How do you build the workforce of the future? With action. IMTS, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and our members and partners are helping to prepare the next generation for vital manufacturing positions through concerted efforts to engage, fundraise, and train.
According to a recent report by Deloitte, the U.S. manufacturing industry could need to fill as many as 3.8 million vacant jobs between 2024 and 2033. Preparing young people to fill in-demand positions in the manufacturing sector will strengthen our economy, industry, and individual communities.
Engage
Actions speak far louder than words when you are talking to teens and young adults. Don’t tell them you have awesome jobs; show them. That’s exactly what IMTS and its partners did during the Smartforce Student Summit at IMTS 2024. The Summit boasted more than 14,000 student attendees over the course of six days and featured exhibits by more than 70 industry-leading companies, schools, and organizations, including NASA.
Students and educators learned about careers in advanced manufacturing and interacted with technologies like robotics, CNC machining, 3D printing, metrology, digital twins, CAD/CAM design, and mechatronics. From augmented and virtual reality experiences that put students on the virtual shop floor, to speed competitions with robots, to operating a desktop mill, students were engaged in the manufacturing classroom of the future.
Fundraise
To build a workforce that is both large and well-trained, manufacturing industry leaders will need to do more than just engage. It is also important that we fundraise to provide support for smaller programs that are providing STEM opportunities for students in urban and rural communities.
During IMTS 2024, more than 560 participants laced up their sneakers to participate in the Miles for Manufacturing (M4M) 5K Run/Walk, the signature fundraiser of AMT and our partners. This year, which marked the 10th anniversary of the fundraiser, M4M raised more than $47,000 – a record high – to support 17 organizations focused on STEM education.
Over the past decade, runners from every corner of the manufacturing community have helped to raise more than $240,000 to support education programs in advanced manufacturing and STEM throughout the country. M4M is community fundraising at its best, with current manufacturing professionals supporting the next generation as they strive to gain critical skills and fill essential roles in the industry.
Train
Getting young people excited and providing vital funds to schools is imperative, but we also have to match novice workers with quality training programs to meet the growing demand for skilled workers.
Industry is answering the call with a return to apprenticeship programs. While they remained prevalent in much of Europe, apprenticeships have declined drastically in the United States. The programs are now seeing a resurgence as they prove to be a successful approach to addressing workforce demands. Three AMT member companies are achieving impressive success with in-house apprenticeship programs.
AMT member United Grinding started an apprenticeship program in early 2023. Apprentices attend Sinclair College two days a week, then spend three days on the job. They graduate with an associate degree in mechatronics, then spend another two years going from department to department at United Grinding, mentoring under the company's application engineers.
Schunk’s apprenticeship program at its U.S. headquarters in Morrisville, North Carolina, was started eight years ago. The first graduate remains at the company, as do six others who have gone through the program. The latest three graduates are working with automation solutions, including collaborative robots. As with United Grinding, Schunk offers four-year apprenticeships that lead to an associate degree, in this case from Wake Tech.
Started in 1995, Okuma’s apprenticeship program also includes collaborating with a technical college to educate service technicians in its distributor network. Reflecting distributor requests for more skilled workers, Okuma now has 38 apprentices in its program. Read more about these programs at AMTonline.org/article/apprenticeships.
Using tools ranging from interactive displays of eye-popping technology to workplace training and mentoring, industry leaders are working to show the next generation that manufacturing is full of high-tech, rewarding, well-paid positions – and the opportunities are endless.
Steps in the Right Direction
I’m proud that our industry is actively addressing these core elements: engaging the next generation, fundraising for vital education, and training skilled workers. Together, we’re fostering a thriving workforce for the future. With our collective efforts, I’m confident we’ll continue to empower communities and ensure manufacturing remains strong for years to come.
