Skill up: Training workers at Boeing, Annheiser-Busch, Newport News, 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.

DENSO Manufacturing announced April 20 it had graduated its largest-ever class of skilled trades apprentices from its Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program. The four-year program has graduated 77 apprentices to journeyman status prepared for work as tool and die makers, machine repairers, or electricians since the program was started in 2003.

Newport News Shipbuilding reported that 32 high school seniors accepted employment offers at a recent Good Life Solution Program’s Career Selection Day on Thursday, May 7. According to a company release, the students will either immediately enter full-time trade positions at the shipyard or begin attending the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School. In a statement, Xavier Beale, NNS VP of HR, praised the students for “committing to a rewarding career that directly contributes to our national security.”

Boeing Co. announced May 8 that it would partner with the Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology to establish the Boeing Workforce Training Center. Boeing recently purchase Spirit Aerosystems for $8.3 billion, including its Wichita production operations. In a statement released by the university, WSU Tech said it will offer training and instructional support, while Boeing will supply the necessary equipment and advise on the center’s curriculum.

Anheuser-Busch announced May 13 that it would establish a new technical skills training center in Columbus, Ohio, to support its $5 million investment in its Michelob brewery there. As part of the company’s “Brewing Futures” initiative, the company will spend $600 million across the country through 2026 to establish Regional Excellence Centers, which the company says it will use to train its existing workers.

Kentucky Recovery Vocational announced the first cohort of graduates from its Manufacturing Skill Standards Council Logistics Program has reached a 100% job placement rate within 60 days. The program, operated in partnership with Goodwill Kentucky, offers technical instruction and employment support to participants, supporting their employment by local warehouse, distribution and manufacturing support jobs in the Louisville area. According to local news source WAVE, Goodwill Kentucky plans to expand the program to other locations in Kentucky.