Manufacturing evolved in the United States through geographic clusters that produced competitive advantages in expertise, scale of operations, research prowess, and skilled labor. The origin of the automotive sector is an example of a regional cluster, with vehicles assembled in the Detroit area from parts and components manufactured in the upper...

The manufacturing skills gap in the U.S. could result in 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030, according to a study by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte. Finding workers with the right skills has been one of the biggest challenges in the manufacturing sector for more than a decade.

Manufacturing has long been a driver of innovation and...

Workforce development is taking on increasing importance as manufacturers not only must fill more than 800,000 current openings but also define new careers involving robotics, automation and AI. Manufacturers are seeking people with the right skills for the advanced manufacturing jobs of today and tomorrow and finding ways to upskill their...

Earlier this month, 36 students at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Jose, California completed the FlexFactor program. But, these students were not just any students – they participated in the first customized version of FlexFactor Sprint for English Language Development (ELD). These hardworking students are not only learning English, they also...

FlexFactor™ by NextFlex wrapped up a very active and successful Fall 2017 semester with 13 program iterations spread across five Silicon Valley school districts and six high schools, including Westmont, Leigh, Branham, Lincoln, Wilcox, and Independence. Four-hundred twenty-five students actively participated, coming up with 80 FHE-enabled product...