Two of Milwaukee’s Fortune 500 companies are partnering on a new initiative aimed at training 1,000 veterans annually for jobs in advanced manufacturing.
The new initiative will draw on Rockwell Automation’s engineer-in-training program and ManpowerGroup’s insights into workforce solutions and changing skill needs. The 12-week program will include training on advanced technologies, manufacturing processes and soft skills.
The project is part of a multi-year commitment and while the first class will graduate yet this year, the companies are investing to reach 1,000 veterans trained per year by 2018. The two companies estimated up to 2 million new manufacturing jobs could go unfilled over the next decade as Baby Boomers retire from the workforce.
ManpowerGroup will handle the initial recruitment of candidates and Rockwell will focus on the training portion, ManpowerGroup spokesman Alec Wescott said in an email. Manpower will begin taking applications in the coming weeks and is working with the Department of Defense to make veterans ending their service aware of the program.
Both companies will work on job placements following the training. Wescott said the training will initially take place in Mayfield Heights, Ohio where Rockwell has training facilities already. The companies are evaluating the possibly of additional investments, including in Milwaukee, to accommodate the additional training demand.
Blake Moret, Rockwell chief executive officer, said bringing together leading productivity and workforce companies would create “a truly groundbreaking program that will help solve a challenge critical to fueling the future growth of the manufacturing sector.”
“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,” Moret said.
Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup chairman and chief executive officer, said “helping people upskill and adapt to this fast-changing world of work will be the defining challenge of our time.”
“This initiative is a great example of very intense workforce development,” he said. “We’re using proven training programs and adapting them for talented veterans who bring valuable skills and experience to the workplace.”
