Workforce Development

Frankfurt am Main – October 29, 2026 -- Agile Heroes GmbH plans to offer its AI training courses to companies eligible for state funding, with subsidies covering up to 100 percent of course costs and up to 75 percent of wage costs during training. The offer depends on a certification the company has yet to complete.

Employment agency funding can cover up to 100% of course fees

Funding is available through the Agentur für Arbeit under rules on employee qualification, expanded by the Qualifizierungschancengesetz. Depending on company size and individual circumstances, course costs can be covered partly or fully. Employers can also receive wage subsidies of up to 75 percent for the target group addressed, under the relevant conditions.

Tuscaloosa – October 29, 2026 -- U.S. construction and agricultural equipment dealers face a shortage of 10,000 technicians per year, costing them $7 billion annually in lost business and hindered growth, according to a report by Randall Reilly in partnership with the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation.

Canadian dealers lose more than $800 million a year to a 1,200-technician gap

A companion report produced by Randall Reilly for the Canada Equipment Dealers Foundation and AED found Canadian ag and construction dealers are short more than 1,200 technicians each year. The gap costs them more than $800 million in lost revenue annually.

Majority of dealers cannot meet customer demand

Seventy-five percent of U.S. dealers and 80% of Canadian dealers rate their difficulty hiring technicians at 4 or higher on a 5-point scale. As a result, 80% of U.S. dealers and 78% of Canadian dealers say they cannot meet customer demand.

CHEYENNE – October 29, 2026 -- Bechtel has committed $1 million to Laramie County Community College (LCCC) and Western Wyoming College to expand electrical and pipefitting training, including a pipefitting pathway that is new to Wyoming higher education. The company also launched Build for More, a statewide campaign that pitches skilled trades as a first-choice career for Wyoming students.

The funding will cover curriculum, instructors, equipment and training facilities at both institutions. The expanded electrical training will let more participants complete their programs in-state.

Bechtel announced the package at a panel discussion at LCCC in Cheyenne with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, LCCC President Dr. Joe Schaffer and Bechtel Senior Vice President Walker Kimball. The Wyoming Innovation Partnership and the Wyoming Business Alliance co-hosted the event. The partnership was developed with support from the Governor's office.

Camden – October 29, 2026 -- New Jersey American Water graduated 10 participants from the 2026 Water UP! cohort, bringing the total to 61 graduates since the workforce development program launched in 2021. The ceremony took place at the company's Camden headquarters, with families, community partners and employees attending.

Ten-week curriculum combines classroom work with field training

Participants spend 10 weeks in classroom instruction, professional development, field experiences and hands-on training. The curriculum covers financial literacy, customer service, leadership development, OSHA training and utility operations.

Graduate Mia Morales, a Hopeworks alumna, said the program taught her to change water meters and repair water main breaks, and gave her practice in networking, resume writing and delivering an elevator pitch.

Manila – October 29, 2026 -- Two cadets sponsored by Teekay and the TK Foundation at Saint Joseph Institute of Technology (SJIT) Maritime Academy were named among the finalists for the Ten Outstanding Maritime Students of the Philippines (TOMSP). The field was drawn from approximately 50 nominees endorsed by 26 maritime institutions nationwide.

Judges cut the TOMSP field to 20 finalists, including two Teekay-backed cadets

A panel of TOMSP judges ran a screening and evaluation process, and only 20 students advanced as finalists. SJIT's Deck Cadet Christine Tenio and Deck Cadet Kim Japhet Amarille, both in their third year of studies, were among them. Teekay said the selection reflected the cadets' academic performance, leadership potential, character and commitment to the maritime profession.

Teekay described the result as evidence that its scholarship and development initiatives are delivering.

OCONOMOWOC – October 29, 2026 -- Liberty Systems, a maker of on-site nitrogen generation and compressed air systems, is more than doubling its production capacity from three bays to seven by moving its headquarters and production from Waukesha, Wis., to a 100,000-square-foot facility in Oconomowoc.

The new site is three times the footprint of the company's current corporate office and production space. The company expects to complete the move by the end of October 2026.

Liberty Systems adds up to nine jobs to its 80-person workforce

The hiring plan includes three production hires and four to six assemblers and technicians. Liberty Systems currently employs 80 people.

The facility sits on 5.48 acres and includes 23,500 square feet of office space and eight loading docks.

RALEIGH – October 29, 2026 -- Syngenta awarded five college students $2,000 each, $10,000 in total, through the new Durastak Traits of Tomorrow Scholarship, a program aimed at building the talent pipeline for agriculture and STEM careers.

Five students from Midwest universities win the inaugural 2026 awards

The winners are Sophia Barnum (Michigan State University, Crop and Soil Sciences), Braydon Binger (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Agronomy), Kaarina Dunn (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Environmental Sciences and Agroecology), Ethan Fisher (Kansas State University, Biological Systems Engineering) and Calvin Myers (Purdue University, Agribusiness Management).

Chicago – October 29, 2026 -- Crash Champions raised $300,000 in September to seed Champion It Forward, a new independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit aimed at a collision repair labor shortage in which more than 55% of auto body repair technician roles are unfilled.

Industry data puts collision repair demand at nearly 100,000 technicians over five years

The workforce gap is the organization's founding premise. According to the latest industry data cited by the group, the sector needs nearly 100,000 technicians over the next five years. Champion It Forward plans to widen career pathways, expand mentorship and provide financial support for aspiring technicians.

Villeneuve – October 29, 2026 -- Volatus Aerospace has added Maria Romero Abella, an aviation professional with about 10 years of experience, as Rotor Wing Technician and Pilot at its Villeneuve, Alberta, operations. She joined in March 2026.

Romero Abella moves from aviation support roles into helicopter operations

Romero Abella says her decade in aviation spanned several roles before developing into flying and helicopters. She cites the versatility of the helicopter and its wide range of applications as the draw.

At Volatus, she is building her flight experience through operational work rather than hour-building alone. In her words, every flight has a purpose beyond logging hours.

New York – October 28, 2026 -- More than 90% of procurement leaders say skills shortfalls are already limiting their ability to deliver on business objectives, and 66% say their training budget is insufficient, according to new Procurious research.

Almost 60% of procurement teams have no formal skills framework

The report, The Procurement Skills and Training Gap, finds that almost 60% of respondents have no formal procurement capability or skills framework. More than half lack either the budget or the time and resources to develop and maintain training programs.

Where development opportunities exist, 52% of respondents say they do not actively participate because of workload.

Forty percent of teams have no defined per-employee training budget

Nine percent of respondents invest nothing per employee in training. Asked what the right spend would be, 36% say $2,000 or more, and a further 21% say between $1,500 and $2,000.