What should Congress and the president do to strengthen U.S. manufacturing? The National Council for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM) recently announced its manufacturing-related policy priorities as recommendations to the country’s elected leaders. If enacted and signed into law, NACFAM says these policies will go a long way to strengthening the nation’s advanced manufacturing sector by stimulating greater innovation, increasing productivity and expanding the competitiveness of American companies in ever-changing markets.

NACFAM Chairman and CEO Robert “Rusty” Patterson presented the list of policy priorities late last month. He is asking legislators to:

Accelerate the development and deployment of innovative manufacturing technologies to small- and medium-sized enterprises by providing additional resources to federal agencies such as the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (now Manufacturing USA), NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership program and the National Science Foundation.

Enact training tax credits for employers who provide new and incumbent workers with the technical skills needed to utilize advanced manufacturing process technologies.

Incentivize the use of industry-recognized certification and apprenticeship training programs to build a more qualified advanced manufacturing workforce.

Provide federal education funding for state programs that enable secondary schools to hire additional career counselors to help students learn more about industry certifications, local job markets, and specific jobs/careers in those markets, especially in advanced manufacturing.

Require rigorous and periodic review by federal agencies of the cost and impact of their regulations on advanced manufacturers experiencing ever-increasing market changes.

Reduce the federal corporate income tax rate to 20 percent to stimulate greater innovation.

Expand basic and applied R&D by federal agencies working with advanced manufacturers, research universities and public/private partnerships.

Broaden the use of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) between federal labs and advanced manufacturers.