A Pre-Metaverse (AR/VR) Integration Technologist. It sounds like a job at a sci-fi film studio, but it’s actually a manufacturing job.Â
These workers deliver the skills needed to research, design, and support immersive tech tools, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), that will teach new operators how to assemble parts or even prevent injuries.
The manufacturing sector faces critical worker and skills shortages, with 800,000 unfilled jobs nationwide today, projected to grow to 3.8 million by 2033. Add to this that the World Economic Forum estimated that by this year, up to 50% of current workers would need reskilling.Â
Education, then, is key to U.S. manufacturing’s resurgence — and by extension, to enhancing our global competitiveness.Â
Building the manufacturing workforce of the future
MxD saw this need as an opportunity to build the manufacturing workforce of the future. In 2023, its workforce development division, MxD Learn, launched the Curriculum and Pathways Integrating Technology and Learning (CAPITAL) program, which offers five virtual training courses that result in a certificate workers can use to land jobs and promotions. Â
What’s unique: All of the courses focus on digital skills, MxD’s speciality. One of them is indeed for a Pre-Metaverse (AR/VR) Integration Technologist. The offerings will continue to grow.Â
“Attracting and retaining a skilled workforce remains a top priority for U.S. manufacturers,” said Lizabeth Stuck, vice president of government affairs and MxD Learn. “We’ve created CAPITAL to build the skills manufacturers need to digitize operations and implement emerging technologies.”
Focusing on five roles in manufacturing
CAPITAL’s free, virtual training programs prepare students and workers for the most critical digital manufacturing roles. In addition to the AR/VR role, they include:
- Data Annotator, which teaches workers to identify and tag text, images, videos, and audio to help machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) models use that data effectively.
- Manufacturing Analytics Associate, focused on how to turn data into insights for better decision-making.Â
- Supply Chain Cybersecurity Compliance Specialist, giving workers the tools to support the adoption of new standards and processes in cybersecurity to keep companies safe.
- Cybersecurity Analyst, which focuses on cybersecurity readiness, training, and communication.
Supported by $6.2 million in federal funding, the courses were developed over the last two years. Each CAPITAL class includes a 100-, 200-, and 300-level course.Â
Certain courses are designed for students and entry-level workers — for example, the Data Annotator and Manufacturing Analytics Associate programs — to build the manufacturing talent pipeline. Others are targeted to workers looking to advance their careers within the sector.
Thousands enroll after courses launch
CAPITAL was launched on MxD’s Virtual Training Center in December 2024 with just the Data Annotator and Manufacturing Analytics Associate courses. Within weeks, enrollments had exceeded MxD Learn’s initial goal of 350 students.Â
To date, enrollment in the CAPITAL program has crested 23,000, with more than 7,500 unique learners pursuing multiple courses. Enrollees come from 27 states, and many are currently pursuing secondary or post-secondary education. In addition, MxD Learn has forged four pilot partnerships for CAPITAL with small and large manufacturers who are offering the courses to their existing workforce.Â
Students who have completed coursework express high satisfaction, with an average post-course rating of 4.6/5 for the Data Annotator and 4.3 for the Manufacturing Analytics Associate course.Â
One review stated: “Excellent course for showing the current state of Manufacturing Analysis. Much closer to on-the-job training than academia.” Another wrote: “The interactive portion was extremely interesting and helpful to fully understand what data annotation is all about.”
“Manufacturers are at risk of losing decades of experience with current and projected retirements,” said Jake Hall, the Manufacturing Millennial, an influencer and sector leader who fosters conversations on the latest in manufacturing and automation. “To stay competitive, manufacturers must invest in their workforce to digitize knowledge, boost efficiency and implement new technologies. CAPITAL delivers on these needs.”Â
Stuck agrees. “Manufacturers that invest in their workforce will win,” she noted. “Through CAPITAL, MxD is building training programs that can help people build in-demand skills that lead to secure, well-paying jobs, and that help manufacturers adapt and thrive.”
