DAVOS – “The global talent landscape is shifting fast. By 2030, the world will need 78 million more workers, but manufacturing could see 7.8 million jobs go unfilled by 2035. In the United States alone, 3.8 million manufacturing positions must be filled by 2033 – yet one in two may remain vacant, driven by persistent skill gaps and a diminishing pipeline of younger workers entering the sector.”
Building on these dire predictions from the World Economic Forum’s Job Report, a panel discussion was held last month in Davos, Switzerland.
The “Closing the Manufacturing Talent Gap in the U.S. and Beyond” panel featured Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who leads state efforts on workforce development; Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, responsible for his state’s manufacturing initiatives; Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), representing educators’ perspectives; and two additional participants representing industry and workforce organizations.
“Today is a little bit about education, but it is also about transforming the way people think about manufacturing and the supply chain, trying to ensure that people think about it as a noble, noble role,” said the panel moderator, Kive Allgood, World Economic Forum managing director, to start the discussion.
Transitioning to perspectives on education, she then turned to Randi Weingarten to share the teacher’s union leadership’s thoughts on the topic.
“It does take a village to actually create and recreate and reenvision a society that works for all, and manufacturing is a key component in that society,” AFT President Weingarten said.
She went on to extol the virtues of hands-on teaching shop classes offered in the past.
“In this era of AI, what we have to do in terms of education is we have to think about how we teach young people how to. In the old shop programs, you actually helped kids learn how to work with their heads and their hands. It actually did more than sitting in a classroom with academics because it was the application of knowledge. It was not just knowledge acquisition, but application.”
After highlighting the value of practical education, the conversation shifted to Kentucky Governor Beshear, who shared insights on manufacturing growth in his state during the past year.
“I think about how in the United States we live in a country that has the biggest economy in the world with the strongest and most innovative industrial base and the deepest pool of capital for investing in our future,” Beshear said.
“I’m proud of the fact that Kentucky has been a leader in the growth of our national economy. This past year, we announced $10.5 billion in new private-sector investment and the creation of nearly 9,600 new jobs. That’s the second best year in the history of our state.”
Kentucky has added a dedicated workforce management team to work with companies in order to understand their needs and to make the connections with the different pieces of workforce development so that they can create a pipeline, not just build jobs, but know how those jobs are going to be filled four or five years from now, Beshear said.
“Down the line, we’ll bring the right workforce, programs, and services to our companies on their own terms,” he said.
Building on Kentucky’s experience, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the conversation by pointing to her state’s rich history in automobile manufacturing, especially around the Detroit region.
“The state of Michigan is proud of our history in manufacturing. People came from around the world for a good-paying job on the line at one of our auto factories, and it got you right into the middle class, where you could live a high quality of life. That’s been a source of pride in who we are in Michigan right now,” she told the audience of media reporters.
“We’re facing a shortage of workers that we need to build the things that we all rely on, from ships to chips to cars and homes. We need young people to learn skills and land good jobs and have great, affordable lifestyles, live the lives they want — and all of that is possible,” Whitmer said.
“There are great opportunities in manufacturing, but I think we’re hampered by old notions of what it looks like and what the skills are to get into these great jobs.”
Educators, employers, and venture capitalists need to know one thing about manufacturing’s future: attracting the next generation to fulfilling careers in creating things is essential. Panelist Blake Moret, serving as chairman and chief executive officer of Rockwell Automation, captured this point concisely.
“This is an exciting moment because, as I talk with manufacturers around the country of all sizes and in different industries, I think there’s a common thread in the jobs of the employees in these companies. They want to know what they do is important,” Moret said.
Employees want training and support to do a good job, and they want to be able to progress, he said. “Manufacturing is at the vital core of the economy. We saw it during COVID and the supply chain shortages. What happens when we don’t have manufacturing and supply chains that work? To be able to have a workforce that can interact with the technology is so important.”
Building on Moret’s remarks, panelist Becky Frankiewicz, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Manpower, reiterated his point.
“We have a generation coming that wants purpose in their work,” she said. “These aren’t your grandfathers’ or grandmothers’ manufacturing jobs. These are modern technology-fueled jobs, and they’re filled with purpose. Manufacturing powers communities, it powers families, and fortunately for all of us, it puts food on the table around the world.”
The panel concluded by introducing SmartStart, a World Economic Forum initiative to guide one million young people into skilled trades by 2035.
Beginning in 2026, SmartStart will be introduced through pilot programs in selected U.S. regions, delivered in collaboration with a growing network of partner schools and industry stakeholders. These pilots are designed to test and refine program components within diverse, real-world learning contexts, generating practical insights to support future scale-up.
Through hands-on, industry-aligned learning, the pilots will demonstrate how education can keep pace with the evolving needs of modern manufacturing and supply chain careers. SmartStart integrates academic learning with practical exposure to the technologies, tools, and processes used in today’s industrial environments, preparing students for both entry-level roles and continued education and training pathways.
AFT’s Weingarten concluded, “Industry partners must be at the table—we need clear pathways to jobs and apprenticeships so young people see real opportunities. Breaking down barriers is key to creating access.”
With this effort, Manpower’s representative, Becky Frankiewicz, emphasized the initiative will “address the humanity of manufacturing and make manufacturing cool again.”
More information about the discussion and the initiative is available at https://initiatives.weforum.org/smartstart/home
From TMA’s 1st Quarter 2026 News Bulletin. By Fran Eaton, TMA News editor
