Workforce News
MI Launches AI Skills Training for the Manufacturing Workforce
September 28, 2026The MI launched free, self-paced AI training courses for manufacturing workers, aiming to reach 40,000 learners. With over half of manufacturers using AI but 82% saying employees lack AI skills, the suite helps workers apply the technology on the floor.
Deloitte and MI Study Shows Potential for AI to Accelerate Manufacturing Skills Training
September 10, 2026Analysis estimates manufacturing technician employment could grow six times faster than production occupations in manufacturing between 2025 and 2030
Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute find AI could help close manufacturing's skills gap by digitizing technical knowledge and opening technician roles to nearly 2 million adjacent-industry workers, as employers face 2.3 million job openings through 2030.
Manufacturing’s Greatest Competitive Advantage: Its People
September 8, 2026The Manufacturing Institute honors America's manufacturing workers this Labor Day while warning of 1.9 million potentially unfilled jobs by 2033. Programs like FAME USA, STEP Ahead and AI skills training aim to build the workforce the industry needs.
Activating Your Workforce’s Full Potential: A Sneak Peek at this year’s Workforce Summit
September 2, 2026At the 2026 Workforce Summit, Dow leaders will run an interactive workshop showing how shifting from managing headcount to building capability boosted workforce agility and resilience—letting attendees make the same talent decisions Dow faced through live polling.
FAME Earn-and-Learn Pipeline Lands in Iowa as 14 Students Sign On
August 14, 2026Fourteen students signed letters of intent with manufacturing employers at Iowa's first FAME chapter signing ceremony in Davenport. They'll combine classes at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges with paid work, training as advanced manufacturing technicians to help close the…
Connecting Manufacturers to Second Chance Talent Pools
August 10, 2026The MI is partnering with the Vera Institute of Justice to connect Texas manufacturers with skilled second chance talent trained inside correctional facilities—building pipelines that close workforce gaps while giving people leaving incarceration a real shot at success.
Training Models that Scale: A Sneak Peek at this year’s Workforce Summit
August 10, 2026A Workforce Summit breakout session shows how Miles Fiberglass & Composites and ACMA turned a rarely used LMS into a scalable blended training engine, giving manufacturers hands-on strategies for onboarding, upskilling and continuous learning.
This Timken Manager Leads and Lifts Others Along the Way
August 7, 2026Timken plant manager Abby Causey credits early mentors for her rise from intern to leading one of the company's largest facilities. Now a 2026 STEP Ahead Award Honoree, she pays it forward by mentoring rising leaders and building workplace cultures where employees feel heard.
MI Opens “STEP Ahead” Nominations for 2027 Awards
August 6, 2026Nominations are open for the Manufacturing Institute's 2027 STEP Ahead Awards, honoring 145 manufacturing leaders across three categories. Nominate colleagues by Oct. 2; winners will be celebrated at a Washington, D.C., gala on April 14–15, 2027.
