by Gary Mintchell | Mar 24, 2026 | Education, Workforce
The press release was tempting—a survey showed the most sought skills among manufacturing people. But…I’d never heard of the company called Wiingy. I wondered, who are Wiingy and how did they execute the survey?
Turns out the company is a marketplace for tutors for myriad subjects. It’s an interesting place to check out.
The study draws from over 6.7 million monthly searches from Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs, showing strong learning intent across beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Technology leads the way, making up 33% of total searches, with high interest in skills like Python, AI, and Data Science. Yet, there’s also a growing pursuit of personal and creative skills like piano, swimming, and cooking. Together, these trends show that Americans are not just chasing career growth; they’re seeking balance between professional advancement and personal fulfillment in an evolving, skills-driven world.
The 25 Most-Learned Skills in America: A Data-Driven Report on the Future of Education (2025) By Wiingy Research Team.
It’s almost like Covid redux—the top searched skill was cooking.
Relevant to manufacturing, the top searched skills were:
- Project Management
- AI
- Cybersecurity
- Python
- AI Tools
- Data Science
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by Gary Mintchell | Mar 18, 2026 | Education, Robots, Workforce
Here’s a free learning event in Reno concerning the value of robotics for expanding your manufacturing productivity.
As Northern Nevada’s manufacturing sector continues its rapid expansion, the region’s employers are confronting a growing challenge: a labor market that has nearly run out of slack. OnRobot will host the “Build your Automation Roadmap” event in Reno on April 9th, bringing practical automation solutions directly to the region’s manufacturing community.
The free, in-person event is designed for manufacturers in sectors such as metal fabrication, CNC machining, electronics, aerospace, food & beverage, and industrial equipment manufacturing – industries that form the backbone of the Reno manufacturing economy and are among the hardest hit by ongoing labor shortages.
Event Snapshot:
Build Your Automation Roadmap: Industrial Robots + Tooling
A hands-on event featuring live FANUC robot demonstrations, expert-led workshops, and real-world automation use cases.
April 9th, 2026, 12:00pm–4:00pm PT
Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 East 2nd St, Reno, NV
Northern Nevada’s manufacturing sector has grown faster than its available workforce can keep pace with unemployment rates at just 4.0%, near the lowest levels on record – leaving manufacturers with a shrinking pool of available workers even as industrial demand continues to grow.
A recent report from the University of Nevada, Reno, commissioned by the Nevada Office of Workforce Innovation, identified workforce gaps across every regional economic development authority in the state, with fabricated metal manufacturing, precision machining, and electronics among the most acutely affected sectors in the Reno area.
“Northern Nevada has become one of the most dynamic manufacturing regions in the country, but that growth is creating real pressure on employers who simply can’t hire fast enough to keep up,” said Kristian Hulgard, General Manager, Americas, at OnRobot. “Automation isn’t a future consideration for manufacturers here, it’s an immediate operational need. This event is about giving the region’s manufacturers a clear, practical path forward.”
At the event, attendees will see live demonstrations of FANUC robots equipped with OnRobot end-of-arm tooling for common applications such as machine tending, material handling, assembly, packaging, and quality inspection. Automation experts, that help manufacturers move from curiosity to confident implementation, will be on hand to share real-world experience in robotics, tooling, and integration.
Featured Speakers and Sessions:
Kristian Hulgard, General Manager, Americas, OnRobot – Opening keynote on macrotrends affecting U.S. automation growth, why adoption is accelerating across manufacturing, and what it means for Nevada operations.
Brian La Plante, District Manager, FANUC America – Live demonstrations of FANUC robots, identifying the practical approach to the automation journey.
Marc Magarin, President and Co-Founder, Nevatio Engineering – Learn how the right components, sourcing strategy, and distribution support keep automation projects on track.
Registration incl. lunch is free, but space is limited.
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by Gary Mintchell | Feb 23, 2026 | Automation, Education
Check out these short stories about applications of automation. As I’ve written for decades, automation is not all about replacing jobs but in enhancing the ability of humans to solve problems.
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) announced the launch of Age of Automation, a global advertisement feature series presented by A3 and produced by BBC StoryWorks that explores how automation is transforming industries and improving lives around the world. The series features original films and articles highlighting organizations using automation to address real-world challenges.
Through compelling, human-centered storytelling, Age of Automation examines how automation technologies are being harnessed to expand access to healthcare, enhance education, strengthen disaster response, and build more resilient industries. The series brings together stories from leading global organizations working at the intersection of innovation and impact.
“Automation is often discussed in terms of productivity and efficiency, but at its core, it’s about people,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of A3. “This series highlights how automation augments human capability: improving patient care, expanding educational access, strengthening safety, and empowering the next generation of innovators.”
Produced by BBC StoryWorks, the commercial content studio of BBC Studios, the series spans multiple continents and industries.
A3’s episode focuses on young innovators participating in robotics competitions, showcasing how hands-on automation experiences are helping teens redefine the future of technology and workforce development.
Additional episodes spotlight organizations including Mayo Clinic, Google, Cisco, Daifuku, Komatsu, Toyota Mobility Foundation, Cimcorp Group, and Avnet.
Automation Stories, Human Stories
The series explores how automation has evolved from a foundational industrial tool to an embedded force shaping modern life. With global populations growing and demands shifting, automation technologies are increasingly being deployed to address healthcare access, educational equity, disaster resilience, mining safety, and supply chain efficiency.
Each short film presents a community-centered story — from AI-enabled learning for deaf students to autonomous mining trucks designed to improve safety, to robotic mobility systems helping a child take his first steps.
“Technology develops in layers, and automation is one of the most powerful enablers of human progress,” Burnstein added. “By presenting this series with BBC StoryWorks, we’re able to showcase authentic stories that demonstrate how automation is improving lives in tangible, measurable ways.”
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 29, 2025 | Asset Performance Management, Data Management, Education, News
I find it sort of amazing that the head of product development at the manufacturing company where I was working in a position sort of like a combination of manufacturing engineering and materials management plucked me out of the factory to assume a role a manager of data.
That was 1976. The problems I attempted to solve 50 years ago are the same problems (albeit on a much larger scale) that executives face today. Multiple silos of proprietary data. Insufficient insight into the company’s operational health. Buried risks to enterprise decision-making.
Next week (Nov. 5-6), Texas A&M Department of Construction Science ADIF Working Group hosts its 2nd ADIF workshop.
ADIF (Asset Data Interoperability Framework) working group is a dedicated research group of industry experts and academia that is committed to fostering open, vendor-neutral, and standards-based solutions for achieving data and systems interoperability for assets intensive industries.
I will be in College Station next week to moderate a panel discussion on standards—perhaps discussing how so many standards can work together. The panel includes luminaries Markus Stumptner, University South Australia, Alan Johnston, MIMOSA, Micheal Wiedau and Reiner Meyer-Rossl, DEXPI, Peter Townson, CHIFOS, and Chris Monchinski, ISA 95.
There is still time to register and come. I will probably have some live reports for those who cannot make it.
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by Gary Mintchell | Oct 29, 2025 | Education, Leadership, Personal Development
Observing the growing diversity of genders and races at engineering conferences over the past 20 years has been gratifying. I’ve been a “perp” at times over the years. When I had leadership responsibilities, I promoted unlikely people into strategic roles looking at their skill sets and social maturity. I had a female project manager and a sales engineer in the 1980s when many men were uncomfortable with that. They were good.
Melinda French Gates (Bill’s ex) recently appeared on a podcast. While celebrating the advances women have made, she noted the importance of bringing men along. I applaud the setting aside of an “us vs. them” mentality. I’m with Martin Luther King, Jr. when he asked that we judge people by the strength of their character, not by external factors.
I have watched for years how some boys and men have not been brought along with the progress of women, people of color, and privileged white men. I would see the woman of the family driving the car, going into the bank to do business, running other errands, while the guy sits slumped in the car playing a video game.
Sometimes parents have not been a help. Sometimes no coach or teacher or neighbor has come forward to offer guidance. They’ve heard that if you don’t go to college, you’re nothing. And their talents are not in that direction.
My last podcast discussed building a workplace that respects people. We need to help bring everyone along for the ride. We cannot sit back and expect other to do this.
If not privileged or exceptionally bright, what next
Tim Ferriss writing about Scott Galloway on his blog discusses disturbing statistics about young (and a little older now) men. They need guidance. OK, maybe sometimes a metaphorical kick in the pants. Check out Tim’s post and the discussion about Galloway’s new book.
What can we do either individually or through business to help bring these disaffected people along—all the while not forgetting to enable everyone?
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by Gary Mintchell | May 20, 2025 | Education
Seth Godin asks more questions. He shares my passion for moving beyond the industrial organization of education into something more useful for the students—and also more inclusive of some who are ignored by the system that rewards memorizing and sitting quietly.
My grandkids go to a highly rated high school in the Chicago suburbs. My granddaughter showed creativity in projects (especially she and her brother during Covid) around middle school age. As a sophomore, I suggested she take the offered creative writing class for a semester. Turns out the teacher was terrible. They turned out no worthwhile work.
Most kids fail to be enthralled by science due to adherence to some far-off developed curriculum. When science is all about curiosity and discovery. And math and English should both be about learning to think. (One does not think to write, rather we write to think.)
From Seth’s blog:
Let’s get rid of science class in school.
Instead, beginning in kindergarten, we could devote a class to curiosity and explanation.
A class that persistently and consistently teaches kids to ask why and to answer how.
The unacceptable single-word answers are “because” and “magic.”
Curiosity is a skill, and it can be taught.
