2024 Cedar Valley Manufacturing Conference

Keynote: An Easier Path to Smart Manufacturing Skills in the Workforce

Presented by: Jim Wall, founder and executive director of the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA)

Advanced technologies are paving new paths for today’s workers, offering opportunities to upskill existing workers and train new workers for high-paying careers in advanced manufacturing and energy industries. Smart manufacturing is revolutionizing industry, and skilled technical talent plays a crucial role in driving this transformation. Manufacturing has evolved significantly, with new technologies shaping the landscape. Key drivers of this evolution include:

• 5G Wireless Tech
• Industrial IoT (Internet of Things)
• Industry 5.0: Integrating humans and robots collaboratively.
• Smart Factories
• Robotics

SACA will share how communities can accelerate the availability of training for these career pathways by leveraging industry-driven micro-credentials to shape workforce training programs and how workers can accumulate micro-credentials as they work and apply them to emerging two- and four-year degrees.

Jim Wall Biography

Jim Wall is the founder and executive director of the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA). SACA is is a non-profit organization that develops affordable and modular Industry 4.0 certifications for a wide range of industries. The certifications are developed to ensure that companies have access to the highly skilled workers they need, and that individuals are prepared to be successful in an Industry 4.0 world.

Read an interview with Jim Wall.