Project Highlight: AmSkills Library Project
This ARM Institute project with ARM Member AmSkills used a local library to train individuals for robotics careers in manufacturing through funding from NIST – the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Following the robotics training, participants were supported through interview processes and are ready for their new roles in manufacturing.
Project Team
AmSkills and the ARM Institute
Background & Problem Statement
The manufacturing industry is facing an unprecedented workforce gap. Pending retirements combined with a lack of skilled workers in the pipeline means that millions of manufacturing jobs may go unfilled in the coming years. This problem requires a twofold solution: robotics solutions need to be made more accessible to manufacturers of all sizes to augment workforce gaps and workforce efforts are needed to engage the future generation of manufacturers and to upskill current workers for important, well-paying robotics roles in manufacturing.
Regional impact is just as important as national workforce solutions. ARM Member AmSkills has made significant strides in catalyzing rapid robotics workforce training in Florida, an established epicenter for manufacturing. For this project funded by NIST – the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the ARM Institute engaged with AmSkills to fund regional robotics training for manufacturing using local libraries to make robotics workforce training more easily accessible.
Approach
AmSkills leverages a rapid, but robust two-week training format that does not require former knowledge of manufacturing. Participants in this rapid robotics training learn a multitude of career ready skills including electrical circuitry, basic fluid systems, and basic robotics programming.
Along with earning career readiness training, participants in this robotics workforce training also worked on soft skills such as resume writing and interviewing skills. Their interview skill development is used during mock interviews and then in real-life interviews which happen on the last day of the bootcamp.
The rapid robotics training funded through this grant was provided January 29th – February 9th and served 13 participants. The program took place at Pinellas County Library – Lealman Location. This grant enabled the AmSkills team to expand their scope and leverage the library system which helped to market this program to participants in the community who could benefit from the bootcamp but might not otherwise engage in robotics workforce development training.
Watch the video below to see how AmSkills connects individuals to important manufacturing careers.
Impact
The 13 workshop participants in the Library Project each earned two certifications from NC3 – an ARM Institute Endorsed training program. Four participants also received their Florida Ready to Work Soft Skills Credentialing. Of the 13 in the rapid robotics training participants, four have started working and the remaining nine participants have each reported having second interviews with companies who participated in the final day interviewing process.
Next Steps
AmSkills and the ARM Institute continue to collaborate to develop creative ways to engage the community in workforce development training while exploring ways to financially support these efforts. All AmSkills Career Discovery Bootcamps are supported through grant funding and are delivered with minimal cost to participants.
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ABOUT THE ARM INSTITUTE
The ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense under Agreement Number W911NF-17-3-0004 and is part of the Manufacturing USA® network. The ARM Institute leverages a unique, robust, and diverse ecosystem of over 400 consortium members and partners across industry, academia, and government to make robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence more accessible to U.S. manufacturers large and small, train and empower the manufacturing workforce, strengthen our economy and global competitiveness, and elevate national security and resilience. Based in Pittsburgh, PA since 2017, with a regional office in St. Petersburg, FL, the ARM Institute is leading the way to a future where people and robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to produce the world’s most desired products. For more information, visit www.arminstitute.org and follow the ARM Institute on LinkedIn and X(Twitter).