A new partnership between Rockwell Automation and ManpowerGroup will look to upskill 1,000 veterans per year by 2018, in creating a pool of certified talent for advanced manufacturing roles across the United States. The U.S. manufacturing sector is estimated to produce up to 3.5 million new jobs over the next decade. However with nearly 2.5 million manufacturing workers set to retire by 2025 and ongoing skill shortages, up to two million of those new jobs could go unfilled.
The United States needs to rapidly upskill its manufacturing workforce, and the thousands of veterans exiting the military every year represent a talented, skilled and underutilized source to fill these emerging roles. “By bringing together the expertise and experience of the world's largest company devoted exclusively to industrial productivity with the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, we’ve been able to develop a truly groundbreaking program that will help solve a challenge critical to fueling the future growth of the manufacturing sector,” said Blake Moret, CEO of Rockwell Automation.
“Military veterans possess a unique combination of technical savvy and core work skills that makes them well-positioned for careers in today’s advanced manufacturing environments. We are seeing the emergence of a Skills Revolution today — where helping people upskill and adapt to this fast-changing world of work will be the defining challenge of our time,” said Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup.
A recent survey performed by ManpowerGroup found that most U.S. employers think automation will increase headcount in manufacturing, but at a higher skill level. This new and innovative technical retraining program will look to address this need. The program expands the Rockwell Automation long-standing Engineer-in-Training (EIT) program, which combines classroom learning with hands-on laboratory experience.
It is also part of ManpowerGroup’s MyPath program focused on closing the skills gap by building the talent and skills that clients need, while providing people with the guidance and access to jobs that enhance their employability. The program will look to leverage the knowledge of Rockwell Automation with ManpowerGroup’s global insight into changing skills needs and workforce solutions.
