Rockwell Automation Deepens Wisconsin Manufacturing Talent Pipeline with $1M UWM Partnership
Event summary
- Rockwell Automation is committing $1 million over five years to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Connected Systems Institute (CSI), adding to a previous $5 million investment since 2017.
- The renewed partnership aims to address the growing skills gap in manufacturing, driven by onshoring and technological advancements.
- CSI houses a Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab, the first of its kind in higher education focused on manufacturing.
- Rockwell Automation is simultaneously building a 1 million sq ft manufacturing facility in Southeast Wisconsin as part of a $2 billion investment.
- CSI programs engaged over 500 students last year, including a 30% expansion of UWM’s Advanced Controls engineering course capacity.
The big picture
Rockwell Automation's commitment to CSI underscores the critical link between industrial automation technology and a skilled workforce, a growing concern as onshoring accelerates and manufacturers grapple with labor shortages. The $2 billion investment in new facilities and talent development signals a significant bet on Southeast Wisconsin as a manufacturing hub, and the partnership with UWM is designed to ensure a steady supply of qualified personnel. This strategy reflects a broader trend among industrial automation leaders to actively shape the talent pipeline rather than solely relying on traditional educational institutions.
What we're watching
- Talent Pipeline
- The success of Rockwell’s new facility hinges on the ability of CSI to consistently produce a workforce with the requisite skills in automation and AI, and the partnership’s effectiveness in achieving this will be a key indicator of ROI.
- Microsoft Integration
- The Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab’s impact on Rockwell’s product development and competitive positioning warrants monitoring, particularly given Microsoft’s broader industrial cloud strategy.
- Regional Impact
- The extent to which Rockwell’s investment catalyzes further manufacturing investment and job creation in Southeast Wisconsin will reveal the broader economic ripple effects of this initiative.
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