Skill up: Training workers on semiconductors, batteries, supply chains, and more

The manufacturing sector simply wouldn’t run without employees willing and capable to staff it, but the advance of automation, battery technology, and smart manufacturing has remade the sector into one perpetually hungry for not just capable employees for assembly lines, but skilled technicians and engineers. That’s why we periodically pull together a digest of recent programs dedicated to advancing skilled manufacturing in the United States, to spotlight companies, government programs, and educational institutions dedicated to producing more essential skilled workers.

VMS Solutions and Purdue University announced a new collaboration September 29 to promote research and education in semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain management. The partnership gives students and researchers access to VMS Solutions’ MOZART Fab WISE simulator program. In a statement, Young-Jun Son, the Head of Purdue’s Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, said the collaboration “brings the realities of advanced manufacturing directly into the classroom and lab.”

Saint-Gobain North America officially launched its “Sustaining Futures, Raising Communities” campaign October 2. Following pilot programs implemented earlier this year with Granville County, North Carolina, public schools and Shakopee High School in Minnesota, Saint-Gobain says it will expand the program to ten additional sites over the course of the 2025-2026 school year. The program includes a curriculum examining real-world manufacturing and field trips to area Saint-Gobain facilities.

The Manufacturing Institute announced Amatrol as an official sponsor of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) USA initiative. According to the Manufacturing Institute, FAME is an apprenticeship-style training program originally created by Toyota. Amatrol’s partnership will see it sponsor equipment and training for three programs within FAME: its advanced manufacturing, industrial maintenance, and smart manufacturing tracks. In a statement, Manufacturing Institute said the partnership with Amatrol creates “a clear pathway for FAME USA chapters to access top-tier training resources.”

Ivy Tech community college, South Bend-Elkart, and SlateUp, a manufacturing recruiter, announced a new partnership aimed at addressing the manufacturing talent shortage in Indiana. The partnership will connect the 15,000 annual students of Ivy Tech’s skills training courses with employers seeking those skills via SlateUp’s job-matching platform. “We’re thrilled to partner with SlateUp to open new doors for students, giving them greater access to rewarding careers,” said Patrick Englert, Chancellor, Ivy Tech South Bend-Elkhart. “Together, we’re creating pathways that connect talent with opportunity and industry with skilled workforce and future leaders.”

Clemson University, MIT, South Carolina’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Auzolan LLC and SAE International, among other professional and educational groups, announced October 6 they would join forces for an initiative to help shore up workers qualified to work in the lithium battery manufacturing and recycling workforce. According to a joint statement, the initial class for the program will include 240 students in South Carolina and Michigan before its nationwide expansion. Member high school students will learn about battery safety, recycling, electrode preparation, and cell assembly.