Across Alabama, an economic transformation is taking place on the factory floor. From the automotive plants powering Rocket City and the Shoals to the energy, aerospace, and metal manufacturing facilities dotting our Gulf Coast, Alabama has earned its place as an industrial powerhouse.
Today, nearly 270,000 Alabamians go to work in manufacturing, a sector that generates more than $40 billion in annual economic output and drives nearly one-fifth of our state’s GDP.
Yet, as cutting-edge artificial intelligence, robotics and smart automation transform modern manufacturing facilities, we face a stark reality: the manufacturing workforce is aging, the skills manufacturers need from their workforce are changing, and technologically driven advancements in manufacturing will only exacerbate a structural workforce shortage.
According to research by the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, if the skills gap is not addressed, manufacturers could see 1.9 million jobs go unfilled by 2033.
When it comes to AI, the training deficit is even more stark. Research from the Manufacturing Leadership Council–the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers–shows that while more than half of manufacturers deploy AI, 82% report their workers lack the skills to use it effectively, and fewer than 20% currently offer formal AI training.
Fortunately, manufacturers and leaders in Alabama view this challenge as an opportunity. A recent Harris Poll found that 50% of Gen Z now expresses strong interest in technical and skilled careers. To harness that enthusiasm, the Manufacturing Institute and the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) joined forces to demonstrate how training and educational processes must adapt to the changing technology. On September 28 at Calhoun Community College in Tanner, we are formalizing a landmark statewide partnership to deploy the MI’s newAI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite across ACCS’s 24 community colleges.
This practical, online, no-cost training is contextualized specifically for shop-floor environments. It allows active Alabama manufacturers to upskill their existing frontline workers, while equipping new workers with immediate digital fluency.
This partnership also builds on Alabama’s long-standing leadership in the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME). With 12 active chapters across the state – from Rocket City FAME at Calhoun to Shoals and FAME on the Plains – Alabama has seen first-hand the power of employer-led, earn-and-learn apprenticeships.
The MI and the ACCS have built a proven, repeatable blueprint. But a blueprint is only as good as the builders who adopt it.
We are calling on more Alabama employers, regional educators and civic leaders to step forward and join this effort. Manufacturers can no longer wait on the sidelines, hoping prepared talent automatically emerges from traditional educational pipelines. Employers must be front and center – co-designing programs, sponsoring FAME apprentices and bringing AI upskilling straight to their shop floors.
Alabama has always known how to make things that move the world, from steel and automobiles to rocket engines. By pairing our state’s legendary industrial work ethic with cutting-edge AI skills, we can ensure that the next industrial era is not only worker-led, but built right here in Alabama. We have created the model; now it is time for our business community to join us and scale it.
Carolyn Lee is the President of the Manufacturing Institute, the 501(c)(3) workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers. Jimmy Baker is the Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, which serves more than 182,000 Alabamians annually across 24 community and technical colleges.
