Project Next Generation: ISA’s workforce development program

Every generation has a responsibility to the next. Right now, fulfilling that responsibility in a way that will strengthen and grow the profession for years to come is a top priority for ISA. We are in a unique position to advance the automation profession – both in the United States and around the world. Through a new workforce development program, ISA intends to positively influence the professional of the future, provide him or her with technical knowledge and networking opportunities and elevate the reputation of the industry. The member organizations of the Automation Federation join ISA in this effort.

Workforce development means different things to different people. ISA’s responsibility in workforce development extends across every stage of a person’s career. The overall effort will examine everything from a formal mentoring program built around recent retirees to professional development of the current workforce. It will include enhanced training for tomorrow’s work force and a campaign to change the profession’s image with elementary school children.

Whether your career has recently ended, has not yet begun or is somewhere in between, ISA’s workforce development program will give you options to fulfill your individual needs. The program will also provide significant value to the corporate world and work to define the automation profession to the next generation.

For this program to really make a long-term difference, we must build momentum and create strategies with staying power. We identified core projects to start the program, and we plan to add projects to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry and those we serve.

The initial projects that we will work on – many of which are already underway at ISA – include:

• K-12 education – We must start from the beginning to get manufacturing and automation into the schools so that kids with math and science interests know about the rewarding careers our industry offers. Companies and professionals in our industry are pivotal resources for this initiative
• Diversity recruitment – We plan to help companies reach out to cultures and ethnicities that have typically been under-represented in our schools and workforce. We must educate top talent about the opportunities available in our field
• University relations – ISA will work to link faculty from universities around the world with corporate R&D centers to work together on fundamental research challenges. Through modest grants and the coordination of academia and corporations, we’ll be able to pair up industry needs with university expertise on a technical development level worldwide
• Establishment and adoption of automation curriculum – ISA has a dedicated committee of industry executives and academia working to develop a four-year automation degree curriculum and another group is working on a two-year technology curriculum. This curriculum will better prepare students for the positions of the next generation
• Certification initiatives – Certification is expected to become a critical component of many industries in the decades ahead. ISA will focus on our current certification programs, and work to extend those programs to new professionals – not only in the U.S., but abroad as well
• Technical training and education – We’ll continue to deliver training on emerging technologies, as well as fundamentals, through new and creative teaching formats. We’ll train the future workforce, focus on life long learning and offer multiple opportunities for professionals to expand their knowledge and skills
• Corporate membership – As a non-profit professional association, ISA is uniquely positioned to bring together industry needs in a qualitative and quantitative manner and, through a corporate partnership program, speak in a voice that is louder than any one company
• Government relations – After bringing companies together in a corporate partnership program, we can then identify and resolve significant issues through effective government relations initiatives.

Nothing is more important than leaving our world a better place for future generations. I believe that ISA’s plan will do just that for our profession and the many industries we represent.

I hope you’ll join us.