Hitachi Foundation Feed

Faces of Energy: Andrew Butcher and GTECH

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:17:37 +0000

2010 Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneur Andrew Butcher is featured in Pop City article.

Mental Health Weekly Highlights Workforce Needs

SGoto@hitachifoundation.org (Shihoko Goto) — Wed, 11 May 2011 14:13:22 +0000

The April 11, 2011 edition of Mental Health Weekly highlights findings from a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s study about training low-wage workers. The report, “Improving Access and Quality: The Role of Frontline Staff at Behavioral and Mental Health Centers,” finds that mental healthcare facilities that train their frontline staff can benefit from reduced turnover as well as greater access to quality treatment and care. The study illustrates findings from the $15 million Jobs to Careers program that was supported by the Hitachi Foundation and the U.S. Department of Labor.

Aspen Institute Study Highlights Hospitals Gains By Investing in Workers

SGoto@hitachifoundation.org (Shihoko Goto) — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:51:15 +0000

A study by the Aspen Institute, made possible in part by funding from the Hitachi Foundation, details financial and other gains made by the Temple University Hospital-Episcopal Campus in Philadelphia through its work-based learning program for mental health workers. Read more about the Aspen Institute’s Workforce Strategies Initiative study here.

Good Samaritan Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital Support Entry-Level Worker Investment in Modern Healthcare Magazine

SGoto@hitachifoundation.org (Shihoko Goto) — Mon, 02 May 2011 18:41:07 +0000

Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland's Larry Beck and Johns Hopkins Hospital's Pamela Paulk are featured in April 2011's Modern Healthcare magazine's on training entry-level healthcare workers to improve the bottom line. Beck and Paulk's joint commentary is available here (pdf).

Youth Entrepreneurship Programs: A Landscape

jharms@hitachifoundation.org (Jenny) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:37:02 +0000

The Hitachi Foundation shares Youth Entrepreneuership Programs: A Landscape.

Yoshiyama Entrepreneur Jessamyn Waldman featured in NYT

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:46:27 +0000

2010 Yoshiyama Entrepreneur Jessamyn Waldman of Hot Bread Kitchen was featured in this weekend's New York Times in an article called "Holiday Gifts That Give Back." View the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/dining/08charity.html?_r=2. (December 15, 2010)

Opportunity Knocks with Jobs to Careers

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:37:56 +0000

Philadelphia Inquirer article "Opportunity Knocks with Jobs to Careers" looks at how health care employers in Philadelphia are working with the District 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund to identify frontline workers who have leadership potential and invest in building their skills. The result is a more skilled workforce and opportunities for advancement for employees like Terrant Morrison, who used to commute from his home in Delaware to a day job and move on to work a second shift at The Bridge, a residential facility for troubled adolescent boys. Now, Terrant is a residential coordinator supervising 25 employees and overseeing day-to-day activities and scheduling. Morrison's training goes on. His previous work put him on track for a Bachelor's degree in behavioral health, which he now is pursuing at Philadelphia University.

Are you an MBA student or faculty member?

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:16:07 +0000

Are you an MBA student or faculty member? Videos from The Hitachi Foundation and Net Impact's Pioneer Employer Case Competition explore best practices for driving curriculum change as well as lessons students can learn from inner city business owner Al Fuller of Integrated Packaging Corporation (IPC).

New: Employer Perspectives Series: Assisted Living in Portland, OR

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:19:53 +0000

New: Employer Perspectives Series: Assisted Living in Portland, OR. One of the best ways to increase market share is to do a better job training frontline caregivers. That’s what David Kohnstamm, Administrator of the Rose Schnitzer Manor assisted living facility in Portland, Oregon, and his colleagues figured out. Read more in the latest installment of The Hitachi Foundation's Employer Perspectives Series.
November 9, 2010

University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business Team Wins Pioneer Employer Case Competition

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:19:43 +0000

The Hitachi Foundation and Net Impact announced the winners of the 2010 Pioneer Employer Case Competition: “Raising Wages, Increasing Profits,” which culminated at the 2010 Net Impact Conference at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business on Saturday, October 30, 2010. The winning MBA student team included Sean Elder, Bill Grau, Hans Strommen, and Kelsey Luers (pictured left to right in this photo) of the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Second-place winners were Tayo Akanni, Dale Prentiss, and Nick Theisen from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona.

Paths to Opportunity: Perspectives from Lower-Wage Workers and Their Employers

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:52:52 +0000

Paths to Opportunity: Perspectives from Lower-Wage Workers and Their Employers

Joyce Foundation and Hitachi Foundation Partner with AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

We are so pleased to share this announcement by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research of “America’s Lower-Wage Workforce: Employer and Worker Perspectives.” This unique study, commissioned by the Joyce Foundation and Hitachi Foundation, captures the perspectives of lower-wage workers (earning $35,000/year or less) and their employers. It gauges their views on working conditions, opportunities for advancement, and experience with education and training.

The survey was conducted between August 2012 and January 2013. This was a period of continued anemic economic and job growth. Unemployment and underemployment remained exceptionally high despite 4 million job vacancies. Those conditions continue to affect workers and their employers.

As expected, lower-wage workers are less satisfied in their jobs than other workers. The AP reported on these findings. The first story is found at http://bigstory.ap.org/article/survey-low-wage-workers-gloomy-about-future. A second piece is available at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=174904680. But results also reveal less obvious realities – ones that offer important direction to employers and employees who want to increase skills and productivity. There are also lessons for policymakers regarding job training programs and other workforce strategies. The main takeaways:

Most employers offer education and training to lower-wage workers. Employers cite five business outcomes as the motivation for doing so.
Workers say they benefit most from on-the-job training and coaching provided by employers. They cite on-line courses as least effective of the offerings from employers.
A large share of lower-wage workers and their employers do not participate in training and education options available in their communities. Large shares of employers are not familiar with available programs.
Employers know little about potential partnerships with publicly-funded education and training institutions.

We highlight some survey findings and a few ideas for expanding advancement opportunities below. The full report can be found at: www.apnorc.org. We look forward to hearing your insights and ideas. Thank you.

Barbara Dyer, Hitachi Foundation President and CEO &

Ellen S. Alberding, Joyce Foundation President

WHAT WE LEARNED

Investment: Most (88%) employers invest in skill development and training for their lower-wage workforce. They do so mostly to improve product and service quality (69%); retain current workers (61%); and meet current skill needs (61%). However, only half of the employers (49%) are extremely or very confident that they will be able to invest in training current lower-wage workers to keep up with new technologies and skill requirements.

Value: Most (83%) employers report that additional job training is very important for lower-wage workers’ career advancement. But many lower-wage workers rate training and education as of lower importance. Half of lower-wage workers (49%) feel strongly that job training is important. Another 25% consider it moderately important with the other quarter (25%) assessing it as slightly or not at all important.

Offerings: Employers offer a range of training programs and benefits to their lower-wage workers (64% offer coaching and mentoring; 58% offer on-the-job training) but only 33% of employers offer benefits that lead to portable skills or education the worker can use to advance his or her career outside their current company. Lower-wage workers most value on-the-job training (70% found it was extremely or very effective) and least value on-line classes (39% found them to be extremely or very effective).

Participation: Public or government-supported training programs appear underutilized by both lower-wage workers and employers. Only 18% of lower-wage workers have used federal financial aid for students (Pell grants). Fewer than 10% participate in any of ten other government-funded programs. Similarly, 86% of employers have never taken part in a government-funded program. Of those that do, only a small minority (41%) engage with public-private partnerships.

Responsibility: Most workers (78%) and employers (81%) place most of the responsibility on workers themselves for career advancement. Responsibility is shared, however, as 73% of workers and 78% of employers believe that employers share at least a moderate responsibility for advancement. Fewer than half of lower-wage workers think government bears more than a little responsibility for helping workers move ahead.

WHAT THIS MEANS

- FOR EMPLOYERS

Employers gain from smart investment in their lower-wage workers. But they could do more by expanding their own offerings, creating incentives for higher participation by lower-wage workers, and taking advantage of outside groups. More employers could benefit from and should explore potential partnerships with local institutions -- such as community colleges -- to offer education and training designed to advance their lower-wage workers. For more information about these strategies, contact:

Aspen Institute’s Skills for America’s Future (www.skillsforamericasfuture.org)

National Fund for Workforce Solutions (www.nfwsolutions.org)

Corporate Voices for Working Families (www.cvworkingfamilies.org)

The Manufacturing Institute (www.themanufacturinginstitute.org)

Precision Metalforming Association (www.pma.org)

Center for the Health Professions – (www.futurehealth.ucsf.edu)

- FOR POLICY MAKERS

The public sector also needs to make smart investments in education and training for lower-wage workers. Policymakers should reform and better align government-funded programs with the needs of lower-wage workers and their employers. More investment is needed in on-the-job training programs leading to credentials, as the evidence shows high return on investment. For more information about these strategies, contact:

National Skills Coalition (www.nationalskillscoalition.org)

Business Leaders United For Workforce Partnerships (www.nationalskillscoalition.org/the-issues/blu)

Many employers are investing in lower-wage workers. Here are two such stories.

Growing Opportunities in Minneapolis region – E.J. Ajax and Sons:

“E.J. Ajax and Sons is a real-world example of how manufacturers and community colleges partnering to invest in workforce development is a win-win-win,” said a White House spokesman in June 2011 in announcing an initiative to train and certify 500,000 U.S. manufacturing workers in the next 5 years.

The Minneapolis-based manufacturer is a testament to the link between workforce development and the business bottom line. According to vice president and co-owner Erick Ajax (the founder’s grandson): “Since 1993, more than half of our frontline workforce either entered into or graduated from our apprenticeship programs. Most Class A journey workers nearly doubled their entry-level wages as a result. Our bottom-line net profit remains several points above industry benchmarks due in large part to our ongoing efforts to upgrade the talent on the shop floor.”

Don Wellman illustrates the company’s savvy strategy. Wellman moved up from the frontlines as an $8/hour Class C punch press operator to become purchasing manager, an estimator, and a key account manager. His rise included completing his Class A journey person training in 2004 and promotion to the front office as an estimator and key account manager in 2008. “My first couple of years here, I focused on becoming the best press operator I could,” says Wellman, “and quickly came to understand how much this company cares about its employees and their families. Once I earned my journey workers card I began to look for other opportunities to learn and grow.” One such opportunity came when Wellman decided to teach at Hennepin Technical College for new classes in this field. “I taught the metal stamping technician class,” Wellman says, “which really helped hone my people skills and certainly helps me now as I work with our suppliers (as purchasing manager) as well as with our frontline workers, trying to understand their needs.” Wellman vows to strengthen his skills in marketing and sales, and in fact already has a head start as he recently landed a new, big customer for the company.

Growing Opportunities in Baltimore – Biotechnical Institute of Maryland:

After losing her job as a mail operator, Caléche Arrington pursued a new path to success in the fast-growing biotechnology sector. An East Baltimore resident, she could see opportunity blooming around her in the buildings sprouting in the bio-park in her neighborhood adjacent to Johns Hopkins Hospital. She enrolled in skill training. She first dedicated 12 weeks to advance her math skills, reading comprehension, and knowledge of the bioscience sector. That was followed by nine weeks of hands on, biopharma training. A paid internship was her next step. She landed one at a large area bioscience company where she demonstrated her new skills and obtained job experience. Just recently, Caléche accepted a full-time position with good benefits as a lab technician in the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her salary alone is 63% greater than her highest past wage.

The Biotechnical Institute of Maryland (BTI) partners with over 29 life sciences companies. They collaborate to meet employers’ needs for well-prepared staff and provide low-income adults with tuition-free lab training, college credit, and jobs with family-supporting wages and benefits. BIOSTART is a 12-week starting point aimed at increasing basic skills and knowledge of the biotech industry. The Lab Associates training entails 9-weeks and leads graduates to a 100-hour paid internship and full-time placement in the industry. BTI placed more than 80% of its graduates at an average annual salary of $25,000.

ABOUT THE JOYCE FOUNDATION (www.joycefdn.org)

The Joyce Foundation supports the development of policies that both improve the quality of life for people in the Great Lakes region and serve as models for the rest of the country. The Joyce Foundation's grant making supports research into Great Lakes protection and restoration, energy efficiency, teacher quality and early reading, workforce development, gun violence prevention, diverse art for diverse audiences, and a strong, thriving democracy. The Foundation encourages innovative and collaborative approaches with a regional focus and the potential for a national reach.

ABOUT THE HITACHI FOUNDATION (www.hitachifoundation.org)

The Hitachi Foundation believes that business has an essential role to play in addressing the complex global challenges of our time. Through its three signature programs, the Foundation discovers, demonstrates, and expands business practices that improve economic opportunities for low-wealth individuals and enhance long-term business value.

ABOUT THE AP-NORC CENTER FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESEARCH (www.apnorc.org)

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, a joint research initiative created in 2011 by the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, combines the expertise of NORC, one of the world’s premier social science research organizations, with the reach of the AP, the global news network whose news reports are seen every day over all media platforms and formats by more than half the world’s population. The Center’s mission is to conduct rigorous research on key social problems and policy issues and to disseminate this research widely using the full power of the AP’s global reach, thereby providing insight for informed decisions. Underpinning the Center’s work is a strong emphasis on exploring the public’s behaviors, values, and desires and how the public wants its institutions to respond to these concerns.

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Image: In this Dec. 1, 2011 photo, job seekers attend a career fair in Overland Park, Kan. The unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest level in more than two and a half years, as employers stepped up hiring in response to the slowly improving economy. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Hitachi Foundation Announces Young Entrepreneur Award

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:51:00 +0000

Hitachi Foundation Announces Young Entrepreneur Award

Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneur award provides $40,000 and technical assistance to business leaders who are making a difference in the U.S.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Hitachi Foundation has opened the application process for its 2013 Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneur Award. Up to five young entrepreneurs intent on building sustainable businesses and making a difference in the United States will receive $40,000, as well as tools and training to be successful. Applications are due March 28th and can be found at http://www.hitachifoundation.org/our-work/yoshiyama-young-entrepreneurs-program.

Communications Fellow Opening at the Hitachi Foundation

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Hitachi Foundation

Business in Society Communications Fellowship

The Hitachi Foundation, based in Washington, DC, is offering a one-year compensated Fellowship to a creative individual seeking to achieve social impact through the power of words and images. The Fellow will develop and implement a broad range of communication strategies, including social media, digital and traditional approaches to win hearts and change minds.

The Foundation focuses on the role of business in society. The Fellow will work collaboratively with our staff to develop and execute strategies to advance our mission and help us achieve greater impact through our three programs: Business and Work, the Hitachi Community Action Partnership, and the Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program. Candidates should become familiar with our programs prior to submitting an application. www.hitachifoundation.org

Candidates must enjoy working collaboratively in a small 8-person organization. They must be able to think creatively, take initiative, and be equally comfortable executing ideas of others. The Fellow will report to the President and CEO and will work closely with the full Foundation team and with outside consultants.

Candidates must have at least a Bachelor’s degree, be strong writers, and have demonstrated experience with social and digital media. A strong interest in work and the workforce, corporate community engagement and/or social enterprise is highly desirable.

About the Foundation: At the Hitachi Foundation, we believe that businesses that do good, do well – and our goal is to help more companies achieve the best results for communities, employees, and shareholders alike. We are a recognized innovator within philanthropy and a leader in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Our mission is to forge an authentic integration of business actions and societal well-being in North America. We believe that business has an essential role to play in addressing many complex global challenges of our time. As a small foundation, we achieve impact through a highly strategic approach that integrates communications in all of our programs.

Compensation: The Business in Society Fellow is a one-year appointment. The Hitachi Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a salary that is commensurate with experience.

To Apply: Interested candidates should submit:

a fully-developed cover letter conveying an understanding of our programs and outlining how their skills and background areas are a fit for this Fellowship
a resume
2-3 writing samples and examples of proficiency in other media such as social media, video and web production.

Submit materials via email by December 19, 2012 to: jobopenings@hitachifoundation.org

Young Entrepreneurs Chart Business Approaches to Alleviate Poverty Creating Tangible Opportunities for Low-wealth Americans

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:13:13 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC (October 23, 2012) – The Hitachi Foundation is honoring five business leaders from four enterprises with the Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs award. Now in its third year, the competitive program recognizes America’s newest generation of entrepreneurs whose businesses are about making a living and making a difference.

Whether they are supporting and placing welfare-to-work candidates in South Florida; creating learning laboratories for building energy-efficient affordable housing across the U.S.; revitalizing rural farming in the Ozarks; or infusing economic vitality and self-employment opportunities in Chicago’s “food deserts,” these young entrepreneurs combine their passion to make a difference with business acumen to achieve purpose in the pursuit of profit.

The Foundation is committed to discovering and spreading powerful yet practical approaches that illuminate the role of business as a partner in strengthening society. The Foundation starts by finding young business leaders between ages 18 and 30 who are leading the way to future business and societal opportunities — those succeeding at finding unexpected solutions to persistent, structural social challenges by using the tools of business to make a positive social impact. In addition to a $40,000 grant, Awardees receive leadership development, business mentoring, technical assistance and access to a network of peers and advisers from partner organizations — including Investors' Circle, Social Venture Network, B Lab, and PICnet.

“American capitalism is a story of ongoing tension between two seemingly contradictory ideas: business as the pursuit of profit and business as a means to secure a better society,” says Barbara Dyer, President and CEO of The Hitachi Foundation. “These entrepreneurs show us that we need not make a choice between purpose and profit, and that business innovation in the social realm is abundant.”

Who are these young 2012 Yoshiyama entrepreneurs?

BOULD LLC., Shane Gring and Stephen Lepke – (Denver, CO). BOULD utilizes partnerships with affordable housing builders, such as Habitat for Humanity, to provide comprehensive project experience and continuous education programming in meeting the sustainable housing needs of low-wealth individuals.

FALLING SKY FARM, Cody Hopkins – (Marshall, Arkansas). Falling Sky Farm is a small, diversified grass-based livestock farm located 100 miles north of Little Rock in the Ozark Mountains. It aims to establish a profitable, environmentally-friendly demonstration farm, which promotes a local food system that produces great tasting, nutrient rich foods; works in harmony with nature; and reinvigorates the local economy, all while meeting the health and nutritional needs of low-income and underserved rural individuals and families.

NEIGHBOR CAPITAL, John Piercy – (Chicago, IL). Neighbor Capital is a social-purpose business that creates job opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed. Through its network of leased Neighbor Carts, the business brings healthy foods to urban “food deserts” and lower-wealth neighborhoods in Chicago.

WORKSQUARE, Vanessa Bartram – (Miami, FL). WorkSquare is dedicated to improving persistent conditions surrounding low-wage workers in South Florida. In addition to job placement, the enterprise empowers its job seekers by providing work readiness support, financial literacy training, and skill building for upward mobility.

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Additional 2012 Finalists

Wash Cycle Laundry, Gabriel Mandujano – (Philadelphia, PA). Wash Cycle Laundry delivers laundry on bicycles to consumers and businesses and washes it using cost-competitive processes that drastically reduce water and energy usage. The company hires former welfare recipients and is pioneering a set of replicable management practices that transform reputed dead-end jobs into launching pads for upward mobility.

Hear It Local, Inc., Matt Lombardi – (San Francisco, CA). Hear It Local is a social platform that empowers local music, bringing together fans, event planners, and local music venues to discover and book local musicians for live shows and private concerts. It provides local, independent musicians — which include a larger percentage of low-wealth individuals who juggle part-time and seasonal work — with access to more regular paying music gigs.

TechChange, Nick Martin – (Washington, DC). TechChange delivers highly social and affordable online certificate courses focused on building tech skills to address urgent social challenges. Low-income students can access TechChange courses through a crowd-funding program.

Eco Ride, Joel Brooks – (Boston, MA). Eco Ride provides high-quality group transportation services to non-profit organizations and members of urban communities at an affordable price. Consumers that book with Eco Ride are able to save time and money with discounted rates to various museums, recreational parks, and other attractions.

The Good Life Organization, Roberto Rivera and Jennifer Leavitt-Moy – (Chicago, IL). The Good Life Organization creates “edutainment” products and training that empower educators to effectively engage youth of color in culturally relevant and research-based ways. Youth cultivate creative, social, and emotional skills, resulting in increased academic achievement, healthier relationships, and both entrepreneurial and civic engagement.

The Hitachi Foundation

Since its founding in 1987, The Hitachi Foundation has evolved into one of this nation's philanthropic leaders in the field of corporate social responsibility with a special focus on expanding business practices that create tangible and enduring economic opportunities for low-wealth Americans, their families and the communities in which they reside. The Foundation believes that business has an essential role to play in addressing the many complex global challenges of our time. Its mission is to forge an authentic integration of business actions and societal well-being in the United States by discovering and expanding business practices that measurably improve people’s lives and enhance business value. The Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program is a nationally competitive program, open to those operating viable businesses in the United States with the dual purpose of making a difference in alleviating poverty while making. Eligible entrepreneurs must have launched their business before they reached age 30. Their business must be between one and five years old.

Pioneer Employer Optimax Systems Contributed to Mars Rover Curiosity

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:54:00 +0000

The NASA Mars rover Curiosity, which reached its destination 30 days ago, was made possible in part thanks to the good folks at Optimax Systems, one of our Pioneer Employers. A leading optics company based in Ontario, NY, Optimax contributed many of the high-quality lenses used in the rover's cameras and scientific instruments. So this panoramic photo of Mars' Glenelg site, published yesterday by the Christian Science Monitor

may very well have been taken using Optimax lenses.

This summer has been good for Optimax in other ways as well. In May, CEO Rick Plympton and President Mike Mandina received the New York State Small Business Person of the Year Award from the US Small Business Administration. The company continues to grow quickly, making the Inc. 5000 list for the third time, with 3-year growth of 45%, and adding 43 new high-quality jobs. And according to an interview with Mandina in today's Washington Post, they're still growing - and still hiring.

Congratulations to Optimax!

An Alternative Route for Caterpillar

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:29:20 +0000

In his August 4 column “Caterpillar to unions: Drop dead,” Steve Pearlstein argues that if Caterpillar were to invest in its production workers the way it invests in top management, it could lead to better corporate results. We can provide some evidence for that assertion. Over the past three years, our foundation has developed more than 70 case studies on what we call “pioneer employers” – companies in healthcare and manufacturing that make substantial investments in the training, education, and wages of their own front-line workers – and benefit their stockholders as a result. There are far more such companies than most people realize, and in many cases their stories are simply extraordinary.

For instance take the case of Pridgeon and Clay, a mid-size, non-union auto supplier in Michigan. Like many such firms, P&C was hit hard by the global economic meltdown – but has rebounded far better than most, growing from 400 to 650 workers stateside since 2009, and adding millions in annual revenues. Their secret has been to invest heavily in R&D and new product development – and to prepare, rather than replace, their workers when it comes to the impact of new technology. That’s accomplished with a home-grown Automated Press Operator training program, which provides wage increases of over 50% to employees who enter the program (and graduates receive even more). The firm also has a robust employee stock ownership program through which they share profits, and has provided generous tuition reimbursement to over 245 employees since 2005.

Stories such as that of P&C demonstrate that technological change and globalization don’t have to result in tragedy for workers. We can build a roaring, 21^st century economy that lead to better results for American workers and American shareholders. But we need visionary managers who can see past the next quarterly earnings report.

Training For The Future of Healthcare

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:18:15 +0000

With a training session for clinical care leaders in Los Angeles last week, we’ve now completed four such sessions, training a total of 170 clinical care leaders on new practices that improve health outcomes while reducing costs. See here for a detailed overview of the first session in Philadelphia, courtesy of the 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund there.

These training sessions, which previously took place in Philadelphia, Hartford, and Portland (OR), are part of our Pioneer Employers activities. They demonstrate the traction that our work has generated over the last two years.

More importantly, they show how – in collaboration with the Center for the Health Professions at UCSF – we can make progress on an issue of vital public concern. As experts across the political spectrum agree, rising health care costs threaten to bankrupt families, doctors and other providers, large and small businesses, and government at all levels. Thus, we must find ways to slow the growth in costs without sacrificing quality.

That means, among other things, promoting healthy habits and preventive care. America’s 13 million health care workers are central to this challenge – including over 6 million front-line workers such as medical assistants, nursing assistants, and community health workers – and we must ensure that they can address it as efficiently and effectively as possible.

With our support, the Center developed not just ideas but practical solutions. They identified 14 clinics across the country that improved care, cut costs, and generated better health outcomes for patients.

These clinics pointed to how they train and deploy medical assistants as a major – if not the main –factor in achieving these results. They showed how medical assistants (the “utility infielders” of primary care) can deliver health coaching and other services. By doing so, these workers free up doctors and nurses to focus on tasks that require more advanced training. That, in turn, cuts costs, boosts productivity, and improves health.

These efforts are vitally important. Today, 1,200 community clinics serve 20 million patients – and the patient total will likely double to 40 million in five years. Without more effective and efficient service, clinics will find themselves in the swirling waters of unmanageable demand and limited human and financial resources.

Now that we know how clinics can provide better care at lower costs, we must find ways to deploy the model as widely as possible. Fortunately, we’re on course to do our part in the months ahead, and the response has been very encouraging.

So, we’ve got a full slate of site visits, webinars, and other efforts slated for the fall. Through those activities, we are empowering the clinical workers we trained to disseminate their knowledge to a wider audience of colleagues across the country.

We’ll keep you posted on our progress.

Hitachi Foundation Joins Billion + Change at White House

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:21:55 +0000

The Hitachi Foundation Joins A Billion + Change to Connect to the Future of Corporate Service

Can you imagine a future where 500 companies decide to collectively lead social change and tackle the most pressing challenges of the 21st century through skills-based volunteer service? Where thousands of communities tap into the skills and talents of businesses to address social needs? Where millions of employees grow professionally while championing causes they believe in? Or where companies pledge billions of dollars in corporate service to address the most complex challenges facing our country?

Addressing The Workforce Gap in Pennsylvania

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 21:03:31 +0000

This Sunday, Hitachi Foundation President and CEO Barbara Dyer teamed up with the good people at United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania for an op-ed piece in The Mercury. The theme: how even in today's stagnant economy, some companies are finding ways to boost their performance and profits, through innovative training approaches that create good jobs with the opportunity for advancement.

And a sizeable number of these companies are in Pennsylvania - including NewAge Industries, which we have previously highlighted as a Pioneer Employer.

Read the op-ed, then tell us what you think!

In Memory of Tadashi Yamamoto

eleggat@hitachifoundation.org (Hitachi Foundation) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:57:38 +0000

Many gathered here in Washington on June 6 to remember Tadashi Yamamoto – a tenacious force for global cooperation and visionary founder of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE). His death April 15, 2012 is almost incomprehensible because so much of his work lives on. Among his many passions was the idea of a vibrant nonprofit sector in Japan. As a scholar of philanthropy and its role in bridging U.S. Japan relations, he knew first-hand that this third sector is essential to a healthy society. Tadashi was instrumental in the creation of Japan’s nonprofit framework and the work of JCIE continues to nurture effective organizations on the ground. This is why we chose to support the JCIE Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund in the aftermath of the Tohoku disaster.