Dive Brief:
- Google will provide $10 million for workforce development initiatives centered around artificial intelligence, the Manufacturing Institute announced.
- The funding will be used to develop two AI skills training programs for shop floor workers: a free course called AI 101 for Manufacturing and another called Advanced AI for Manufacturing Technicians.
- It will also be used to expand employer-led apprenticeship programs via the MI’s Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, as well as provide scholarships for FAME USA students through the mikeroweWORKS Foundation.
Dive Insight:
The funding announcement comes as the United States faces a significant manufacturing skills gap. According to the MI, some 1.9 million manufacturing roles could go unfilled by 2033 if the workforce isn’t equipped with necessary technical skills.
There is a particular need for AI skills, Manufacturing Institute President Carolyn Lee said in an email. Research by the Manufacturing Leadership Council found that nearly 70% of manufacturers see AI as essential to grow their business, but 82% say they lack the talent to use it effectively, she said.
To help close that gap, the MI will offer AI 101 for Manufacturing as a free online course this fall. The course will “introduce current and future workers to the basics of AI and contextualize this knowledge within manufacturing,” and those who complete it will earn an “AI Professional” certificate, Lee said.
The AI for Advanced Maintenance Technicians course will be integrated into the FAME USA curriculum and “go deeper into deploying and working alongside AI to maintain and repair the advanced machines that will run on this new technology,” she said.
“The entire manufacturing sector is going to benefit from creating these trainings, which will be available for small, medium and large companies to take advantage of this technology, especially for incumbent workers,” Lee said. “For new entrants into the manufacturing workforce, these skills will give them a strong foundation to start their careers.”
Although many manufacturing workers consider AI a threat to their jobs, Lee said this fear is misplaced. “Manufacturers and the manufacturing workforce should see this as an opportunity. Once again, technology is transforming our industry, and program participants are going to get in on the ground floor of the next chapter of manufacturing.”
Other organizations have recently provided funding to address manufacturing skills gaps, although not necessarily related to AI. In March, the U.S. Department of Labor announced it would provide $81 million to help formerly incarcerated individuals gain experience and secure employment in skilled trades and high-demand industries like manufacturing. In addition, GE Aerospace Foundation launched a $30 million workforce training program last year to increase the number of highly skilled workers.
