WASHINGTON—A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress is proposing legislation that would designate 25 manufacturing universities across the country and provide each with $20 million over four years. The designated universities would be expected to invest the funds in creating advanced manufacturing engineering programs, strengthening partnerships with manufacturers, and enabling more manufacturing entrepreneurship.
Some day in the near future, an on-campus innovation center could be as ubiquitous to college life as a library, a student union or a football stadium.
SARASOTA, FL—The Sarasota and Manatee Manufacturers Association is asking local manufacturers to host internships for school teachers in hopes of creating a better skilled workforce.
EVERETT, WA—Twenty-one community and technical colleges in Washington state will split $8 million from the state to train more workers for aerospace manufacturing.
CHICAGO—Half of U.S. businesses say they plan to train new hires this year, up from 39 percent in 2013, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder. “Training budgets that were diminished or nonexistent during the recession are starting to make a comeback,” says Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.
SANTA ROSA, CA—An innovative “job-shadowing” program to train high school students for skilled manufacturing jobs is gaining momentum in its third year. Launched by 101MFG, a trade group focused on boosting California’s manufacturing sector, the program is expecting up to 300 participants this year.
WASHINGTON—More than 50 colleges are now part of the Get Skills to Work Initiative, a coalition of industry, educators, and nonprofit organizations helping veterans discover careers in advanced manufacturing. The partnership includes more than 500 manufacturers, including GE, Boeing, Lockheed and Alcoa.
CLEVELAND—Tooling U-SME has introduced a new workforce development resource, called the Competency Framework, that outlines the knowledge and skill objectives for more than 60 manufacturing jobs.
