From the Classroom to the Shop Floor: Building the Future Industrial Workforce

Manufacturing is undergoing a generational shift. As experienced workers retire and automation accelerates, the industry must solve both a workforce shortage and a skills gap — and it must do so simultaneously.

Jacob “MFG Kid” Sanchez is a well-known manufacturing influencer and content creator, and a vocal advocate for bringing new talent into the industry. With hands-on shop floor experience and a growing platform dedicated to promoting automation and modern manufacturing careers, he works to make the industry more visible, accessible, and appealing to the next generation.

Check out Jacob’s newly launched Axis community — a brand-neutral space for automation, robotics, and manufacturing professionals to connect, learn, and collaborate.

In this conversation, Jacob and Natan explore how manufacturers can generate genuine interest in industrial careers, rethink how technical skills are taught and developed, and draw lessons from apprenticeship models in countries that consistently produce highly skilled manufacturing talent.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Augmented Ops is a podcast for industrial leaders, citizen developers, shop floor operators, and anyone who cares about what the future of frontline operations will look like across industries. This show is presented by Tulip, the Frontline Operations Platform. You can find more from us at Tulip.co/podcast or by following the show on LinkedIn.