Skill up: Training workers in CNC machining, robotics, automotive manufacturing and more

Manufacturing would be nothing without the people in offices and on plant floors to manage supplies, run assembly lines, build things, observe quality and, in short, do the work. Yet, qualified manufacturing workers are perennially in short supply. This digest covers recent initiatives, public-private partnerships, and educational efforts to train and source the next generation of manufacturing workers.

The Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association and the Alabama Community College System recently opened applications for $4,000 scholarships for students interested in automotive manufacturing as a career. The AAMA scholarship is valid at 23 colleges in the state for students pursing technical education certificates or auto-related associate degrees. According to AAMA’s website, applicants must be high school seniors or college freshman residents of Alabama with a 2.5 overall GPA and plans to pursue a career related to auto manufacturing in Alabama. Applications for the current round are open until March 27.

SME and the Daniel Morgan Technology Center of Spartanburg, South Carolina, announced March 18 that SME will provide Daniel Morgan students with advanced manufacturing through the SME Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education (PRIME) program. According to the nonprofit organization, PRIME operates in 128 schools in 26 states and aligns with 45 industry-recognized credentials.

3M announced March 10 that it had invested in educators in Greenville, South Carolina; Knoxville, Iowa; and Monroe, North Carolina via the company’s Manufacturing & Academic Partnerships program. In a company release, 3M said the program introduces public school students to advanced mechatronics equipment and provides scholarships and faculty training to students. The multinational manufacturing company said it plans to increase its community partnerships in 2026.

Connecticut’s Manufacturing Innovation Fund announced March 9 a two-year $4.8 million investment would go towards expanding robotics and advanced manufacturing education in Connecticut public schools via ReadyCT, a nonprofit promoting “career-connected learning.” The funding will support programs like FIRST Robotics and VEX Robotics over the next two years for programs like robotics competitions, summer camps and teacher professional development, as well as integrating robotics into STEM curricula for grade levels kindergarten through high school.

SMC Corporation will donate three CNC machines to Hamilton Southeastern high schools in Fishers, Indiana, according to local news blog Larry in Fishers. The machines, valued at $155,000, will be used to give local high school students hands-on experience in precision machining. A ribbon-cutting for the machines is scheduled for Monday, March 23.