Rockwell Automation and ManpowerGroup Launch Partnership to Upskill 1,000 Military Veterans Annually for Leading-Edge Digital Manufacturing Roles

America’s military veterans will play a pivotal role in powering the next generation of advanced digital manufacturing, providing much-needed talent for rapidly transforming high-tech roles. A groundbreaking, new partnership announced today between industry leaders Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) and ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) will upskill 1,000 veterans per year by 2018, investing in the future workforce and creating a pool of certified talent for in-demand advanced manufacturing roles across the United States.

The U.S. manufacturing sector is estimated to produce up to 3.5 million new jobs over the next decade. But with close to 2.5 million manufacturing workers set to retire by 2025 and ongoing skill shortages, up to 2 million of those new jobs could go unfilled. The United States needs to rapidly upskill its manufacturing workforce, and the thousands of veterans exiting the military every year represent a talented, skilled and underutilized source to fill these emerging roles. 

“By bringing together the expertise and experience of the world's largest company devoted exclusively to industrial productivity with the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, we’ve been able to develop a truly groundbreaking program that will help solve a challenge critical to fueling the future growth of the manufacturing sector,” said Blake Moret, CEO of Rockwell Automation. “Military veterans possess a unique combination of technical savvy and core work skills that makes them well-positioned for careers in today’s advanced manufacturing environments.” 

“We are seeing the emergence of a Skills Revolution today — where helping people upskill and adapt to this fast-changing world of work will be the defining challenge of our time,” said Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup. “This initiative is a great example of very intense workforce development. We’re using proven training programs and adapting them for talented veterans who bring valuable skills and experience to the workplace. In return, we’re equipping them for sustainable careers in a fast-growing industry and increasing their earning potential at the same time. It’s a winning formula.” 

A recent global survey by ManpowerGroup found that most U.S. employers think automation will increase, not decrease, headcount in manufacturing, but at a higher skill level. This new and innovative technical retraining program will address this need, rapidly upskilling and placing veterans in high-demand roles in as little as four months. Through the program announced today, veterans will learn advanced manufacturing processes, acquiring skills that will significantly increase their earning potential and set them up for sustainable jobs at the forefront of advanced manufacturing.

The program expands the Rockwell Automation long-standing Engineer-in-Training (EIT) program, which combines classroom learning with hands-on laboratory experience, producing hundreds of graduates annually. It is also part of ManpowerGroup’s MyPath program focused on closing the skills gap by building the talent and skills that clients need while providing people with the guidance and access to jobs that enhance their employability. The program leverages the deep domain knowledge of Rockwell Automation in advanced manufacturing, together with ManpowerGroup’s global insight into changing skills needs and workforce solutions to power the future of manufacturing in the United States. 

Read more about ManpowerGroup’s perspectives on veterans here.