Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Effort to Designate “Manufacturing Universities”
Legislation endorsed by UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee would bolster schools’ focus on advanced manufacturing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) to introduce bipartisan legislation to help schools strengthen their engineering programs and meet the growing demands of 21st century manufacturing. The bill would designate 25 universities as “Manufacturing Universities” and provide incentives to better align educational offerings with the needs of modern manufacturers. The incentives would be used to bolster universities’ efforts to focus on manufacturing engineering and curricula specifically related to targeted industries. The legislation is endorsed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The Manufacturing Universities Act of 2015 would establish a program within the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) charged with designating 25 schools as ‘Manufacturing Universities.’ Designated schools would receive $5 million per year for four years to meet specific goals, including focusing engineering programs on manufacturing, building new partnerships with manufacturing firms, growing training opportunities, and fostering manufacturing entrepreneurship. The program would be run by the Director of the NIST, in coordination with the Secretaries of Defense and Energy, and the Director of the National Science Foundation, among others.
“As the demand for a highly skilled workforce continues to grow, I’m proud to support bipartisan legislation that ensures our universities offer courses that will help prepare students for our 21st century Made in Wisconsin manufacturing economy,” said Senator Baldwin. “In Wisconsin, we can create stronger economic growth and shared prosperity for our state if we make investments in higher education and advanced manufacturing. This bipartisan legislation will give students the ability to carry on our Wisconsin tradition of making things and help us build a stronger middle class in Wisconsin and America.” [AUDIO here]
“UWM has a long history of working with manufacturers throughout the state, helping them to stay competitive in our global economy,” said Vice Chancellor Tom Luljak, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee University Relations and Communications. “In particular, our efforts around advanced manufacturing, new lightweight materials and energy storage systems have benefited Wisconsin industries. We thank Senator Baldwin for her leadership in advancing UW-Milwaukee’s ability to continue our strong partnerships with the industries that are such a crucial part of Wisconsin’s economy.”
This bipartisan legislation has been endorsed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the Precision Metalforming Association, the National Tooling & Machining Association, the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Clemson University, University of South Carolina, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Drexel University, the University of Missouri System, the University of Illinois, the University of California, Davis, the University of California, Irvine, Boston University, the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, the State University of New York (SUNY) System, Kent State University, Dow, DuPont, and Siemens.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Baldwin, Vance Bipartisan Bill to Ensure Taxpayer-Funded Inventions Are Made in America Passes Senate
Dec 4th, 2024 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinInvent Here, Make Here Act expands Baldwin-championed requirements to manufacture cutting-edge technologies in the U.S.
Baldwin Secures Big Wins for Wisconsin Agriculture and Rural Communities in Senate Farm Bill
Dec 3rd, 2024 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinBaldwin calls on Congress to pass five-year Farm Bill, give farmers, small businesses, and families certainty and support