Uniting manufacturing leaders to inspire local knowledge exchange and action
I&I South is a new cohort of our Industry & Inclusion initiative with a geographical focus on the American South, understanding that regional efforts to broaden manufacturing talent pipelines can uplift local efforts aspiring to the same goal.
About
Background
Since 2020, Mechanism and The Century Foundation have been uniting manufacturing leaders through the Industry & Inclusion (I&I) Initiative to inspire local knowledge exchange and actions to make manufacturing hiring more dynamic. I&I helps workforce and education practitioners engage with one another and pilot new strategies rooted in best practices, to bring in workers from populations historically underrepresented in the sector.
Currently, I&I is working in the American South, where federal investment has accelerated renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, and where there’s a growing need to connect underrepresented communities to well-paying jobs. This geographic focus supports regional efforts to broaden manufacturing talent pipelines, uplifting local efforts to reach similar goals.
We are working in five places with a variety of intermediaries who are prioritizing industry partnerships and connections with regional economic development initiatives. These partnerships open up the path to strong collaborations with regional employers and employer associations, and also changes to policy and accountability metrics, long-term.
Opportunities and Challenges
At the start of 2024 the Mechanism team went on a listening tour, interviewing leaders in the South who have their finger on the pulse of manufacturing, workforce development and education. Their insights came from Texas to Florida, Alabama to Virginia and many states in between, and what they shared has provided Mechanism with a new understanding of the region’s opportunities and challenges.
Many of those opportunities and challenges mirror what the country’s manufacturers as a whole are responding to as they try to assemble a capable workforce to carry the sector forward.
Here’s a quick look at key themes that we identified from interviews:
It’s essential to address the challenges rural populations face in connecting with technical training, such as transportation and childcare hurdles or a lack of apprenticeship centers in rural areas as compared to urban
There’s a need for strategies to connect with underrepresented groups in the region that focus on zip code or neighborhood instead of race and gender
Manufacturing ecosystems should be expanded to include industry, government, labor, education, social services, and community partners with the goal of creating pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pipelines that increase aptitudes while supporting trainees to fully participate in these programs
The transition process from unemployment or underemployment to manufacturing careers can be improved with policy solutions that address the “benefits cliff”—a term describing the point at which someone’s income increases slightly and they lose public benefits despite still not making enough to maintain financial stability
There’s interest in creating workforce development initiatives that specifically cater to formerly incarcerated individuals
Finally, given the level of private and public investment flowing into the region for manufacturing, this is a pivotal moment to better connect underserved communities with economic opportunity
Data supports the observation of an untapped opportunity for both manufacturers and underrepresented communities in the South and beyond. As manufacturers struggle to find new employees, a recent accounting of the sector’s workforce countrywide shows that it is 65 percent White and nearly 70 percent male.1 Those workers are vital, but that demographic makeup doesn’t mirror the diversity of the U.S. labor pool. Black and Hispanic workers are also underrepresented in senior roles—typically the highest paying positions at manufacturing companies.
Jeannine Gant, the Inclusive Growth Officer at the Detroit Regional Partnership’s Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM) program, couldn’t have stated the importance of this opportunity more clearly in her introductory remarks at Mechanism’s June 2024 Regional Convening in Detroit.
“The political conversation believes that we’re trying to exclude people,” she said, speaking about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. “That’s not what we’re trying to do. We’re simply trying to make sure we’re including the historically excluded so that we can build back better together as a region and a country.”
Goals & Objectives
The I&I South Initiative aims to create pathways for economic mobility for workers (particularly those of color, people under 30, and women), where investments in EV and other clean energy projects are landing.
Together, we will devise solutions to develop inclusive training programs; deepen relationships between employers and communities; and connect these institutions to national experts and to each other—all to create pathways for economic mobility for workers.
Activities
Through our cohort approach, the Mechanism team will provide technical assistance; create peer-learning space; build connections to national experts and industrial partners; and support implementation of new projects.
Participants receive:
Access to subject matter experts and innovative practitioners
Mechanism connects participants with national subject matter experts during cohort learning sessions, as part of the technical assistance process, and throughout the overall cohort experience.
A valuable peer network
An opportunity for peer learning and exchange with other cohort members across the country. Participants will glean insights and best practices from other peers during facilitated cohort sessions.
Personalized technical assistance
Each participant will receive an individualized action plan crafted in collaboration with Mechanism staff and subject matter experts. Participants will receive personalized coaching and implementation support as part of the cohort.
Greater visibility & impact
Mechanism will collect a set of metrics to capture learnings and impact. Additionally, we will create success stories and cohort profiles that will be shared on local and national platforms.
In-person support
Mechanism will host in-person cohort convenings for deeper collaboration and joint reflection.
Meet the Participants
St. Petersburg College | St. Petersburg, FL
The Georgia Tech Industrial Training & Assessment Center | Atlanta, GA
Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) | Jackson, TN
Austin Community College | Austin, TX
College of the Albemarle | Elizabeth City, NC
Resources
Industry & Inclusion South Launch Commentary
April 2025
Report
Since 2020, UMA and The Century Foundation have been uniting manufacturing leaders through the Industry & Inclusion (I&I) Initiative to inspire local knowledge exchange and action with the goal of developing the local manufacturing workforce ecosystem. I&I helps workforce and education practitioners engage with one another and pilot new strategies, rooted in best practices, to make manufacturing hiring more dynamic by bringing in workers from populations historically underrepresented in the sector.
