Dive Brief:
- Apple announced on Monday it has expanded its manufacturing training program by adding online classes for small- and medium-sized businesses across the United States.
- The Apple Manufacturing Academy’s new online courses cover various topics focused on advanced manufacturing, including automation, predictive maintenance, quality control optimization and machine learning with computer vision, according to the press release.
- The free online program also offers professional development training in areas such as communication and presentation, “equipping participants with comprehensive resources to thrive in today’s competitive landscape,” per Apple’s release.
Dive Insight:
The Apple Manufacturing Academy, jointly operated with Michigan State University in Detroit, opened in August. The program has been available only in person to businesses that want to accelerate their innovation and adopt advanced technologies.
Since then, the academy has provided hands-on training and consultation to over 80 businesses in Michigan and across the U.S., including Florida, Indiana, Missouri and Utah.
The new virtual program was developed by Michigan State University faculty and Apple industry experts and sets up business owners and entrepreneurs to build and scale their domestic manufacturing capabilities through a flexible, on-demand digital learning platform.
The online training represents the first phase of the Apple Manufacturing Academy curriculum and will continue to expand as it progresses, according to the release.
“By bringing the Apple Manufacturing Academy curriculum online, we’re opening the door for even more businesses and workers to build cutting-edge expertise, helping fuel U.S. competitiveness and support the growth of advanced manufacturing nationwide,” COO Sabih Khan said in a statement.
The Apple Manufacturing Academy is part of Apple’s commitment to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years to boost the domestic advanced manufacturing sector. The multibillion-dollar investment includes launching the American Manufacturing Program, which aims to bring more of Apple’s supply chain to the U.S and encourage international suppliers to establish manufacturing operations in the country.
