Q3 Manufacturing Roundtable: Alternative Workforce Development for Advanced Manufacturing

With one of the densest clusters of manufacturing companies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, attracting, developing, and retaining quality talent is top of mind for Worcester County based companies looking to maintain a competitive edge in their respective markets as existing workers head toward retirement in greater numbers. 
As a member-driven organization focused on business issues, one of our most important policy perspectives is workforce development.
This quarter we are welcome Matthew Allen, Director of Careers and Education at German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. to present on their Apprenticeship program with opening comments from Lucas Rehaag, Executive Director of the German American Chamber of Commerce’s Boston Chapter.
Based on the world-leading German “dual education” Apprenticeship model, the GACC works with companies in 15 states and counting to build customized training tools and programs local employers need to facilitate capacity building, workforce retention, and long-term knowledge transfer.
Their anchor programs in the Northeast include a consortium of more than 60 employers in the Pittsburgh region and the Industrial Training and Education Consortium (iTEC), which launched in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley in 2023 and is expanding to Connecticut later this year.
All programs are nationally recognized as Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeships and as a J-1 exchange Visa Sponsor since 1996, the GACC has provided J-1 visa sponsorship for thousands of young professionals coming to the US, thereby expanding the pool of qualified candidates while strengthening pathways into advanced manufacturing careers.