WE HELPED #MAKEADIFFERENCE by supporting the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and its network of more than 800 companies in rethinking how to approach workforce development.
MANUFACTURING NEW INTEREST When the U.S. Department of Labor estimated that 1,000,000 manufacturing jobs would be unfilled, AEM realized the future workforce shortage was imminent. Knowing that student perceptions of the manufacturing industry were not positive, AEM realized the importance of changing this perception and getting students interested in pursuing a career in this exciting field. THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT CustomED worked with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers to research workforce development trends, including interviews with AEM employees across the industry and development of a white paper on the topic. Out of that research, CustomED developed a Workforce Development Toolkit that included different tactics and activities for local companies to implement and increase interest in opportunities in their field among high school students. THE IMPACT As a result of this endeavor, CustomED empowered the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and its vast network of manufacturing companies to rethink how they approached workforce development, giving them the tools they needed to successfully engage with their audience.