Manufacturing Industry Outlook: Turning Tides, Closing Gaps, and Shaping the Future With 2025 well underway and 2026 on the horizon, the manufacturing industry faces a landscape defined by both disruption and opportunity. This year’s Manufacturing Industry Outlook webinar will take a deeper dive into the real-time impact of evolving global trade policies, tariffs, industry trends, and the widening skills and labor gap. Key Learning Outcomes: Interpret Global Trends and Tariffs: Understand how current economic policies, international trade tensions, and tariffs are affecting supply chains, pricing, and strategic planning in the manufacturing sector. Assess Industry Shifts: Gain insight into key shifts—such as reshoring, automation, sustainability, and advanced materials—and how they are reshaping operations and long-term growth strategies. Address the Skills and Labor Gap: Learn from real-world examples of how companies are confronting talent shortages and what cross-sector solutions are being deployed to build a stronger, future-ready workforce. Activate Your Role in Industry Evolution: Discover how manufacturers, educators, policymakers, and community leaders can collaborate to address systemic gaps and accelerate progress in workforce development and innovation. Every stakeholder—from industry leaders to educators to community partners—has a role to play in shaping a more resilient and competitive manufacturing future. Join us for a candid conversation with leading economists, policy analysts, and manufacturing executives as they examine how businesses are adapting to global pressures and where future opportunities lie. Facilitator Jennifer Fielding, PhD | Chief, Ceramics Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory Speakers Mark Michalski | Manufacturing Expert in Residence, FORGE Impact | CEO, sizzle&STEM Media | SME President 2019 Deb Volzer | Vice President of Workforce Development, SME Chris Chidzik | Principal Economist, Association for Manufacturing Technology Register Now Registrants will receive a recording link after the program.
