Tooling U-SME, the leading provider of manufacturing training solutions, and the MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center San Antonio, a U.S. Department of Commerce funded agency that promotes the growth of minority-owned business, have announced a new partnership to help expand workforce education across the country. The organizations recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will allow the MBDA-AMC to offer expanded educational resources to the clients it serves. The new partnership will provide the MBDA-AMC with greater flexibility in training solutions to develop the manufacturing workforce.

Tooling U-SME recently released a new workforce report to find out what challenges and opportunities manufacturers see ahead of them. According to the Industry Pulse: 2018 Manufacturing Workforce Report, three of the top challenges companies face in the next three years involve developing a skilled workforce:

• Finding experienced new hires (99 percent).
• Upskilling the incumbent workforce (92 percent).
• Onboarding new employees (84 percent).

Despite these challenges, there are measures companies can take to ward off the skills gap and retain employees with the skills to succeed and help their companies compete in the market.

“With the skills gap threatening to diminish the pipeline of talent, time is of the essence for the manufacturing industry,” said Jeannine Kunz, vice president, Tooling U-SME. “Every manufacturer should equip their employees with the skills needed to succeed and innovate, and we are dedicated to helping all manufacturers meet their operational goals, including developing a strong workforce.”

About Tooling U-SME

Tooling U-SME delivers versatile, competency-based learning and development solutions to the manufacturing community, working with thousands of companies including more than half of all Fortune 500® manufacturing companies, as well as 600 educational institutions across the country. Tooling U-SME partners with customers to build high performers who help their companies drive quality, productivity, innovation, and employee satisfaction. Working directly with hundreds of high schools, community colleges, and universities, Tooling U-SME is also able to help prepare the next generation workforce by providing industry-driven curriculum. A division of SME, an organization that connects people to manufacturing solutions, Tooling U-SME can be found at toolingu.com, facebook.com/toolingu or follow @ToolingU on Twitter.

About the MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center San Antonio (MBDA-AMC)

The MBDA-AMC provides technical assistance and business development services to ethnic-minority businesses in the manufacturing sector. The center promotes the opportunity to advance the growth of manufacturers in the areas of innovative technology and assists in creating high quality manufacturing jobs. The MBDA-AMC is a Department of Commerce program that specifically targets manufacturers in order to assist them to grow and scale-up the business. The operator for the MBDA-AMC San Antonio is The University of Texas @ San Antonio, Institute for Economic Development (IED).