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MANUFACTURING IMPERATIVE

WORKFORCE pipeline CHALLENGE

Manufacturing is a critical engine of North America’s economic growth and prosperity, yet the industry and nation are at risk if revitalizing the industry’s industrial base, growing its talent pipeline, and enhancing the skills and productivity of its workers are not urgently addressed. SME is partnering with community and technical colleges to do so, aligning employers, educational and training institutions, workforce development entities, and more to formulate innovative solutions to grow local economies, reduce barriers to employment, and fill vacant manufacturing jobs.

CHALLENGE

SME is partnering with 25 innovative community and technical colleges to commit to this national approach to talent pipeline development and to implementing innovative solutions to address long-standing industry challenges. Together we will build awareness of careers in manufacturing, optimize workforce systems, and accelerate the education and skill development needed to place individuals in jobs making family-sustaining wages. 

HOW IT WORKS

Community colleges are joining together to create bold and innovative solutions. Each school will have a goal of enrolling 1,000 individuals per year, with pathways that lead to jobs in manufacturing for the following audiences:

  • High school dual credit pathways
  • Short-term training and certifications
  • Current credit-bearing coursework
  • Current non-credit programming
  • Second chance citizen career pathways

  • Veterans' short-term skill programming

BENEFITS OF COMMUNITIES JOINING THE CHALLENGE

  • One manufacturing job creates nine jobs in the economy
  • Skills for the next generation of manufacturing
  • Workforce development for manufacturers

  • $6 billion added to the U.S. economy


OUR IMPACT ON PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT:

  • Best practices for program design that lead to living-waged careers 
  • New insights on training, content, and programmatic gaps to overcome barriers 
  • Policy recommendations to solve the manufacturing imperative 
  • Net new program discovery to identify pipeline development opportunities 
  • Creating resources including case studies and white papers and partnering in speaking engagements 
  • Changing the future of workforce development 

THANK YOU

Thank you to the schools who have joined the workforce challenge. 

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