DEARBORN, MI - June 15, 2007 – The SME Education Foundation received the High Achiever award and is among the Progressive Manufacturing 50 Award winners in the training and education category for its Manufacturing is Cool Web site. Created to inspire young people to pursue careers in engineering and manufacturing, the Web site (www.manufacturingiscool.com) is part of SME Education Foundation's larger initiative to address the shortage of skilled U.S. manufacturing workers. If left unchecked, this deficit will critically affect America’s manufacturers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The SME Education Foundation’s youth outreach programs inspire students’ interest in engineering and technology at the middle and high school age. This helps motivate students to take advanced-level math and science courses during high school, which are prerequisites for pursuing engineering degrees in college.

“If we are going to inspire enough young people to pursue careers in engineering in the coming decades, we have to show our kids how fascinating math and science can be,” said Glen Pearson, president of the SME Education Foundation. “With this Web site, we’re showing kids all the cool things they could do if they pursue a career in manufacturing.”

Sponsored by Managing Automation, the Progressive Manufacturing 50 Awards Program recognizes manufacturers for progressive business practices demonstrated in operations management or though use of advanced technologies. Each year, the awards recognize 50 companies that have achieved distinction in at least one of the eight core disciplines defined by Managing Automation as critical to future business success. These disciplines include: Business Model Mastery, Customer Mastery, Supply Network Mastery, Data & Integration Mastery, Innovation Mastery, Training & Education Mastery, Leadership, and Operational Excellence.

The Progressive Manufacturing 50 award winners were honored with their awards at the Progressive Manufacturing Awards Gala Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. The SME Education Foundation was the High Achiever winner in its category – Training & Education.

"These companies exemplify the best in manufacturing," explained David R. Brousell, Editor-in-Chief of Managing Automation. “They are developing new ways of building products, bringing those products to market, and managing the relationships they need to succeed. They are masters of new ways of thinking about their companies, applying advanced technologies and achieving breakthroughs in the business of manufacturing.”

About Managing Automation
Published by Thomas Publishing Company, LLC, Managing Automation provides a complete set of decision-support informational tools for progressive manufacturers – companies using information and automation technologies to transform their businesses and create a sustainable competitive advantage. Its monthly magazine, Web site, information technology comparison and match database, and executive conferences reach the entire integrated technology purchasing team – executives, line-of-business managers and IT management – at every stage of the procurement process. Additional information can be found at www.managingautomation.com.

About the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation is one of the nation’s leading non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing manufacturing education. Its approach is three-fold: to inspire youth to pursue careers in manufacturing; to support students studying for careers in engineering-related fields; and to prepare students attending college or technical school through its Manufacturing Education Plan grant program. Since 1980, the Foundation has provided more than $21 million in grants, scholarships and awards. The Education Foundation was created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979 as a means of transforming manufacturing education in North American colleges and universities. For more information, visit www.sme.org/foundation.

SME Education Foundation, One SME Drive, Dearborn, MI 48121

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If you have any questions or comments, please contact the SME Education Foundation by phone (313) 425-3300, e-mail foundation@sme.org, or Fax: (313) 425-3411