TAPPI Forms Technologically Advanced Workforce (TAW) Advisory Board

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The Technologically Advanced Workforce initiative (TAW) was created to help improve profitability related to human performance in the pulp, paper and allied industries. TAPPI began governing the TAW in 2009 at the request of the Agenda 2020 Chief Technology Officers Committee. This new advisory board has been formed to address general guidelines for the purpose, mission and strategic direction of the TAW initiative and NPT2.

Members of the newly created TAW Executive Advisory Board represent leadership from industry, union and government sectors. The Board held its first meeting in late September and industry representatives attending included: John Donahue, SAPPI Fine Paper N.A.; Lyle Fellows, Verso Paper; Curtis Sears, MWV; Ellsworth Townsend, Packaging Corp. of America; and Cindy Reinhart, Metso. Andrea Harper, Georgia Department of Labor, represented government and Keith Romig, United Steelworkers, was the union representative. T.J. Murphy represented National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology Training (NPT2) and TAPPI staff members were Larry N. Montague, Mary Beth Cornell and David Bell.

"A Jaakko Pöyry study on the pulp and paper industry has shown that at least 30 percent of the variability in profitability can be explained by performance of people in the workforce," Murphy said. "The TAW's mission is to be a catalyst for collaborations among industry, government, associations, workers, educators, trainers, community and technical college systems, and economic development organizations. These collaborations will be nurtured to attract and develop a technically superior workforce to operate, maintain and manage the new and advanced technologies essential to a globally competitive U.S. forest products industry. It has been forecasted that if successful, TAW could increase industry's profitability by 25 percent, as measured by return on capital employed (ROCE)."

TAW is one of the key focus areas of Agenda 2020 and was first envisioned at the Technology Summit in May 2001.

The NPT2 was established in 2004 as a national network of community colleges that produces technicians specifically skilled in the pulp, paper and allied industries. The objective of this initiative is to provide training and education to ensure that the technologies chosen to create the forest products industry of the future are continued. 

One of the goals of the TAW is to attract new employees to the industry. The National Association of Manufacturers reports that America will face a shortage of 13 million skilled industrial workers by 2020.
With this in mind, TAPPI and its partners have also developed a website: www.careersinpaper.org. This website hosts a speaker's kit that includes a video, brochure and PowerPoint presentation that people can present at their local schools. The video "5 Reasons to be a Paper Engineer" can also be seen on YouTube.

Co-chairs of the TAW Advisory Board are Larry N. Montague, TAPPI's President and CEO and T. J. Murphy, Director of NPT2. For more information about the TAW please contact David Bell.