Manufacturing Hiring Trends: And What Employers Need To Know In 2026 (with Carolyn Lee, Manufacturing Institute)

Welcome to Season 11 of Workforce 4.0 and this week we are ringing the new year in with a bang as host Ann Wyatt speaks with Carolyn Lee, President and Executive Director or the Manufacturing Institute. This week, Carolyn and Ann discuss the current state of the manufacturing workforce, the impact of technology, and the importance of bridging the skills gap. They also share experiences and the powerful impact that the FAME program has been as a successful model for workforce development in many states across the US. Additionally, Ann asks Carolyn about current hiring trends, and the need for effective frontline leadership and the expectations of younger workers. As a featured recent keynote discussion leader during Schneider Electric's 2025 Innovation Summit, North America, this is our second installment highlighting and celebrating the road forward to building the manufacturing workforce.In This Episode:-00:00: Introduction To Workforce 4.0-00:30: Welcoming Carolyn Lee From The Manufacturing Institute To Workforce 4.0-04:16: Preparing The Workforce For The People/Technology Convergence-09:08: Exploring Where The Real Skills Gap Lies-11:35: What Real FAME Looks Like: A Model for Workforce Development-16:40: Examining Real Time Manufacturing Hiring Trends-20:19: The Importance of Empowering Frontline Leadership-25:03: Breaking Down The Impact In Positive Culture And Productivity-32:41: The New Data On The Manufacturing Skills Gap-37:37: Carolyn's Final Thoughts And Point Of Contact-39:17: Workforce 4.0 OutroMore About Carolyn: Carolyn Lee is the president and executive director of the Manufacturing Institute, the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. Ms. Lee leads the MI in its goal of building a resilient manufacturing workforce prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future. She was named to the leadership role at the MI in 2017, and during her leadership tenure, the MI has grown significantly, evolving for scaled impact nationwide across the manufacturing industry. She led the MI as it developed new programs, initiatives and events, including taking stewardship from Toyota of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education in 2019 and growing its reach; inaugurating the annual MI Workforce Summit; launching the 35×30 mentorship initiative for women and young girls; expanding the MI’s Heroes MAKE America initiative; working with the NAM to develop Creators Wanted—the manufacturing industry’s largest national workforce development and education campaign; and partnering with organizations such as Stand Together Trust to create the MI’s second chance hiring initiative.Through implementing groundbreaking programs, convening industry leaders and conducting innovative research, the MI furthers individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. The MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions to address the toughest workforce issues. To learn more about Carolyn connect with her here.