Community Update

February 2026

MSSC Fall 2025 High School Video Contest 2nd Place Winner


Congratulations to this year's second place winner, Jefferson County-Dubois Area Vocational-Technical School (Jeff Tech)! You can watch their video entry here, and be sure to be on the lookout for the 3rd place winner in our next CU. Again, for all those who participated, we thank you for supporting student engagement and helping MSSC highlight the many pathways and opportunities within manufacturing.

From Foster Care to Engineering Career 

When Kenyana left foster care, she was working in a low-wage fast-food job and unsure about her future. Through the WAYS Career Pathways program, she received guidance, mentorship, and support to explore new opportunities.


With that support, she enrolled in the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast (EDC) Certified Production Technician (CPT) program — a 10-week engineering technology course that helped her build real-world manufacturing skills and opened the door to a new career path.


Through hands-on training, mentoring, and a tour of a local manufacturing facility, Kenyana began to see something powerful: she could picture herself working as an engineer.


Today, she has been working in the engineering and technical field for two years.


Kenyana’s journey shows how programs like Career Pathways and the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast (EDC)'s CPT program — combined with employers willing to invest in young talent — can truly change lives. Watch the full video here.

What the Swiss Can Teach Us About Producing a Skilled Workforce

A recent opinion piece from Jobs for the Future argues that Switzerland’s greatest export may be its education and workforce development system—one built around a tight, intentional connection between school and work. Roughly two-thirds of Swiss students enter paid apprenticeships that blend classroom learning with structured on-the-job training, while still allowing flexibility to switch pathways rather than locking in a career choice early. The key differentiator is that employers take the lead, funding industry training centers and treating workforce development as a core business responsibility—an approach that research suggests delivers a strong return on investment. The author contrasts this with the U.S. model, where employers often play a passive role and public investment remains heavily concentrated in traditional degree programs. Several states, including Indiana and Colorado, are now adapting elements of the Swiss approach by expanding youth apprenticeship systems and strengthening employer-education partnerships as part of broader efforts to build stronger talent pipelines. Read the full piece here.

U.S. Department of Labor Releases AI Literacy Framework

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has released a new AI Literacy Framework designed to guide nationwide efforts to integrate artificial intelligence skills into workforce and education systems. The framework outlines five foundational content areas and seven delivery principles to support flexible, industry-aligned AI skill development across sectors and roles. Developed with input from employers, training providers, and state and local agencies, the guidance complements recent DOL direction encouraging the use of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds and governor’s reserve funds to support AI training. The framework aligns with the Administration’s broader AI Action Plan and America’s Talent Strategy, positioning AI literacy as a key component of preparing American workers for an AI-driven economy. More information here.

The Next Great American Innovation is in the Trades

In a recent Fast Company opinion piece, Interplay Learning CEO Doug Donovan argues that the U.S. is beginning to shift away from a “college for all” mindset toward a skills-based education system that elevates skilled trades as a core pathway to economic opportunity. The article highlights policy momentum at both the federal and state levels—including Workforce Pell, expanded use of 529 savings plans for short-term credentials, and the growth of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)—as signs that education funding is slowly catching up to workforce needs. Donovan points to evidence that hands-on CTE reduces dropout risk and describes emerging “stackable” learning models that allow students to combine certifications, apprenticeships, and short-term training into customized career pathways. The piece also connects this shift to national competitiveness, noting that major manufacturing investments through the CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act will require a strong pipeline of electricians, welders, HVAC technicians, and other trade professionals. With public investment increasing and cultural perceptions improving, Donovan argues that building modern trade pathways could become one of the most important workforce innovations of the next decade. Read the opinion piece here.

60% of Gen Zers will pursue skilled trade work this year: survey

A recent Facilities Dive article highlights growing interest among Gen Z in skilled trades as concerns rise about college debt, job stability, and AI disruption in white-collar careers. A survey of 1,250 Gen Z respondents by Resume Templates found that six in ten plan to pursue careers in fields such as construction, electrical work, HVAC, plumbing, building maintenance, and manufacturing, citing job security, earnings potential, and a better fit for their skills. While the findings differ from a 2025 Harris Poll showing lower awareness and interest in the trades, the article notes that workforce demand remains strong, with projected annual openings of 150,000 construction workers and 80,000 electricians. In response, major employers such as Schneider Electric, Home Depot, and Carrier are investing in training, scholarships, and apprenticeship programs, while industry coalitions like the Business Roundtable are working to scale skilled trades pipelines across sectors including manufacturing and energy solutions. Read more here.

The 4 Themes Shaping New Manufacturing

In a recent MIT Ideas Made to Matter article, John Hart, co-director of the MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing, outlines four major forces reshaping U.S. production: rapid technological change, the need to better integrate people and automation, evolving approaches to scaling, and the growing centrality of artificial intelligence. With manufacturing productivity largely stagnant for 15 years, a tightening workforce, and intensifying global competition—particularly from China—U.S. companies are being pushed to rethink traditional production models. “New manufacturing,” as defined by MIT, emphasizes using advanced tools such as 3D printing, digital simulation, and AI to shorten design-to-production cycles and improve performance, while building stronger collaboration between human workers and automated systems. The article also highlights that scaling strategies vary by industry—from large, software-driven “gigafactories” to modular, distributed production models—underscoring that competitiveness will depend on aligning technology, talent, and production strategy to evolving market demands. Read the full piece here.

Promising Practices for Building Stackable Credential Infrastructure (RAND)

A February 2026 RAND report outlines nine “promising practices” to help states and postsecondary institutions design and implement effective stackable credential systems. As demand grows for education and training beyond high school—particularly in middle-skill fields shaped by automation and AI—the authors highlight stackable credentials as a strategy to combine short-term workforce entry with longer-term earnings gains. The report recommends that institutions embed short-term credentials within degree pathways, ensure each credential has clear labor market value through employer engagement and data analysis, expand credit for prior learning (including noncredit-to-credit transfer), strengthen advising and wraparound supports, and streamline program approval processes. At the state level, it encourages establishing standards for “credentials of value,” creating statewide transfer and articulation agreements, and investing in institutional capacity to build aligned, high-quality pathways. While evidence on optimal design features is still emerging, the report emphasizes coordinated action across education and workforce systems to improve economic mobility and meet evolving labor market needs. Access the full report here.

A Stronger Future Through Work-Based Learning

A new book from GPS Education Partners executives and workforce author Alexandra Levit, Make School Work, offers a practical roadmap for scaling high-quality work-based learning programs at a time when demand is surging nationwide. The authors note that while interest in work-based learning has reached unprecedented levels, many initiatives struggle to grow due to employer uncertainty, school scheduling and capacity constraints, and limited student access to meaningful career exploration opportunities. The book draws on more than 25 years of experience and real-world case studies to outline a six-part framework for building sustainable, scalable work-based learning systems. It explores why traditional approaches often fail, provides strategies for aligning educator and employer priorities while keeping student outcomes at the center, and offers guidance for expanding programs from small pilots into long-term workforce solutions that connect education to real career pathways. More information can be found here.

Integrating Academics and CTE

A new resource from Advance CTE provides state leaders with a framework to use when integrating core subjects with CTE programs. After conducting a national landscape scan, the researchers identified three pillars essential to academic-CTE integration: 1) Supportive Policies, 2) Enabling Policies and 3) Implementation Supports. In addition to the framework and state program examples, Advance CTE also compiled a repository of state resources focused on academic-CTE integration, including crosswalks, graduation requirements and relevant state legislation. The resource can be found here.