COLLEGE STATION, TX — Over the next four years, the Department of Defense (Dod) Industrial Base Analysis, and the Sustainment program, are teaming up with Texas A&M University's Engineering Experiment Station Workforce (TEES) Development program, to address skill gaps in defense manufacturing here in the United States.
To start things off, the DoD, and the TEES, will create a Texas manufacturing skill gap report. In hopes, to start road mapping said gaps for national, state, and industry stakeholders .
“Texas is the perfect place to enact this initiative, since our manufacturing economy ranks second largest in the United States,” said Dr. Cindy Lawley, assistant agency director for workforce development and regional divisions at TEES.
"Our workforce development program has a statewide network, allowing us to move quickly to assess, and address. the needs of those in the industry.” Dr. Lawley added to her statement.
In both Dec. and this Jan., TEES was able to complete their first step in said skills-gap initiative. During which, TEES had surveyed Texas K-16 educators involved in manufacturing education, alongside manufacturing industry representatives as well too.
Starting Feb 2., TEES will host several virtual workshops with students, academia, industry, government, and community leaders, from all across the State, to help better identify said skill gaps.
These virtual workshops are open to all Texas residents with knowledge of the general manufacturing industry.
“I am confident, that this effort with TEES, will enable greater stakeholder cooperation across the industrial base, encourage additional partners to join, and drive sufficient scale and velocity into our industrial workforce development pipelines..." shared Adele Ratcliff, director of the DoD Industrial Base Analysis, and Sustainment program office.
Anyone interested in registering, can learn more here; this virtual workshops will be offered until March 12.