MILWAUKEE, June 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- America's military veterans will play a pivotal role in powering the next generation of advanced digital manufacturing, providing much-needed talent for rapidly transforming high-tech roles. A ground-breaking new partnership announced today between industry leaders Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) and ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) will upskill 1,000 veterans per year by 2018, investing in the future workforce and creating a pool of certified talent for in-demand advanced manufacturing roles across the United States.

The U.S. manufacturing sector is estimated to produce up to 3.5 million new jobs over the next decade. But with close to 2.5 million manufacturing workers set to retire by 2025 and ongoing skill shortages, up to 2 million of those new jobs could go unfilled. The United States needs to rapidly upskill its manufacturing workforce and the thousands of veterans exiting the military every year represent a talented, skilled and underutilized source to fill these emerging roles.

"By bringing together the expertise and experience of the world's largest company devoted exclusively to industrial productivity with the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, we've been able to develop a truly groundbreaking program that will help solve a challenge critical to fueling the future growth of the manufacturing sector," said Blake Moret CEO of Rockwell Automation. "Military veterans possess a unique combination of technical savvy and core work skills that makes them well-positioned for careers in today's advanced manufacturing environments."

"We are seeing the emergence of a Skills Revolution today — where helping people upskill and adapt to this fast-changing world of work will be the defining challenge of our time," said Jonas Prising, Chairman & CEO of ManpowerGroup. "This initiative is a great example of very intense workforce development. We're using proven training programs and adapting them for talented veterans who bring valuable skills and experience to the workplace. In return, we're equipping them for sustainable careers in a fast-growing industry and increasing their earning potential at the same time. It's a winning formula."

A recent global survey by ManpowerGroup found that most U.S. employers think automation will increase, not decrease, headcount in manufacturing, but at a higher skill level. This new and innovative technical retraining program will address this need, rapidly upskilling and placing veterans in high-demand roles in as little as four months. Through the program announced today, veterans will learn advanced manufacturing processes, acquiring skills that will significantly increase their earning potential, and set them up for sustainable jobs at the forefront of advanced manufacturing.

The program expands Rockwell Automation's long-standing Engineer-in-Training (EIT) program, which combines classroom learning with hands-on laboratory experience, producing hundreds of graduates annually. It is also part of ManpowerGroup's MyPath™ program focused on closing the skills gap by building the talent and skills that clients need while providing people with the guidance and access to jobs that enhance their employability. The program leverages Rockwell Automation's deep domain knowledge in advanced manufacturing, together with ManpowerGroup's global insight into changing skills needs and workforce solutions to power the future of manufacturing in the United States.

Read more about ManpowerGroup's perspectives on veterans here.

About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for over 400,000 clients and connect 3+ million people to meaningful, sustainable work across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands - Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions - creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for nearly 70 years. In 2017, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the seventh consecutive year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com

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SOURCE ManpowerGroup