Working to Close the Technical Skills Gap

Cummins and other employers around the world are experiencing critical shortages of skilled technical workers. Today, young people in our communities lack employable skills, including technical and language skills, as well as problem solving, analysis and the proper attitudes for success.

At the same time, unskilled jobs are disappearing and rising levels of unemployment and poverty are causing individual and community hardship. Young people who receive no skills training, or who are trained for jobs that are not in demand in their communities, frequently drop out of school and the workforce and into poverty. These gaps have created significant pressures not only on those trying to support their families, but also on the very economic stability of the communities where they live.

Cummins’ Technical Education for Communities (TEC) program is a Corporate Responsibility initiative dedicated to closing the technical skills gap. Through TEC, Cummins is working to address the skills gap by providing a standardized education platform to help education partners develop market-relevant curriculum, teacher training, career guidance and practical work experiences needed by students. TEC partners with business, government and community organizations to increase access to good jobs and develop a stronger employment base in communities across the globe.

“Education that addresses the skills gap helps employers, but also improves the quality of life in Cummins communities because more people can access quality jobs with good wages,” said Mary Chandler, Executive Director of Corporate Responsibility. “Ultimately, TEC is helping to create stronger communities by building a locally capable and knowledgeable workforce.”

Since launching in 2012, TEC has added sites where there is a community need and built programs that help students get good jobs. There are currently 13 TEC schools across Turkey, Morocco, Nigeria, India, China, Australia, Brazil, Peru and Saudi Arabia.

The first class of TEC students will graduate from schools in Turkey, Nigeria and Morocco in the spring of 2016. This past summer, 107 students from TEC schools in Nigeria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Chongqing, China participated in internships provided by industry partners and Cummins. Graduates will be hired by TEC industry partners and the industry at large. In addition to hiring graduates, partners also provide equipment, curriculum and workplace learning opportunities.

If you are interested in learning more about TEC, visit the Cummins TEC website.