NIMS Partners With Grant-Winning Apprenticeship Program
Focus:HOPE is one of the latest examples of a manufacturing training program getting attention from the highest levels of government.
On the first day of the school year September 9, President Barack Obama announced new steps to expand apprenticeship programs, and one such program dedicated specifically to manufacturing received special attention.
Those “new steps” include $175 million in grants for public-private partner apprenticeship programs, efforts to make community college free for two years, and the launch of a new campaign to raise awareness of the importance of community college. This fact sheet provides more detail.
The specific manufacturing program is Focus:HOPE, which aims to fill an anticipated 125,000 jobs requiring machining skills by 2024. After a summit at the White House September 8, the program was selected as a winner in the aforementioned grant program. As detailed in this press release, support from the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) will help with credentialing, aligning training to industry standards, technical assistance and more.
A few recent MoldMaking Technology webinars have detailed workforce development, including the real-world, student-run manufacturing business shown here. Access recordings in our archive.
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