces
the kids to all the skills involved in welding. According to
Brian Massie, instructor, “We have several goals we hope
to achieve with this project. The most important goal is to
help raise the awareness of how welding effects us in our
everyday life.” See full article: World
of Welding, Summer 2000 (http://www.welding.org/newsletters/summer2000/cover.htm)
- W.I.A.
Opportunities -
Contact your local Department of Labor and seek information
on the Workforce
Investment Act. This is a bill that went into effect a couple of years ago
that has consolidated a number of agencies to facilitate job
training and/or retraining. With the current state of the
economy and unemployment, many people are seeking retraining
and WIA can assist them with welding programs.
- Support
your local SkillsUSA-VICA
welding competition
- In
the past 10 years, the United States student welders
have won 5 international gold, silver or bronze medals,
more than any other U. S. trade.
This is like the world Olympics of trades.
- The
welding industry has a lot for which to be proud and we
should promote this honor and call attention to our
success. Others
may aspire to be a part of this success story, like
sports.
- Last
but not least, please
JOIN THE IMAGE ARMY!
None of us can improve the Image of Welding
single-handedly but jointly, we can be a powerful force.
Write me or email me with your constructive comments
as to successful, proven ideas that have worked for you to
improve the Image of Welding and we will consolidate them in
future issues of the World
of Welding for
every ones’ benefit.
Oh,
about the two free pizzas.
Following our Pentagon experience and while getting
dinner at an airport, Bob Pavone and I struck up a conversation
with a National Guardsman who was in the buffet line before us.
We spoke for about 5 minutes prior to reaching the cash
register.
The Private First Class was signing his dinner voucher
and looked over our selections and told the attendant to add our
pizzas to his voucher.
We protested but he insisted.
With that, Bob smiled and said, “Now I have figured it
out.
For every roll of film, you get two free pizzas.”
The Guardsman looked at us strangely as Bob and I laughed
almost uncontrollably.
Phil
Pratt, President
Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
400 Trade Square East
Troy, OH 45373
Email: phil.pratt@welding.org
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