Manufacturing Institute and North Carolina Industry Leaders Highlight AI Upskilling, Urge Importance of Training Pipelines at Tour Stop
WINSTON SALEM, N.C. — To support the launch of its AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite and to close the growing skills gap in modern manufacturing, the Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—brought its “Training for the Future” tour to North Carolina this week in celebration of Manufacturing Month.
The event brought together manufacturing executives, educators and regional leaders to address the growing skills gap in manufacturing and showcase scalable, employer-led workforce solutions.
As part of the event, leaders highlighted the MI’s Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) as an employer-led apprenticeship program that delivers real results for manufacturers and their future workers.
Attendees toured global packaging manufacturer Smurfit Westrock’s Winston-Salem facility, observing how students combine classroom instruction with paid, on-the-job experience at sponsoring local manufacturing plants. Attendees heard from Smurfit Westrock PM tech Charley Crowther, a 2026 graduate of FAME’s First in Flight chapter, located in the Triad region, alongside Smurfit Westrock Vice President of Operational Excellence Travis McDonough.
“Students learn the most when they can put classroom concepts into practice on the manufacturing floor,” said McDonough. “FAME equips future manufacturing workers with the skills and experience they need to succeed from day one. These programs also help us build a strong local workforce that keeps our operations running safely and efficiently.”
“To close the skills gap, manufacturers need to be proactive. Workforce needs to be a centerpiece of long-term business strategies,” said MI President Carolyn Lee. “North Carolina’s First in Flight FAME chapter proves that when you equip workers with hands-on technical skills and digital tools like AI, you can build a resilient, world-class workforce—and we’re seeing the dividends here at Smurfit Westrock.”
MI leaders also highlighted the rollout of the AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite, a practical, no-cost training to deliver immediate AI fluency to shop floor employees. The North Carolina events are part of the MI’s multistate road show hitting key industrial hubs throughout October to showcase practical AI training and employer-led workforce models.
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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 visitwww.themanufacturinginstitute.org.
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Smurfit Westrock is a leading global paper and packaging solutions partner, offering a broad portfolio of sustainable packaging solutions. With more than 96,000 employees, 500+ packaging and other facilities and 57 mills across 40 countries, the company combines global scale and expertise with renewable, recyclable and recycled materials to develop innovative packaging solutions for customers around the world.
