News
Current News Items
- Are Your Students Prepared To Work in a Smart Factory?
- "Industry 4.0 Fundamentals" Sets the Deck for Student Success
- Amatrol to Showcase Industrial Technology Training Systems at ATX West
- Teach Hands-On Smart Automation Skills in High School Using Amatrol’s Tabletop Smart Factory
- NIMS Certifications Pave the Path to a Successful Career in Industry
- Training for the Future: How CPT and CPT+ Certifications Can Enrich Professional Development
- Evolving CTE Programs Can Help Bridge the Skills Gap
- Skills Training in Correctional Facilities: How Second Chances Could Help Close the Skills Gap
- Technical Training & Certifications in Prison Systems Could Close Skills Gap
- STEM Education Holds the Key to Bridging the Skills Gap
- Training the Future Workforce: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
- What Is Industry 4.0?
2018 News Items
- Five Ways to Increase Student Enrollment in CTE Classes
- Amatrol Mechatronics Training Video
- Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015 Certified
- Case Study: Solving The Process Technologies Skills-Gap In Texas’s Upper Panhandle
- Five Tips for Successful Technical Training Grant Proposals
- 3 Ways to Determine a Community’s Technical Training Needs
- 3 More Ways to Increase Student Enrollment in a CTE Program
- Amatrol Hosting Two Week Summer Robotics Engineering Camp
- We Can Solve the Technical Skills Gap! by Paul Perkins
- National Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program Certifies First Apprentices in IN
- Four Ways eAssessment Can Work for You
- Register Now for the National Career Development Summit
- Amatrol and MSSC Labor Day Gift to the Nation
- New State-of-the-Art Technology Center Opening in Central Louisiana
- Bevill State CC introduces free CPT training program in Northern Alabama
- Austin Peay Becomes Second College to Offer Siemens Bachelor's Degree
- Five Ways to Attract Millennials to Manufacturing
- Four Reasons Why Students Should Seek Out More Apprenticeships
- Amatrol Products Part of Ashley Furniture's $3 Million Investment
- Join Us at ACTE VISION 2018 & See Smart Factory Training Systems In Action
- Four Reasons You Should Be Teaching IIoT & Smart Factory Technologies
- Industry-Standard Certifications Can Jump-Start or Fast-Track Your Career in Advanced Manufacturing
- Using eAssessment To Bridge the Skills Gap with Targeted Training
- How to Find Grant Funding for Technical Training
- Professional Conferences: How to Show a Solid Return on Investment
- Training Tomorrow’s Workforce Starts Today
- Makerspaces, Amatrol Work to Close the Skills Gap
- Four Tips on Introducing STEM to Young Learners
- Four Ways to Establish Ties with Local Community Colleges
- Guiding Students toward the In-Demand Skills & Roles of the Future
- Looking Ahead to Manufacturing Trends in 2019
- Where Are All the Highly-Skilled Workers?
- Could Automation Revive Manufacturing Apprenticeships?
- Dual Enrollment Programs Pave the Pathway to Career Success
- KY FAME’s 7 Steps to Solving the Manufacturing Skills Gap
- Amatrol Selected as a Finalist for SME Training Provider of the Year
- Amatrol Introduces the Portable Basic Hydraulics Learning System
- 'Operation Next' Arms Departing Service Members With Manufacturing Job Skills
- Amatrol Tours Available for SkillsUSA Visitors!
- Skill Boss Gains Positive Media Attention Ahead of Official Launch
- Visit Amatrol at ACTE CareerTech VISION 2017
- NIMS Endorses Amatrol's Multimedia Curricula for ITM Certification
- ATD 2016: Join Amatrol at Annual Conference in May
- NIMS Pilot New Industrial Technology Maintenance Credential
- Amatrol and GE Appliances support new lab for Bullitt County students
- Join Amatrol at SkillsUSA 2016 in June
- Companies Struggle to Find Employees with Basic Assembly Skills
- Amatrol's Robotics Camp Provides Hands-On STEM Skills
- STEM Dropout Rates and the Manufacturing Skills Gap
- Amatrol.com Adds Responsive Design for Mobile Devices
- Amatrol Hosts 350 Students for Manufacturing Day 2016
- Visit Amatrol at ACTE CareerTech VISION 2016
- Low-Cost, High-Skill Portable Simulators Can Help Workforce Shortage
- Machine Troubleshooting - A Vital But Shrinking Industry Skill
- Die Casting Career Opportunities for MSSC CPT Certificate Recipients
- Amatrol Expands In Jeffersonville, IN
- Visit Amatrol at ACTE’s CareerTech Vision 2015
- Amatrol Announces Tours for Manufacturing Day 2015
- Join Amatrol at NCPN's Annual Conference in Dallas, TX
- Local Students Tour Amatrol for National Manufacturing Day 2015
- Amatrol Learning Systems Showcased on PBS “News Hour”
- Thanks for Visiting Amatrol at ACTE 2015
- Amatrol's eLearning on Kindle Fire tablets!
- Amatrol eLearning and LMS now compatible on Windows tablets!
- President Barack Obama Commends CCAC's Job-Driven Training
- Amatrol Selected for President's "E" Award for Export Excellence
- Join Amatrol for Manufacturing Day on October 3rd, 2014!
- Walla Walla CC wins The Aspen Prize, cites Amatrol as "paramount equipment"
- Amatrol proudly introduces our new line of eBooks!
- Amatrol's New Portable Motor Control & Portable Motor AC Drive Learning Systems
What’s New
What Is Industry 4.0?
Nearly two decades into the twenty-first century, advanced technologies continue to drive change in every aspect of life, including how we work. Industries around the world can attest to the fact that changes are indeed afoot in the workplace. These changes are often summed up by a buzzword growing in popularity: Industry 4.0. But what… Learn More
Training the Future Workforce: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Those iconic words spoken by Dorothy upon her arrival in Oz perfectly summed up how she felt about being out of her comfort zone in a new, unfamiliar environment. Similar words might be spoken today by someone experiencing a modern advanced manufacturing facility for the… Learn More
STEM Education Holds the Key to Bridging the Skills Gap
Cutting-edge technologies, such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, continue to shape current and future jobs across a broad range of industries in ways that no one fully understands yet. Unfortunately, the skills of operators and technicians aren’t keeping pace with the demands of employers. Today, the demand for highly-skilled workers for a… Learn More
Technical Training & Certifications in Prison Systems Could Close Skills Gap
For approximately nine million incarcerated offenders annually, it is the moment they have been counting down toward – they day they’re released back into society. Oftentimes, it can be met with a wide range of emotion: excitement of reuniting with family and friends; relief of reacquiring freedom; and anxiety of what their next steps may… Learn More
Skills Training in Correctional Facilities: How Second Chances Could Help Close the Skills Gap
Employers all throughout industry face a human capital crisis that’s only going to get worse before it gets better. Thanks to a worldwide skills gap and record-low unemployment rates, companies find it increasingly difficult to hire the skilled workers they so desperately need. At the same time, there’s a large population of people who often… Learn More
Evolving CTE Programs Can Help Bridge the Skills Gap
What comes to mind when you hear the words “career and technical education”? Although familiar to most education professionals, those words don’t always ring a bell with others. Many students and parents, for example, are more familiar with terms like “vocational-technical program” or “trade school.” Today’s career and technical education (more commonly referred to as… Learn More
Training for the Future: How CPT and CPT+ Certifications Can Enrich Professional Development
Since its inception, the United States of America has earned the moniker “The Land of Opportunity.” More than 240 years after its founding, that saying still holds true – as long as you know where to look. Currently, the Advanced Manufacturing sector is facing a “skills gap”, meaning there aren’t enough qualified workers to fill… Learn More
NIMS Certifications Pave the Path to a Successful Career in Industry
If you’re looking for a job, look no further than the nearest advanced manufacturing facility. In today’s job market, that’s good advice because manufacturing is booming. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, manufacturers added 13,000 new jobs in January 2019. This continues the trend started in 2018. In total, manufacturers created 284,000 jobs in… Learn More
Teach Hands-On Smart Automation Skills in High School Using Amatrol’s Tabletop Smart Factory
High school administrators and career and technical education (CTE) teachers across the country know that preparing their students for the jobs of the future means embracing the new technologies shifting the manufacturing landscape. Cyber-physical systems are combining automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) to bring about a Fourth Industrial Revolution — often known as… Learn More
Amatrol to Showcase Industrial Technology Training Systems at ATX West
For the first time in the company’s 54-year history, Amatrol will attend ATX West (Booth #4394) to showcase a selection of the company’s portable troubleshooting devices, the state-of-the-art Skill Boss, eLearning curriculum and eAssessment software.
“Industry 4.0 Fundamentals” Sets the Deck for Student Success
When the Back to the Future trilogy debuted in 1985, it was met with great fanfare and adoration. It starred an immensely popular child-turned-adult actor (Michael J. Fox), featured one of the coolest movie cars of all time (DeLorean), and boasted a box office grossing of almost $417 million for the three films. Though the… Learn More
Are Your Students Prepared To Work in a Smart Factory?
What do you think of when you hear the words “factory job”? For many people, these words bring to mind images of masses of workers performing repetitive tasks on assembly lines in grimy environments. People with this mental image often assume that all factory jobs are low-skill jobs that don’t require much knowledge or preparation…. Learn More
Dual Enrollment Programs Pave the Pathway to Career Success
How do you prefer to communicate with family members, close friends, and co-workers? The options today are numerous: instant message, tweet, snap, text message, or even — if a non-emoji-enabled technology will have to do — a phone call. Of course, some people fondly remember the days of the landline and what a revolution it… Learn More
Could Automation Revive Manufacturing Apprenticeships?
“Robots are taking away our jobs!” This is the cry heard throughout industry by those who fear losing their jobs to robots and other automated systems. Yes, automation does tend to eliminate some low-skill jobs, but we need to move beyond the simplistic view that automation is nothing more than a job killer. In reality,… Learn More
Where Are All the Highly-Skilled Workers?
Now hiring! Help wanted! These are the signs of our times. While many Americans understand that the national economy has picked up steam and unemployment rates are at their lowest levels in decades, most remain unaware that the nation’s manufacturers are in the midst of a full-blown workforce crisis. Technology is rapidly transforming modern manufacturing,… Learn More
Looking Ahead to Manufacturing Trends in 2019
Take a bow, Manufacturing – you’re looking good! Over the past eight years, manufacturing created roughly 1.1 million jobs, bouncing back from the sector’s abyss experienced during the Great Recession. More recently, according to the Institute for Supply Management, 17 of the 18 major manufacturing industries have experienced growth, with overall production estimated to grow… Learn More
Guiding Students toward the In-Demand Skills & Roles of the Future
It’s the perennial question all kids face as they progress through school: what do you want to be when you grow up? The question takes on greater significance as kids turn into young adults in high school and beyond. For instructors and administrators, the task of guiding the students entrusted to them is more important… Learn More
Four Ways to Establish Ties with Local Community Colleges
In this article, a former high school educator shares four tips on establishing ties with local community colleges, and what benefits it can bring to the students, colleges, and employers. As recent as fall 2015, an estimated 6.9 million students, or roughly 38 percent of undergraduates, were enrolled in two-year (or less-than-two-year) community colleges, according… Learn More
Four Tips on Introducing STEM to Young Learners
In this article, a former high school educator shares four tips to help introduce your young learners to the fields of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Think back to your career dream as a six-year-old. Chances are the choices were rather straightforward: a firefighter, maybe a veterinarian, or even a sports star. The… Learn More
Makerspaces, Amatrol Work to Close the Skills Gap
Explore. Create. Connect. When the California Community Colleges launched their Maker Initiative in 2016 — a three-year, $17-million commitment — the goal was to think outside of the box regarding student education. The plan was simple: enable students to explore possible career paths, while still allowing them freedom to create, and hone, skills that they… Learn More
Training Tomorrow’s Workforce Starts Today
Science fiction fans have waited patiently for decades, eagerly anticipating the day when robots would take over the world. Fortunately, the “rise of the machines” predicted by the Terminator movies has not come to pass. Humans remain in control of Earth, but robots have established a firm foothold in certain areas of our lives. Modern… Learn More
Professional Conferences: How to Show a Solid Return on Investment
Does your organization regularly send its professionals to industry conferences, expositions, or trade shows? If so, you might not have much trouble getting approval for your next business trip to a conference. Unfortunately, many professionals find themselves breaking new ground within organizations that have never paid for employees to attend conferences. Acquiring funds to attend… Learn More
How to Find Grant Funding for Technical Training
The 2017 fiscal year was an important one in the field of grant writing. During that time, the Federal Government awarded over $700 billion in grants and cooperative agreements to small businesses across the country. Additionally, the completion of a Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act) pilot program helped to improve the… Learn More
Using eAssessment To Bridge the Skills Gap with Targeted Training
The robots are coming. Sounds like a tag line from an old sci-fi movie, doesn’t it? Fifty years ago, that statement might have struck fear into the heart of those waiting for an imminent attack by chrome-plated, voice-modulated humanoid machines. Thankfully, the far-fetched plots of those old sci-fi movies didn’t come to pass. Nevertheless, the… Learn More
Industry-Standard Certifications Can Jump-Start or Fast-Track Your Career in Advanced Manufacturing
A century ago, the term “factory job” meant a low-skill, low-pay job in a facility that was likely as dirty and gloomy as it was potentially-dangerous. Not something to aspire to, these jobs usually attracted only those unable or unwilling to seek higher education to pursue a different career path. Fast forward to today and… Learn More
Four Reasons You Should Be Teaching IIoT & Smart Factory Technologies
In the manufacturing world, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Smart Factory Technologies are the way of life – machines communicate with each other, proactively working through a variety of projects, as well as problems that may arise. Working hand-in-hand with those employees on the floor, these smart technologies increase production while keeping costs… Learn More
Join Us at ACTE VISION 2018 & See Smart Factory Training Systems In Action
Join Amatrol at the ACTE Career Tech VISION 2018 in San Antonio, Texas on November 29th and 30th. Come see us in booth #800 and check out of our new Smart Factory and Tabletop Smart Factory Learning Systems, Skill Boss, Portable Process Control Learning System, and more! More About Amatrol Learning Systems Featured at the… Learn More
Amatrol Products Part of Ashley Furniture’s $3 Million Investment
Ashley Furniture Press Release Ashley Furniture recently invested $3 million to provide technical training equipment and curriculum for four Wisconsin school districts. Ashley’s state-of-the-art Mobile Skills Laboratory features equipment from Amatrol, FANUC, Yaskawa, and SolidWorks to train students in electronics, manufacturing processes, automation, and robotics. Partnering with the Trempealeau Valley Cooperative, this Mobile Skills Laboratory… Learn More
Four Reasons Why Students Should Seek Out More Apprenticeships
In this article, a former high school educator shares four reasons why apprenticeships should be presented to students of all ages, and how they can prepare a student for the workforce better than a traditional college setting. Sometimes in life, the next logical step in an order of operations is a simple one. For example,… Learn More
Five Ways to Attract Millennials to Manufacturing
In this article, a former high school educator (and current Millennial) shares five ways to attract Millennials to your company, and the benefits their employment can bring to your business. Since they have been old enough to join the workforce, Millennials have received a bad rap. They’ve been labeled as lazy, entitled and impatient, with… Learn More
Austin Peay Becomes Second College to Offer Siemens Bachelor’s Degree
To read the full article from the Leaf Chronicle, click here. Starting in the fall of 2019, Austin Peay State University (APSU) will accomplish something only one other North American post-secondary institution has done: award a Bachelor’s-level Siemens Mechatronics System Certification Program. While several other community colleges offer certificates and Associate’s degrees for Mechatronics, only… Learn More
Bevill State CC introduces free CPT training program in Northern Alabama
To read the full article from The Daily Mountain Eagle, click here. Bevill State Community College recently announced it will kick-off a new automotive curriculum aimed at developing skills in the manufacturing industry around northern Alabama. Using Amatrol‘s world-class Learning Systems, including the state-of-the-art Skill Boss system, students will be able to receive Certified Production… Learn More
New State-of-the-Art Technology Center Opening in Central Louisiana
To read the full article from The Rapides Foundation, click here. Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) recently received a $4 million grant to “strengthen manufacturing training programs” in Central Louisiana and establish the Central Louisiana Manufacturing Technology Center in downtown Alexandria, Louisiana, which will house a state-of-the-art technical training program. This Center will feature… Learn More
Amatrol and MSSC Labor Day Gift to the Nation
Facing ‘skills gap’ in manufacturing workforce nationwide, Amatrol and MSSC partner up to release ‘CPT+ Skill Boss’, a new hands-on training and certification program JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA – Thanks to a partnership between two industry leaders, who believe in a hands-on approach to tackling a nationwide ‘skills gap’, the manufacturing workforce may soon see a boom… Learn More
Register Now for the National Career Development Summit
The Coalition for Career Development (CCD) is holding a National Career Development Summit in Washington D.C. on September 12th, 2018. Amatrol is one of the founding sponsors of the CCD and Amatrol CEO Paul Perkins will lead a session at the summit, as will Governors, Congressional leaders, prominent CEOs, and educators. If you’d like to… Learn More
Four Ways eAssessment Can Work for You
Employee training is essential, but let’s face it, every minute that a current or new employee sits in training, the work that you’ve hired them to do piles up. The best way to minimize the pain is to eliminate unneeded training and one way to accomplish this is through eAssessments. Here are four ways eAssessment… Learn More
National Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program Certifies First Apprentices in IN
National Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program Certifies First Apprentices in Indiana Amatrol became the first company in Indiana to graduate workers from Industrial Manufacturing Technician apprenticeships. In fact, three Amatrol employees – Beverly Garvin, Alyssa Wheatley, and Jessica Schafer – completed the apprenticeship program in March 2018. Three additional Amatrol employees are currently enrolled in the program… Learn More
We Can Solve the Technical Skills Gap! by Paul Perkins
This article originally appeared in a newsletter for the National Governor’s Association. It is being reprinted here with their permission. Where Will Technically-Skilled Workers Be Found to Ensure A Bright Economic Future? Sometimes too much of a good thing can bring about its own demise, and it seems we face the specter of that outcome… Learn More