Gardner Carrick
Gardner A. Carrick is the Chief Program Officer for The Manufacturing Institute, the non-profit affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. Mr. Carrick leads the Institute’s efforts to create a world class workforce for the U.S. manufacturing sector. He oversees all of the MI’s program activities, including the Institute’s FAME apprenticeship program, Heroes MAKE America program, Culture and Engagement activities, and Workforce Innovation initiatives. As a widely respected resource and advisor across the workforce development ecosystem, Mr. Carrick has advised companies, communities, and other trade associations on building durable manufacturing workforce pipelines. He has also spent over 10 years working with non-degree credentials, embedding them into traditional education programs, organizing them into a stackable system, and building the data systems necessary to measure their outcomes and impacts.
Previously, Mr. Carrick led the Institute’s research activities including partnerships with internationally recognized consulting firms to produce a regular series of reports on the U.S. manufacturing sector. This included the Skills Gap series in partnership with Deloitte that first identified the talent shortage that manufacturers are now facing.
Prior to joining the Institute, Mr. Carrick worked at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration where he served as the Chief Speechwriter, Special Projects Director, and Communications Director for the agency. He began his career at a consulting firm serving federal and state government clients focused on education and workforce development programs. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, Mr. Carrick currently resides in Rockville, Maryland with his wife Kathleen and their daughters Caroline and Julia. He served on the Board of Trustees of St. John’s Episcopal School in Olney, MD from 2019-2025 and was Chair of the Board from 2021-2025.
