Community Update

January 2025

CLA & CLT 4.0 Textbooks Available in Spanish

Spanish-language editions of our CLA 4.0 and CLT 4.0 textbooks are now available. We anticipate they will play a vital role in expanding opportunities for Spanish-speaking individuals within our greater MSSC Community.

With a list price of $60.00 for each of these new Spanish versions, please reach out to your local MSSC Training Solutions Provider for quotes and orders. For questions about the CLT 4.0 Training and Certification Program or how to get started, please contact info@msscusa.org

Focus on U.S. Manufacturing in President Trump’s Inaugural Address

President Trump emphasized the importance of U.S.-based manufacturing in his January 20 inaugural address, making multiple references to the sector as a key component of the nation’s economic strength. His remarks highlight the critical role manufacturing plays in driving innovation, creating jobs, and bolstering the country’s global competitiveness. This focus aligns closely with MSSC's longstanding efforts to support the development of a skilled workforce for the manufacturing industry. Since its establishment, MSSC has been dedicated to equipping individuals with the knowledge and certifications needed to meet the evolving demands of this vital sector, ensuring its continued growth and sustainability.

Walberg Selected to Chair House Committee on Education and Workforce

Rep Tim Walberg (R-MI) has been selected to oversee education and workforce development policy. "We have a unique opportunity to make substantive reforms to empower parents, incentivize workforce training, improve government efficiency, and unburden American innovators and job creators. The American people have given us a mandate to enact meaningful change and ensure future generations will succeed."

Help Wanted: U.S. Factories Seek Workers for the Nearshoring Boom

As demand for American-made products surges, manufacturers face a significant challenge in finding skilled workers to support growing production needs. Over 60% of manufacturers cite talent shortages as a top concern, with an estimated 3.8 million roles needing to be filled over the next decade. Paul Berger of the Wall Street Journal provides insight on how some groups are navigating these labor challenges.

How States are Driving the Expansion of Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships for America (AFA) released a research report, How States Are Driving the Expansion of Apprenticeships. As with many policies in the U.S., some of the most interesting and innovative work on Apprenticeships is happening at the state level. This report tracks the rates of growth of Apprenticeship in different states and examines the characteristics and demographic changes of state apprenticeship systems. It provides a scan of the policies, practices, and actions that state governments are putting in place to grow and diversify Apprenticeships. Access the report here.

Promoting Leaders Who Started as Apprentices

The Reshoring Initiative® and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) have launched a series of articles on industry leaders who started as manufacturing apprentices. The first 2 articles in the series are Part 1 and Part 2. A strong, skilled workforce is key to reshoring and manufacturing growth. This new series explores the careers of manufacturing leaders. Details on how you can participate in this effort can be found here.

The Postsecondary Outcomes of High School Dual Enrollment Students: A National and State-by-State Analysis

Using National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) data, the Community College Resource Center presents national and state-by-state findings on the postsecondary enrollment and completion outcomes of high school students who began taking dual enrollment college courses in fall 2015, tracked up to four years after high school. 

Key Findings:

• High school dual enrollment is widespread and growing across states; it is especially prevalent at community colleges.
• Dual enrollment students have strong postsecondary outcomes after high school, particularly in some states.
• Low-income, Black, and Hispanic students are underrepresented in dual enrollment and have lower average award completion rates than dual enrollment students overall. However, low-income, Black, and Hispanic dual enrollees’ award completion rates are stronger than that of non-dual enrollees.
• High school students who take dual enrollment courses at a four-year institution do particularly well in college but are not as diverse as other dual enrollment students in terms of race/ethnicity and neighborhood income.
• For community colleges, former dual enrollment students are a strong source of post-high-school enrollments.

Read more information here.

A Leader in Manufacturing Education Takes on AI

Greenville Technical College is pioneering a new approach to workforce development with its $30M investment in a state-of-the-art facility focused on industrial cyber and AI, set to open by 2027. The center aims to prepare students for advanced manufacturing roles by integrating AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics into traditional training programs. This bold initiative reflects the growing need for colleges to adapt quickly to the fast-paced advancements shaping modern manufacturing along with bridging the gap between emerging technologies and the skilled workforce needed to support them. Read more about this project here.

State Education Leadership Changes From the 2024 Elections

The Education Commission of States has created informative resources that describe the potential policy implications of the November elections.

• One-page infographic for an overview of governor, legislative, chief state school officer and state boards of education races.
•  Blog post detailing state leadership changes, education implications and outcomes of education-related state ballot measures.
• Meet incoming governors-elect and re-elected incumbent governors to better understand their education priorities in this blog post on Ed Note.

See more here.

The Most In-demand Manufacturing Jobs of 2025

As manufacturing evolves with Industry 4.0 technologies, roles requiring expertise in maintaining and repairing advanced machinery, robotics, and automation are seeing the highest demand. Workers with skills in AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity are increasingly valuable, as employers emphasize versatility and adaptability. Addressing misconceptions about manufacturing careers and expanding access to flexible, skills-focused training programs are critical to attracting talent to meet these growing needs. Review the deep dive by Manufacturing Dive here.

Funding Opportunity from U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships 

NSF 25-511: Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) Program Solicitation Document Information Document History

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization’s local time): February 24, 2025

Through this initiative, the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), in partnership with Micron Technology, Inc. (Micron) through the Micron Foundation, seek to support experiential learning opportunities for individuals from all professional and educational backgrounds, resulting in increased access to, and interest in, career pathways in emerging technology fields (e.g., advanced manufacturing, advanced wireless, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum information science, semiconductors, and microelectronics). As NSF seeks to support the development of technologies in such fields, similar support will be needed to foster and grow a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce comprising and enabling all Americans to contribute to such innovation.

U.S. Economic Development Administration Reauthorized by Congress for First Time in 20 Years

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) celebrates its historic reauthorization by Congress, allowing it to continue its legacy of promoting American innovation and competitiveness by providing grants and support to communities across the country. Since 1965, EDA has led some of the nation’s most impactful programs to strengthen public works and infrastructure, job creation and workforce development, disaster recovery, and technology and industry advancement. The EDA had not been formally reauthorized since 2004. More information can be found here.