America is spending billions to automate its factories, but often, the most critical piece is missing from discussions about manufacturing investments and expansions: the men and women who run America’s shop floors. Manufacturing hubs nationwide are embracing the advantages to be gained by the rapid rise of AI and that automation has sparked a fierce race for industrial dominance. Yet, no algorithm, robot or high-tech facility will secure our economic future if our workforce isn’t ready to use them.
If manufacturers in the United States truly want to remain globally competitive, now is the time to start treating workforce as the central strategy for American manufacturing dominance.
The conversation about how AI is changing industries is constant, and the myth that artificial intelligence will replace human manufacturing jobs persists. The reality is, AI is coming to elevate them. Manufacturing in America is — and will remain — led by people. At the Manufacturing Institute (MI), we believe that AI won’t lead to a sweeping loss of American manufacturing jobs, but we do know a worker equipped with AI skills will outperform one without them.
Yet, we face a significant hurdle. According to research from the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), while more than half of manufacturers already deploy AI in their operations, 82 percent report that their employees lack the skills to leverage these tools effectively, and fewer than 20 percent of manufacturers currently offer formal AI training.
We cannot allow a skills gap to stifle our technological momentum, nor can we passively wait for skilled workers to emerge from traditional education systems. Instead, employers must be front and center in designing, leading, and sustaining workforce solutions.
To close this gap, the Manufacturing Institute — the nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers — is expanding its workforce solutions with a new AI Skills Initiative featuring expanded educational offerings to equip this and the next generation of the manufacturing workers with the skills they will need to make the most of this technology.
Later this month, the MI will launch the brand new “AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite,” as part of this initiative. This training will impart a baseline understanding of AI, its applications across manufacturing, and its benefits toward improving safety, production quality and efficiency. The training will be accessible for free, online, to current manufacturing workers, post-secondary students, and anyone else interested in building the skills needed to pursue or advance a career in manufacturing.
Already, visionary educators and employers are expressing their interest in helping current and future workers acquire these skills. Early adopters include Alabama Community College System and Texas State Technical College, which are integrating these resources to their course offerings for manufacturing students.
It’s no surprise, ACCS and TSTC are on the cutting edge of manufacturing workforce development. They already have a proven track record of cultivating durable workforce pipelines through their participation in delivering the MI’s global-best, employer-led, apprenticeship program, the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, which was originally founded by Toyota.
Programs like MI’s FAME prove what is possible when industry leads. With chapters across 17 states and nearly 450 company partners, FAME achieves an 85% on-time graduation rate and a 95 percent placement rate while providing students with a debt-free pathway to high-paying, durable careers as in-demand advanced maintenance technicians. What these initiatives have in common is the focus on the skills manufacturing workers need to thrive. By integrating AI skills into existing programs, strengthening proven regional models and expanding access to critical skills training, we are creating a scalable blueprint for nationwide workforce readiness.
But we can’t do it alone.
As of this writing, manufacturers need to fill nearly half a million open jobs. But according to research conducted by the MI and Deloitte, as AI adoption continues and more manufacturing workers retire, manufacturers could face a shortage of 3.8 million workers by 2033. Nearly half — 1.9 million — could go unfilled if manufacturers don’t address the skills and applicant gaps.
That means manufacturers must make workforce development the centerpiece of their long-term business plans. The good news is that we have the blueprints. All that is left is for educators and business leaders to take up these winning strategies. It’s good for the industry; it’s good for our workers; and ultimately it’s good for our nation.
Carolyn Lee is the President of the Manufacturing Institute.
