March 25, 2010 – Today in Manfacturing.net
Labor Department said first-time claims for jobless benefits dropped by 14,000 to seasonally adjusted 442,000 -- that's below analysts' estimates of 450,000... continue
March 25, 2010 – Politico
The latest draft bill has a weaker cap on greenhouse gas emissions than environmentalists want, along with sweeteners for coal, oil, offshore drilling and nuclear power — key to picking up the votes of a handful of moderate Republicans.
March 25, 2010 - Time
Surprise! Time magazine says industry is not just the polluter, but also the best source of clean-energy solutions, which are emerging from every layer of the business world.
March 25, 2010 - Wyoming Energy News/Reuters
The U.S. refining industry will freeze investment in anything beyond maintaining operations if the Environmental Protection Agency moves to regulate carbon pollution, the chief executive of Valero Energy Corp said.
March 25, 2010 - NASDAQ
Natural-gas providers are lining up against planned Environmental Protection Agency rules to curb greenhouse-gas emissions, citing concerns that the regulations could make it harder to obtain permits needed to boost supplies.
March 25, 2010 - Business Week
The Obama administration is considering a carbon-trading system under existing law if Congress doesn’t pass cap-and-trade legislation.
March 25, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Heavy-equipment maker Caterpillar says new health care reform law will create a $100 million drag on its first-quarter earnings because of tax law changes... continue
According to Robert Gibbs, White House spokesman, responding the threats by states that they will sue the Federal Government over Healthcare Bill said, "The White House is confident President Barack Obama's health reform law has a solid legal foundation after 14 states vowed to challenge it on constitutional grounds." Further he said, "I think the Counsel's office here, the Department of Justice, and, quite frankly, legal experts throughout the country believe that the law is not unconstitutional." Moreover, "a senior administration official later said the White House believed that the federal government had the power to administer health care, through a clause of the constitution allowing it jurisdiction over inter-state commerce."
Utah’s Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has announced his intention to join with other states’ attorneys general to sue over the recently passed healthcare bill.
UTAH COLLEGE OF APPLIED TECHNOLOGY TO CONSIDER TUITION INCREASE
March 25, 2010 – Utah College of Applied Technology
Students enrolled in the Utah College of Applied Technology (UCAT) will likely encounter a tuition increase beginning July 1, 2010, driven by reduced state funding and record-breaking enrollment.
“I have held preliminary discussions with the eight campus presidents and collectively we feel tuition will need to go up,” said UCAT President Rob Brems. “We will ask the UCAT Board of
Trustees to consider a modest increase in their April meeting with something in the 7-10% range, but it is the Trustees’ decision.”
“Thanks to the great work of the Legislature and Governor this year, we will be able to avoid more significant tuition increases or reductions in training and services for our students,” Brems continued. “Earlier budget cut projections would have impacted as many as 4,600 students and 38 instructional positions. Because of the efforts in holding our FY2011 budgets at FY2010 base levels, we will be able to continue serving them.”
While total state funding remained intact for FY2011, Brems said the increase is necessary to sustain vital programs and services in the wake of last year’s 17% budget cut and this year’s 20% increase in adult enrollment.
The tuition increase would affect the 35,000 adult students projected to attend UCAT’s applied technology college (ATC) campuses next year. The current UCAT tuition rate is $1.40 per membership hour, under which a typical full-time student enrolled for 900 hours would pay approximately $1260 in a year.
The increase would not apply to the projected 11,000 high school students attending UCAT campuses, as the state provides for them to be served tuition-free.
“We don’t have a lot of options in these lean times for maintaining our excellent staff, quality programs and capital equipment,” said Paul Hacking, campus president for the Uintah Basin ATC. “Tuition increases are sometimes necessary, but we hope they are minimal and do not negatively affect our students.” UBATC serves about 4,000 adults per year and has a significant focus on the energy industry.
“With the economy the way it is, people are already struggling to find the money to pay for school,” said Evelyn Rosas, an Ogden-Weber ATC business technology student. “If tuition continues to increase, people will start re-thinking their educational goals. They just won’t be able to afford it.” OWATC, one of UCAT’s largest campuses, serves more than 6,000 adult students yearly.
Rosas has noticed the impact of reduced budgets and resources on students. As a Student Ambassador, she speaks with students who are feeling frustrated with the wait time to get into clinicals or receive the one-on-one interaction with instructors. “There are so many students in the classes now that instructors can’t take the time they need for individualized attention.”
The Southwest ATC, based in Cedar City, serves about 1,000 adult students per year. Campus President Dana Miller is concerned about the condition of the rural economy and his students’ ability to afford tuition. “It is a tough balancing act which will probably require some increase,” said Miller. “Wherever possible, we are working to keep our programs affordable and make more programs eligible for Pell grants and other sponsorships to assist students with tuition costs.”
Mountainland ATC (Orem) Campus President Clay Christensen also favors a modest increase.
“A tuition increase will help us maintain viable programs in light of the budgetary challenges we’ve faced over the past two years”, he said. Tuition adjustments would affect about 4,000 adult students annually at MATC.
“We fear students will be unable to access critical training if tuition increases are excessive,” said Bridgerland ATC Campus President Richard Maughan. “I favor limiting our adult tuition to about $1.50 per hour.” BATC, with headquarters in Logan, serves more than 5,000 adults.
UCAT campuses are in the process of conducting tuition hearings for students and the public, which will be considered by the Trustees who will finalize the tuition decision next month.
About UCAT:
UCAT is the parent organization for Utah’s eight regional applied technology colleges (ATCs). Established by the State of Utah, UCAT provides market-driven technical education through eight ATCs meeting the needs of Utah’s employers for skilled workers.
The ATCs prepare both adult and high school students to enter or advance in the workplace. Customized training is also provided to employers for their workforce through UCAT’s Custom Fit program.
The eight ATCs are Bridgerland, Davis, Dixie, Mountainland, Ogden/Weber, Southwest, Tooele, and Uintah Basin. For more information, visit www.ucat.edu.
BERNANKE SAYS RECORD-LOW RATES AID ECONOMY
March 25, 2010 – Late Wire from Manufacturing.net
Citing still-fragile economic conditions, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke repeated the rationale behind the Fed’s decision last week to hold rates near zero ... continue
SUPERVISOR TRAINING IN ROY, LOGAN, & ST. GEORGE
Tools for Effective Supervision
March 25, 2010 – Utah Employers Council
Survey after survey consistently shows that employees leave their job because of ineffective supervisors. In addition, employees are less likely to take on additional work or go above and beyond when they do not respect their supervisors. In this tough economy, effective supervisors are vital to reducing turnover costs and increasing productivity.
This interactive workshop will help your company’s supervisors - as well as the human resource professionals who coach them - achieve these critical outcomes. Experienced HR Advisor Holly Engar, PHR, will teach attendees five basic leadership tools essential to every leader’s success:
- Know your job
- Set the vision
- Give sincere recognition
- Communicate
- Hold your people accountable
Attendees will leave this training with individualized goals to help them immediately implement these five tools in their day-to-day practices!
Dates and Locations
Roy - Thursday, April 15 -- Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College -- 1843 W 4000 S, Roy
Logan - Thursday, April 22 -- Bridgerland Applied Technology College -- 1301 N 600 W, Logan
St. George - Thursday, April 29 --Dixie Applied Technology College -- 1071 E 100 S, St. George
Time -- Training: 8:00 - 10:30 a.m. (registration & continental breakfast: 7:30 to 8:00 a.m.)
Cost -- $69 per Council member; $89 per non-member includes training, materials, parking, and breakfast buffet
Call the Council office or reply to this email with registration information or questions or download the registration form at http://ecutah.org/supervision.pdf. Refund or credit will be given if cancellation is received one week prior to meeting.
Certification: This program is approved for 2.25 recertification hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute (HRCI).
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