Robotics for Young Adults: A Resource Guide to Kickstart Your Educational and Early Career Pathways

Oliver Perez got interested in robotics when he was a boy. “As a kid I always thought of creating bots [like in the movies and video games] not to take over the world but to make people’s lives easier,” he says. Now approaching his 20s, Perez is working toward achieving that dream by studying mechatronics and related subjects at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, Virginia. While Perez did consider a traditional college degree, the prospect of going into debt kept him awake at night. 

In one of the courses Perez takes, he has learned to use robot arms from FANUC to simulate real-world experiences at a smaller scale and safer speeds. 

Filling a Critical Talent Void

Perez’s work with FANUC robot arms in his community college lab increasingly reflects an industry-education model that is helping staff the next generation of robotics technicians. Companies like FANUC and ABB, among others, offer in-house training programs and other opportunities to improve robot literacy among eager young adults who want to consider a pathway to a profession in the field. (See sidebar 2 for program pathways to robotics.)

Such collaborations are sorely needed, especially as the U.S. manufacturing sector is staring at a substantial shortage of skilled labor, with a potential shortfall of 1.9 to 2.1 million manufacturing jobs by 2030, according to The National Association of Manufacturers. The nearshoring of manufacturing in all segments, including in the semiconductor industry, is only going to accelerate demand for qualified technicians, says Craig McAtee, CEO and executive director at the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC). The coalition is a network of higher education and industry-led resources that promotes the use of advanced technology to enhance economic and workforce development. It also acts as a catalyst for collaboration between higher education, industry, and government to advance workforce development programs and initiatives. 

The Industry Ingredient

“By engaging students early and providing hands-on learning opportunities, ABB is helping to build a strong pipeline of skilled, job-ready talent. ABB’s investment in education, training programs, and strategic partnerships helps bridge the skills gap — preparing a diverse, capable workforce equipped with the real-world experience and certifications needed to thrive in robotics and related fields,” says Christelle Keefer, global business development manager – GI-Education, for ABB.

Among the many pathways to robotics that ABB delivers: The company donates RobotStudio offline programming and simulation software licenses to schools and universities worldwide to support hands-on, experiential learning. The company also offers specialized training programs, workshops, and educational resources designed for both students and educators.

Students gain hands-on experience using industry-standard tools and technologies. They also benefit from increased confidence through real-world problem-solving and opportunities to network with industry professionals and potential employers, Keefer says. In return ABB accesses a talent pipeline of individuals already trained on ABB systems and solutions. It’s also able to nurture stronger partnerships with educational institutions and training providers.

The Industry-Education Partnership

Stronger partnerships are exactly what the NCATC is looking to nurture by encouraging community colleges to teach to industry talent needs. Its coalition includes 170+ community colleges and over 50 corporate strategic partner members. 

“The bottom line is that companies in the 21st century are looking for young adults with skills that can translate to the job. They are less apt to worry about a degree,” McAtee says. Especially at a time when technology is evolving so rapidly, community colleges are demonstrating agility by going the route of skills-based education and applied learning and coupling it with industry-recognized credentials, McAtee adds.

How does the model work? “We have developed a 21st century advisory committee where we have a value proposition that industry and colleges actually sign off on,” McAtee says. Representatives from each side of the fence review the knowledge and skills for a particular vocational program and decide what needs to stay or change. “The faculty’s job is to take all that feedback every year and crosswalk it with the existing curriculum, taking out things that are no longer needed and adding things that are,” McAtee says. Industry advises colleges about trends on the horizon so colleges have time to prepare. 

Getting the education young adults need is a matter of balancing requirements on a three-legged stool, with industry, educators, and government (which can facilitate grants) forming the three pillars. 

The Educator Side of the Equation

In 2024, Danny Murphy won A3’s Educator of the Year award, which celebrates those who demonstrate remarkable dedication, innovative teaching methods, and leadership in advancing automation education. Through his LinkedIn videos, Danny provides a view into his creative teaching style, highlighting students engaged in fun and educational robotics-related activities.

Danny recalls a rewarding experience early on, when an area employer chanced upon a video and asked to hire a featured student. “Ever since then, once or twice a week, I've been trying to post shorts of my class or encouraging my students to post reels themselves. We can use social media as a tool to generate this incredible collaborative and inspirational power. I love to be able to take that power and use it to promote my students,” Murphy says.

Meaningful educational goals are limited by the availability of funding, Murphy says. "It’s not easy to keep up with developing technology.  Educators are stuck: ‘Do you sacrifice lab for lecture because it's cheaper? Do you use the 20-year-old, irrelevant equipment that's in the back of the closet?’ Fortunately, some of the more forward-thinking industry partners are stepping up to say, ‘We're willing to partner to supply you with the equipment necessary to keep up with emerging technology.' This is everything to the educator. Without that collaboration, you're stuck choosing which essential skills to sacrifice in the training of technical workers our economy depends on,” Murphy says.

His advice to fellow educators: “You've got to stay current, but not just in the classroom. Partner with industry. Actually employ new technology in real projects and designs. When we try and fail to make this stuff work, that's when we learn the valuable experiences worth sharing with our students. We empower them through our own failures and partial successes.”

“You have to get over the idea that you can do it all alone," Danny insists. "Partner with other educators and industry in a way that you can do something that's bigger than you are."

As for students, “You have to really do your due diligence to see if the institution is putting out a good product. Talk to students who are going through a training program or to graduates to see what’s really going on out there,” says Ritch Ramey, director of education for the Association for Advancing Automation.

The pathway to robotics looks rewarding in the years ahead. “Robotics is an exciting and fast-evolving field that combines engineering, computer science, and creative problem-solving to tackle real-world challenges. It offers strong career growth, job security, and the chance to work with advanced technologies that are shaping the future. Whether it’s by revolutionizing healthcare, transforming manufacturing, architecture, and construction, exploring space, or advancing sustainability, professionals in robotics are at the forefront of innovation across many industries,” Keefer says.

And Oliver Perez hopes to be right alongside such leading professionals in the field.