Advanced Manufacturing for Robotics Institute to Host Webinar on the Manufacturing Hiring Gap

At 2:00pm ET on October 7, the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) institute is hosting a webinar on “Solving the Manufacturing Hiring Gap with Millennials and Gen Z.” Panelist are expected to discuss the ongoing manufacturing workforce shortage that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar aims to provide insight on how to best attract, train, and retain Millennials and Gen Zs specifically to help bridge the talent gap.
 
ASME has long been involved in advocating for manufacturing workforce recruitment and training programs. Workforce development is addressed in all sections of ASME’s Position Paper on “Strengthening the U.S. Manufacturing Sector,” but is also given specific attention in the “Invest in Workforce Development” section. There, ASME lists six key actions the federal government can take to support manufacturing workforce development:
 

• Commit to continued, sustained investment in the Manufacturing USA and MEP programs to promote workforce development programs that will help build a skilled workforce here at home, prevent companies from producing new products overseas, and speed up the time it takes for innovations to travel from conception through commercialization.
• Establish a grant program to fund manufacturing-focused universities and institutions that will engage in developing new curricula to be used in manifesting manufacturing education throughout institutions of higher education. Supporting this program will encourage partnerships with manufacturing companies. These partnerships will work to address the need for increased manufacturing education in STEM curriculum and support the retraining of workforce to meet future industry needs.
• Support scholarships and fellowships to students and workers pursuing manufacturing engineering degrees and technical certificates.
• Strengthen tax incentives for workforce development and continuing education, including those at the graduate level, both for employers and employees.
• Conduct a high-level review of the health and sustainability of the U.S. high-tech workforce to ensure that education and immigration policies are working to expand the number of highly-skilled workers in STEM fields.
• Support community colleges and technical schools to ensure worker training programs provide the next generation of technically skilled workers. 

ARM’s webinar will explore these topics in further detail as they specifically relate to robotics and the younger generations now entering the workforce. To register for the webinar, visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7044020561709551117.