U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia was in Milwaukee on Tuesday to address shortages of skilled workers and a training program at Rockwell Automation.
Scalia toured the company’s Academy of Advanced Manufacturing, a 12-week program that prepares military veterans for jobs in areas such as factory machine installation and field-service work.
The labor secretary said Rockwell’s efforts were timely as manufacturers clamor for talent in high-tech workplaces.
“One of the most critical challenges we face right now in job markets is ensuring that we have workers with the skills to fill the jobs that our economy is creating,” he said.
Rockwell, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial automation equipment, has partnered with Milwaukee-based Manpower Group to address the issue.
“Many times, what limits manufacturers is the fact that they don’t have enough skilled workers. People are retiring faster than the population is replacing them,” said Mary Burgoon, who leads the Academy of Advanced Manufacturing.
Scalia, son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, was named Trump’s labor secretary last fall.
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