Sneak Peek at SSTI's Annual Conference: The Future of U.S. Manufacturing and What We Do About It

Manufacturers continue to shed thousands of American jobs — at a rate of 80,000 per month over the past three years, according to the New York Times. The realities of globalization are settling in as small and mid-sized manufacturers are hit hard with competition from around the world.

Local communities in every state in every region across the country are feeling the impact of plant closures, mass layoffs and downsizing. The economic indicators point toward recovery while unemployment lines grow. Economists are now suggesting the U.S. is losing high-paying, skilled jobs that will never return.

What is manufacturing's future in America, and how do states, regions and communities prepare for it?

One of the breakout sessions at SSTI's annual conference will allow state and local tech-based economic developers to share and debate ideas on what policymakers and practitioners are, can and should be doing. The roundtable discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Ken Poole, CEO of Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness and one of the nation's leading experts on federal, state and local policies and programs supporting manufacturers.

This is just one of 24 intensive breakout sessions offered at Building Tech-based Economies: From Policy to Practice, to be held in Seattle on Oct. 21-22. Details, including registration information, are available at: http://www.ssti.org/conference03.htm [expired]