ISLANDIA, NY—Digitalization is changing the way people learn, and not just because in-person learning became so difficult with pandemic lockdowns. Trends such as mobile, micro, adaptive, and virtual reality learning were already beginning to influence technical education and training. To further these and other trends, Festo Didactic has developed a digital learning portal—the Festo Learning Experience, or Festo LX—to make it easier to create individual learning experiences for trainers and trainees.
ZURICH—A global survey conducted by ABB has revealed that a significant workforce education gap could derail efforts by U.S. and European manufacturers to reshore or near-shore operations to build resilience in the face of global challenges.
In my June column, I described the magnitude of the skilled workforce problem and some efforts by industry and associations to overcome the problem. This month, I will talk about what federal and state governments are doing to help, and I’ll offer one simple, no-cost, government action that must be implemented immediately.
Training the next generation of manufacturing workers is essential to the success of U.S. manufacturing and the economy. A recent McKinsey study found that restoring growth and competitiveness in 16 key manufacturing industries could boost annual U.S. GDP by more than 15 percent.
When a recent survey asked manufacturers to list their biggest challenges, 83 percent said "attracting and retaining a quality workforce." Only supply chain disruptions and rising material costs ranked higher. Indeed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, manufacturers had 858,000 unfilled jobs in November 2021. And the problem is only going to get worse.
CLEMSON, SC—The unprecedented need to develop a workforce that can build and service electric and autonomous vehicles, and develop cybersecurity systems to protect them, is the driving force behind a new consortium based here.
Alabama is home to a variety of manufacturers that employ thousands of people, including Airbus, Austal, Boeing, Daimler, GE Appliances, Honda, Hyundai, Lear, Polaris and Toyota.
The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled a national movement to strengthen domestic supply chains and reshore. Recruitment of the next generation of skilled manufacturing talent is paramount to this effort, but there is a widening gap between the skills needed by industry and the skills of job candidates.