Let’s Bring Back Shop Class to Educate and Inspire
Written by Orion Jones on BigThink.com >> Click here to read the full article online. Millennials are the first American generation who have not been taught how to use tools — wrenches, screws, saws, etc. — and that could have a negative effect on the country’s trade industries. Skilled labor is in increasingly high demand as manufacturing jobs trickle back into the country, but as shop class has steadily disappearedfrom the high school curriculum, there are not always enough skilled laborers to fill the positions, according to the Foundation for America, a nonprofit that invests in creating a skilled labor force. The foundation is run by John Ratzenberger, an actor who has done many voiceovers for Pixar, including Hamm in the Toy Story series. He began his career as Cliff Clavin, the affable postman on the television show Cheers. To demonstrate his commitment to teaching tool use, and the joys of working with one’s hands, Ratzenberger has donated $1 million to the state of Georgia to begin the National Education Initiative. Ratzenberger said in a recent interview that teaching tool skills is about making young people more well-rounded individuals: “It makes you a more well-rounded human being, more capable and self-reliant if you can fix your own screen door. … There are a lot of jobs in manufacturing right now, a lot of jobs in construction, and there’s nobody to fill them because we neglected to teach our children how to use tools and we’ve denigrated the image of...
John Ratzenberger Donates $1 Million To Bring Shop Classes To Schools
Actor John Ratzenberger is donating one million dollars from his foundation to bring back “shop” classes into schools to teach students how to work with their hands and learn a trade. The initiative is designed to help young people learn to be self-reliant and self-sufficient. Ratzenberger stated that, “tradespeople should be given the same amount of respect as doctors or scholars.” He promotes the German model: “Whether you take shop classes or go into academics, you’re given the same amount of dignity and respect. Whether you’re a brain surgeon or a plumber doesn’t make any difference. And that’s crucial,” said Ratzenberger. Mr. Ratzenberger said that it is important for people to learn a skill “that nobody can take away from you.” This empowers a person to earn a living anywhere on the planet. The actor’s non-profit organization, Foundation For America, believes that economic freedom and innovation is possible by investing in America’s people by providing educational resources. The Foundation for America is dedicated to educating the public and policymakers on the growing decline of skilled labor in the United States. Ratzenberger also informs the public about the crisis of American manufacturing’s lack of skilled workers to replace retiring baby boomers through the Center for America, also a nonprofit organization that brings people face-to-face with issues that affect the future quality of life, economic prosperity and freedom in...
Initiative aims to rebuild image of manufacturing
Initiative aims to rebuild image of manufacturing Announcement coming Wednesday for project that will launch in Georgia schools By Kristen Oliver, Gainsville Times All of Georgia’s 932 public middle and high schools will soon be the first schools to join a national initiative encouraging careers in manufacturing. Gov. Nathan Deal and celebrity, actor and entrepreneur John Ratzenberger will announce Wednesday the statewide implementation of the National Educational Initiative, designed to redefine the image associated with jobs in manufacturing and to reinforce the importance of the field. Ratzenberger is best known for his role on the television show “Cheers,” but more recently for producing and hosting the television show “Made in America,” which highlights American careers in manufacturing. The Georgia Department of Education and Board of Education both endorsed the initiative and its use of science, technology, engineering and math content. Wanda Creel, Gainesville City Schools superintendent, said the Gainesville school district already encourages students in the STEM fields and offers opportunities for students in manufacturing, including courses in construction, carpentry and masonry. “We have a person at the district level that is dedicated to helping us pursue not only STEM, but STEAM, which is science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics,” Creel said. “And many of our schools have an emphasis on STEM. For example, Gainesville Exploration Academy has a STEM lab.” The district is also putting an emphasis on professional learning opportunities for teachers to help them incorporate these fields in the classroom. Will Schofield, Hall County School District superintendent, said the county schools have helped students to numerous internships in manufacturing. The district has STEM charter and magnet schools starting at the elementary level and programs through the high school level. It offers International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses in the fields and has additional opportunities for students including robotics and engineering clubs. “The best thing you can do to support STEM careers is to offer the most rigorous academic coursework in those areas available to children, and we certainly feel like we’ve done that,” Schofield said. “… Certainly what the governor is saying is very consistent with what we’ve tried to do with our children here locally.” The National Educational Initiative is launching for the first time in Georgia, but may eventually be implemented in all 50 states. The launch in Georgia will reach more than 500,000 students annually. “One of the most critical issues confronting Georgia manufacturers today is the shallow pool of work-ready talent interested in and capable of embarking on well-paying careers in manufacturing,” said Roy Bowen, president of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers, in a press release Monday. “Achieving success with this endeavor...
John Ratzenberger Visits Atlanta, Georgia
Journalist Rodney Ho wrote the following article, published on AJC.com. Click here to view the full article online. John Ratzenberger (‘Cheers,’ Pixar, DWTS) pushes ‘Made in America’ John Ratzenberger, best known as know-it-all postal worker Cliff Clavin on “Cheers,” swung through Atlanta earlier this week to push his long-running “Made in America” campaign, highlighting manufacturing jobs and vocational training. This is just the type of program patriotic know-it-all Clavin would have embraced. Ratzenberger’s Travel Channel show ‘Made in America,” which debuted in 2003 and went for five seasons, paved the way for Mike Rowe’s “Dirty Jobs” and a raft of similar shows. Ratzenberger, a trained carpenter before he pursued acting, linked up recently with the Made in America stores (www.madeinamericastore.com) to create gift boxes that consist solely of U.S.-created items, one of women, one for dudes and one for children. “The entire package is sourced and made here in America,” he said over lunch at Roxx Tavern off Cheshire Bridge Road. “Even the boxes and ink used to print the boxes. It’s turned out to be really popular.” He notes that environmentalists should note that China, where many manufacturing jobs have gone, pollutes far more than we do and a lot of that air pollution makes it to California shores. Manufacturing jobs, he notes, have disappeared by the millions. “A welder can make $80,000 a year,” he said. When factories shut down in many small towns in America, the people left behind often end up having to rely on government and taxes end up going up. He said he saw this happen in his hometown of Bridgeport, Conn. “It’s okay if kids don’t go to college,” he said. “They can become a welder or plumber. All my relatives worked in manufacturing. All made a great living and lived in nice homes. But the media makes us think if you work with your hands, somehow you’re not smart.” He thinks TV focuses too much on failure, not on success, citing the “Locked Up” series on MSNBC that highlights felons. While in Atlanta, he met with incoming Senator David Perdue, who supports many of Ratzenberger’s initiatives. And Ratzenberger is looking to direct a fil in Atlanta. He has seen studios here and is duly impressed. He also visited a grammar school friend who works at a big construction firm here that builds high rises. When at home in Connecticut, he dabbles in his own construction projects on a much smaller scale like a play area for his grandson, all from scratch. Not surprisingly, Ratzenberger has ties with Atlanta-based Home Depot. Both work on the “Building Homes for Heroes” initiative to help...
Made In America owner may expand beyond WNY
Written by David Bertola / Buffalo Business First Reporter – Buffalo Business First Made In America Store, which has four area locations, may open other locations outside the region. Owner Mark Andol, who also runs General Welding & Fabricating Inc. in Elma, said that he’s considering a local mall, as well as sites in Erie, Pa., Missouri and Tennessee. Currently, he operates stores near the General Welding site, plus those in McKinley Mall, Eastern Hills Mall and in Niagara Falls, which opened since 2013. He said that the flagship store, located at 900 Maple Road in Elma, has become a tourist destination that this past year, hosted its 380th tour bus. All total, he said the stores generate about $2 million in revenues. Between both companies, he employs about 70. In 2010, the year Andol opened his first store, he hosted a visiting Russian TV network. He launched the retail store because his metal working company was losing work to overseas competitors, causing him to lay off staff. All total, Andol said his 18,000 square-foot distribution center houses 6,500 different products, which he researches to make sure that products he sells are 100 percent American made. That means that if a twist tie or piece of cellophane packaging on a prospective product are sourced overseas, they don’t make their way to his store shelves. Recently, Andol has partnered with actor John Ratzenberger, who was in Buffalo in November and signed a Made in America gift box. Ratzenberger starred in the TV sitcom “Cheers” and hosted a show about U.S.-made products. “He’s a carpenter, and I’m a metal guy,” said Andol, who said he also featured in a documentary about American-made products. The film, which can be downloaded here. “It’s a feature documentary but inspirational,” Andol said. “This was about four years in the making, and it raises awareness and helps people know more about consumer products. It went to video-on-demand this past spring. It shows the importance of buying and producing more than you consume in our...
Buy American, Watch Your Taxes Go Down
Written by Bonnie Lee / Taxpertise / Published December 19, 2014 on FOXBusiness You remember Cliff Claven, the postman from the popular television series, Cheers? He’d philosophize and pontificate and come up with the most interesting factoids. Well, Cliff Claven was played by talented comedian and actor John Ratzenberger. I recently had the opportunity to interview him about buying American made products. And with only a few shopping days left until Christmas, that’s exactly was Ratzenberger wants us to do. Ratzenberger is touring the country promoting the concept of buying American. In fact, he and entrepreneur Mark Andol have created a website, madeinamericastore.com, which educates the public on the advantages and necessity of buying American and also sells American made products. Currently on special for the holidays are gift boxes of made-in-America products designed for children, men, and women, respectively. He gives an example as to why, if we want to experience economic growth, it is important to buy American. “If you buy a T-shirt made in China for $4-5 cheaper than you can get here, you will eventually put the American T-shirt company out of business.” This company will then no longer pay for a business license (tax), collect and pay sales taxes, or pay income taxes to the state and to Uncle Sam. Lower tax revenues eventually lead to economic decline. It also leads to the missing tax dollars being made up by the rest of the population. “It’s a domino effect,” Ratzenberger says. “I know a lot of truckers in Los Angeles. They used to take a truck load of merchandise back east and return with a full load of merchandise to be shipped out from L.A. to points around the world. You know what they’re telling me now? They’re coming back empty.” This is a reduction in the trucker’s pay. Therefore a reduction in the amount of taxes he pays. Everyone is affected. If there are fewer truckers on the road, there’s less need for truck stops and fuel and junk food too. Ratzenberger grew up in Bridgeport, Ct., a manufacturing town. He started out as a journeyman carpenter. In fact, he helped build the stage at Woodstock. “All my heroes were people who could make things. Manufacturing is our strength. It’s the people who get up in the morning and put their hands to something that make America strong. But they are eliminating shop courses in schools and people are losing skills.” Ratzenberger feels that this must change or our country will suffer. Ratzenberger claims the tools made by American manufacturers, such as the Estwing hammer, will last far longer than its Chinese counterpart. He says, “I can spot a Chinese...