On Feb. 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021. This bill would invest nearly $3.5 billion over five years to scale-up apprenticeship opportunities, streamline access to apprenticeships for workers and employers, and expand apprenticeships into new, in-demand industry sectors and occupations.

Airbus has inaugurated a highly automated fuselage assembly line at its A320 factory in Hamburg, Germany. The new line features a digital data acquisition system, 20 robots, automated guided vehicles, and automated positioning by laser measurement.

UZWIL, Switzerland—Bühler Group has officially trained 8,000 apprentices globally over a 100-year history of vocational training.

The fourth industrial revolution has begun and with it, comes changes to the way manufacturing work is done. New technology, such as collaborative robots, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and machine learning, aims to make manufacturing safer, more efficient and faster than ever before.

JACKSON, MN—Tractor manufacturer AGCO is launching an apprenticeship program at its assembly plant here to train and recruit badly needed electrical mechanics and welders.

ALLENTOWN, PA—State and local officials have approved the apprenticeship training program plant at B. Braun’s medical device assembly plant here.

LANSING, MI—Michigan has won a nearly $2.5 million federal grant to increase access to apprenticeship programs in skilled trades fields. Part of the federal government’s ApprenticeshipUSA program, the grant will be used to boost the number of apprenticeships by 5 percent by May 2018, with about 1,000 new participants.

AIKEN, SC—Diesel engine manufacturer Tognum America has established an apprenticeship program to train skilled workers for its assembly plant here.

One of the ironies of the economic recovery is that, despite an unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, U.S. manufacturers are struggling to find workers.