Manufacturing Institute, Alabama Community College System Formally Sign Statewide Partnership to Deploy AI Skills Training
TANNER, AL — The Manufacturing Institute (MI) – the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers – and the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) today signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to bring the MI’s new AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite to community colleges across Alabama.
The ceremony, held at Calhoun Community College in Tanner, Alabama, brought together manufacturers, students, and workforce development stakeholders from across the state to highlight efforts to prepare Alabama’s workforce for the changing demands of modern manufacturing, celebrating ACCS as an early adopter of the nationwide training initiative. The partnership marks a significant expansion in Alabama’s manufacturing workforce training pipeline, giving students across ACCS’s community colleges direct access to skills and training to develop AI fluency for practical manufacturing applications.
As part of the statewide rollout, the AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite introduces no-cost, shop-floor-focused instruction – including the newly launched AI Fundamentals for Manufacturing courses. Following the MOU signing, leadership and guests toured Calhoun’s Rocket City FAME chapter facility, the first FAME chapter in the nation to complete FAME USA’s Quality Assurance accreditation process.
The event brought together ACCS leaders, economic development and workforce stakeholders, students, and leading Alabama manufacturers, including Jay Humphreys, General Manager of Manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc.
“At the Manufacturing Institute, we build and strengthen the manufacturing workforce of today and tomorrow by developing the skills manufacturers need, working with industry and educators to deliver world-best training that makes workers ready for the shop floor on Day 1,” Manufacturing Institute President Carolyn Lee said. “Alabama has long been a trailblazer in employer-led workforce training through its standout FAME chapters. By formalizing this new statewide AI skills partnership with the Alabama Community College System, we are rapidly expanding access to critical skills so every frontline manufacturing worker has the tools to thrive as manufacturers continue to adopt AI into their operations.”
“The signing of this MOU comes at a pivotal moment for technical education and industrial growth in Alabama,” Keith Phillips, Deputy Chancellor of Workforce & Economic Development and the Alabama Training Network said. “Our community colleges exist to connect Alabamians with high-wage, high-skill careers that keep our state’s economy moving forward. Adopting the MI’s AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite ensures our curriculum moves at the speed of modern industry. Equipping our students with hands-on AI fluency gives our local employers the competitive workforce they need to lead.”
“Hosting today’s signing and showcasing our Rocket City FAME students in action highlights the real impact of industry-aligned education,” Calhoun Community College Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Aletta Williamson said. “The Manufacturing Institute’s meticulous work in developing cutting-edge workforce programs has opened incredible doors for technical education. Seeing our students engage with these new AI tools, master intelligent systems and gain the confidence to lead on the factory floor is truly inspiring.”
AI is changing manufacturing, and employers and educators need to ensure current and future workers have the fundamental skills to use it effectively.
Earlier this year, the MI announced the creation of the AI Skills Initiative with the support of a $10 million grant from Google.org, with the goal of training 40,000 current and future manufacturing workers to use AI on the shop floor. It comes as AI-powered technology gains widespread adoption by advanced manufacturers. According to research from the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers, while more than half of manufacturers already deploy AI in their operations, 82% report that their employees lack the skills to leverage these tools effectively, and fewer than 20% of manufacturers currently offer formal AI training.
Manufacturing makes up nearly 13% of Alabama’s workforce, the 5th highest among all 50 states. The statewide deployment across ACCS institutions begins immediately, providing active Alabama manufacturers and incoming students with direct access to the new AI training suite.
This event is the first stop on the MI’s multistate road show “Training for the Future: Celebrating New AI Skills Partnerships and FAME Successes,” to roll out the new AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite to employers, community colleges, and manufacturing associations. The next stop on this tour will be on October 13, with paper materials manufacturer Smurfit Westrock in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
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The Manufacturing Institute works to build and strengthen the manufacturing workforce for individual opportunity, community prosperity and a competitive manufacturing industry for the future. This is done through implementing groundbreaking initiatives, convening industry leaders, conducting innovative research and promoting public policy that supports the sector as it meets the opportunity of modern manufacturing. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions to address the toughest workforce issues. For more information on the MI, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.
