MassBridge: Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Education Program

American manufacturing has been a t roubled sector in recent decades. Between 2000-2010, the manufacturing sector lost close to 6 million jobs and closed 64,000 plants. Between 2010 and 2020, the productivity of U.S. manufacturers declined both in absolute terms and compared to key foreign competitors. The massive U.S. trade deficit in goods rose in 2018 to $891 billion, including more than $120 billion in advanced technology goods.

How will U.S. manufacturing compete with lower-wage, lower-cost competitors? Advanced manufacturing, with its potential gains in efficiency and productivity, offers a solution. Although the U.S. formed 16 advanced manufacturing institutes to help bring on new manufacturing technologies, a purely technology-focused approach will not be enough. The institutes are working to develop technologies in areas such as digital production, robotics, additive manufacturing, flexible electronics, photonics, sensor and systems, and biofabrication. However, our workforce education system is not ready to provide the training we need in these new
technologies.

Concerned a bout the strength of the U.S. industrial base, the Department of Defense funded the MassBridge project. MassBridge will plan and develop advanced manufacturing programs for community colleges and vocational-technical high schools in Massachusetts. The DoD hopes that MassBridge, once successful, can a lso be a model for efforts in other states.