Former Knox man named to national metalworking board

From staff reports

Neil A. Ashbaugh, a former Knox resident, has been appointed to a three-year term on the board of directors for the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.

Ashbaugh, who graduated from Clarion University in 1991 with a major in communication, is president/CEO of New Century Careers in Pittsburgh.

He has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing from the shop floor to human resources and technical training management.

Ashbaugh learned the manufacturing trade through two four-year state and federally-recognized apprenticeships and became a journeyman grinder and machine operator.

He was hired by Oberg Industries Inc. in Freeport, initially as a journeyman precision grinder. He later held corporate positions there in sales and marketing and management roles of increasing responsibility in training and talent development, government projects and new product development.

He manages operations and a broad range of programs at New Century Careers, including apprenticeship, production, sales, marketing, business development, corporate training and talent development and workforce development.

He led two major initiatives from inception — the group apprenticeship program and the New Century job shop.

Ashbaugh was appointed to the Westmoreland-Fayette County Workforce Investment Board’s Next Generation Manufacturing Partnership last year.

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills is a nonprofit formed in 1995 to develop and maintain a globally competitive American workforce.

Its mission is to help organizations improve overall performance by teaching them how to train and validate training with practical experiences that reflect what individuals and teams will face on the job.