Dive Brief:

• Stanley Black & Decker has opened a new Connecticut facility to be the headquarters for the company's "smart factory" initiative and its upskilling programs designed to prepare workers for the "the digital-led manufacturing environment," a news release said. 
• The center houses tech advancements that improve collaboration between workers and machines, and it will employ a team of 50 industry experts to accelerate advanced manufacturing tech and spearhead the upskilling, the statement said. Stakeholders see the new facility as part of a larger plan to make Hartford, Connecticut, a leader in advanced manufacturing, according to the statement. 
• "Connecticut has some of the best educational institutions in the nation and we've specifically been tailoring the curriculum at our schools so that innovative, advanced manufacturing companies like Stanley Black & Decker have a talent pool of workers available to them in order to compete in a world-class, 21st century market," Governor Ned Lamont said in the statement.

Dive Insight:

With a resurgence of manufacturing jobs in the U.S., demand for workers far outweighs supply in certain regions. Training pipelines have struggled to keep up with need as more organizations shift to modern, digital solutions to meet expectations for productivity. With a predicted 2 million manufacturing jobs opening in the next six years, partnerships have become more common to close the gap. Educators and employers across the country are working together to train and place workers in these skilled positions, creating their own talent pipelines where there were none before.  

In the last year, the government has signaled a need for training programs and apprenticeships to address skills gaps in skilled trades and STEM fields. As industry needs continue to change due to automation, additional collaboration between the government and employers, as in the case of Stanley Black & Decker, may be needed. Earlier this year, senators even introduced a bill that would subsidize training costs and other costs associated with finding employment. Employers have also teamed up to address the issue as a coalition. Lowe's recently announced a partnership with 60 other employers to train skilled tradespeople for its workforces.