FANUC America Establishes $1M Scholarship Fund with SME Education Foundation to Elevate Advanced Manufacturing Skills
13 Agosto 2024 - 5:00AM
Business Wire
FANUC’s Automation Endowed Scholarship Fund
provides $50K Annually to Support North American Manufacturing
Careers
FANUC America, a global leader in industrial automation and
robotics, proudly announces the establishment of the FANUC
Automation Endowed Scholarship Fund in collaboration with the SME
Education Foundation. As the largest automation scholarship in SME
Education Foundation history, this initiative will foster the next
generation of skilled professionals in advanced manufacturing and
automation. The SME Education Foundation operates as the
philanthropic arm of SME, the national nonprofit organization
dedicated to the advancement of manufacturing.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240813266410/en/
FANUC America offers Certified Education
Training Programs at more than 1,600 universities,
community/technical colleges, high schools and more throughout the
Americas. (Photo: Business Wire)
“FANUC has always believed in the power of education and its
pivotal role in shaping the future,” said Mike Cicco, President
& CEO of FANUC America. “Early on, we recognized the demand for
advanced skills and it led us to establish our Certified Education
program. Now, through our new $1 million scholarship initiative, we
continue to champion education, and help empower the next
generation to learn, innovate, and fuel the growth of manufacturing
in North America.”
Since 2019, FANUC America has created more than 400 jobs in
Michigan and has invested more than $187 million across the
continent. This scholarship builds upon the company’s strategic
investment plan to support and advance industrial automation in
North America.
How It Works
The FANUC Automation Endowed Scholarship Fund represents a
long-term commitment by FANUC America along with its Authorized
System Integrators (ASI) and Education Solutions Providers (ESP).
Over the next four years, a minimum of $1 million will be
contributed to establish an enduring endowment. This endowment will
provide annual scholarships totaling at least $50,000 to deserving
students pursuing careers in advanced manufacturing and automation
across the United States and Canada.
According to Paul Aiello, Executive Director of Education for
FANUC America, the manufacturing industry faces the critical
challenge of a projected 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030 due to a
shortage of skilled labor. “By increasing our investment in
education and training, we can help bridge this gap,” said Aiello.
“The FANUC Automation Endowed Scholarship Fund aims to alleviate
the financial burden of post-secondary education and create a
robust pipeline of talent for the automation workforce.”
With more than 60 distinct programs, the SME Education
Foundation provides merit and need-based scholarships, issues
renewing and one-time awards, and seeks applications from all
eligible students. Since 2005, the Foundation has awarded $18
million to over 5,000 future industry leaders. The Foundation’s
proprietary application platform streamlines the scholarship
process, allowing students to submit a single online application.
Through automated matching, eligible students are considered for
the FANUC Automation Endowed Scholarship Fund.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with FANUC America to support
the next generation of manufacturing leaders and we would like to
recognize them for leading by example in this forward-thinking
initiative,” said Rob Luce, vice president of the SME Education
Foundation. “This endowed scholarship fund will play a crucial role
in building a skilled automation and advanced manufacturing
workforce and aligns with our mission to inspire, prepare, and
support the next generation of manufacturing and engineering
talent.”
The SME Education Foundation will accept scholarship
applications for the 2025-26 school year starting November 1. For
additional information on how to apply for a scholarship, please
visit SME Education Foundation. For information on FANUC education
programming for students and schools, visit FANUC America.
About SME Education Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of SME, the SME Education Foundation
inspires, prepares, and supports the next generation of
manufacturing and engineering talent. Established in 1979, the
Foundation works to expose youth to modern manufacturing
technologies, train students on relevant manufacturing processes,
and award millions of dollars in scholarships annually. All
Foundation programming seeks to empower youth to consider and
pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering and increase
engagement with historically underrepresented populations to help
diversify the manufacturing industry. We continue to inspire,
prepare and support the next generation of manufacturing and
engineering talent – now as many as 12,000 students every year. For
more information, visit smeef.org.
About FANUC America Corporation
FANUC America Corporation is a subsidiary of FANUC CORPORATION
in Japan, and provides industry-leading CNC systems, robotics, and
factory automation. FANUC’s innovative technologies and proven
expertise help manufacturers in the Americas maximize productivity,
reliability, and profitability.
FANUC America is headquartered at 3900 W. Hamlin Road, Rochester
Hills, MI 48309, and has facilities throughout North and South
America. For more information, please call: 888-FANUC-US
(888-326-8287) or visit our website: http://www.fanucamerica.com.
Also, connect with us on YouTube, X, Facebook, LinkedIn and
Instagram.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240813266410/en/
FANUC America Media Contacts: Corporate and Robotics:
Jessica Pawl Jessica.Pawl@fanucamerica.com (248) 377-7888
Factory Automation: Debra Schug debra.schug@fanucamerica.com
(847) 898-5673
SME Media Contact: Marirose Sartoretto Communications
Specialist msartoretto@sme.org (248) 798-2961