WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), leader of the Senate’s Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign, today praised the Administration’s new investments in manufacturing innovation and workforce training. This morning, President Obama announced competitions to build two new manufacturing innovation institutes, or hubs, that will be run through the Departments of Defense and Energy and focus on “flexible hybrid electronics” and innovations in smart, energy efficient manufacturing, respectively. The President also announced a new competition that will spur the creation and reform of apprenticeship programs across the country.

“America’s economic success and competitiveness will depend on our ability to innovate and train our workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” Senator Coons said. “Manufacturing is the most innovative industry in our economy and more than ever, Americans need opportunities for on-the-job training. By building two manufacturing innovation hubs and spurring new partnerships and reforms to apprenticeship programs across the country, President Obama is making a valuable investment in our nation’s future. These are critical steps for the country, and I’m eager to continue working hard with the President and my Senate colleagues in the new year to strengthen American manufacturing and invest in our workforce.”

The two new manufacturing innovation institutes will bring the total number of new hubs announced by the Administration to eight. Earlier this year, the President announced hubs in Detroit and Chicago. The new institutes will combine $70 million or more in federal investment with complete matches in private sector funds, bringing the total amount of new investment to $290 million. In the Senate, Senator Coons is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2013, which would support the creation of more institutes as part of a national network for manufacturing innovation.

The new American Apprenticeships Grants competition will use $100 million or more of H-1B funds to award approximately 25 grants to partnerships between employers, labor organizations, training providers, community colleges, local and state governments, the workforce system, non-profits, and faith-based organizations. These partnerships will:

  • Launch apprenticeship models in new, high-growth fields;
  • Align apprenticeships to pathways for further learning and career advancement; and
  • Scale apprenticeship models that work.

Apprenticeships are a proven training strategy for workers to learn the skills that employers need and are a path to the middle class – 87 percent of apprentices are employed after completing their programs and the average starting wage for apprenticeship graduates is over $50,000. In the Senate, Senator Coons recently introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) called the Manufacturing Skills Act, which would spur reforms to job training programs in states and municipalities across the country.

Senator Coons is the leader of the Senate’s Manufacturing Jobs for America campaign, which has brought together 26 of his Democratic Senate colleagues to introduce 34 bills to strengthen American manufacturing. More than half of the bills have bipartisan support and seven initiatives have already been enacted into law. The campaign focuses on four broad areas:

  • Create a stronger 21st century workforce;
  • Provide critical access to capital for growing manufacturers;
  • Open up markets abroad; and
  • Create, for the first time, a national manufacturing strategy.