New SAE International Course Offers Automotive HR Professionals Solutions to Workforce Development Challenges

WARRENDALE, Pa., Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The environment is changing for technical workforce development in the automotive industry. Vehicle electrification along with innovative technologies for navigation, communication, entertainment, and advanced safety systems have become increasingly vital components of modern vehicle engineering. Human resources professionals and hiring managers within the automotive industry are challenged to identify, recruit and develop the next generation of the automotive engineering and technical professional workforce.

"Strategic Human Resource Management and the Evolution of the Technical Automotive Workforce," a new course from SAE International, is designed to facilitate information sharing and dialogue among automotive HR professionals and technical managers, educators, government, and economic development agencies.

"The basic issue facing HR professionals in the automotive industry today is that technology is moving at a whirlwind pace. We are seeing more "boomer" retirements and we just don't have people with the appropriate skill sets to replace them. We have work to do; and this program can help HR professionals gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed," David E. Cole, Chairman Auto Harvest and Chairman Emeritus Center for Automotive Research, and opening speaker for the event, said.

The program will be held Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich. The event is co-sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Workforce Intelligence Network, MAGMA, The Engineering Society of Detroit, the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology, OESA, AutoHarvest.org, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

"SAE International's Professional Development division is pleased to offer this program and is thrilled with the level of cooperation and enthusiasm we've received from expert speakers and co-sponsors," Kevin Perry, Ph.D., Manager, Professional Development, SAE International, said. "It should be an excellent opportunity for HR professionals, economic development leaders, and academicians to share information and problem solve on the technical workforce challenges in today's automotive sector."

Attendees of this one-day course will be able to:

• Facilitate a discussion among HR executives, academic leaders, and industry experts regarding the future of the automotive workforce
• Create an environment where HR experts can develop effective strategies for engaging and retaining talented engineers
• Provide a forum where HR professionals can explore the automotive industry's unique workforce development and talent needs
• Gain an understanding of the unique needs and talent requirements of today's evolving automotive workforce. To gain an understanding of how corporate culture, employee engagement, and in-house training activities impact the effectiveness of automotive industry professionals/engineers
• Establish long-term, strategy-based collaboration among HR professionals in the automotive sector with the overall goal of creating sustainable workforce development solutions

For HR professionals who hold PHR, SPHR and GPHR certifications from the HR Certification Institute, this program has been pre-approved for recertification credits.

For more information on SAE International's "Strategic Human Resource Management and the Evolution of the Technical Automotive Workforce" course, visit http://www.sae.org/pdevent/C1247.

To request media credentials, call 1-724-772-8522 or email [email protected].

SAE International is a global association of more than 133,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™.

- www.sae.org -

Contact: Shawn Andreassi of SAE International, 1-724-772-8522 or [email protected]

SOURCE SAE International