Retooling the American Dream episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 18, 2025 · 36 MIN

Retooling the American Dream

from Optimistic Outlook · host Siemens USA

Is the American Dream still Made in America?   A renewed surge of interest in U.S. manufacturing has revealed a huge challenge. There are hundreds of thousands of vacant positions and a labor force that lacks the necessary skills to fill them. While many label it a crisis, Carolyn Lee, president of The Manufacturing Institute sees an opportunity.  In this episode Carolyn sits down with guest host David Etzwiler to share an upbeat, down‑to‑earth vision of a manufacturing sector that could fuel growth and generate huge new opportunities. At the core of her mission is one thing: to remake the way talent is trained and primed for careers in industrial manufacturing. Carolyn shares some of the Manufacturing Institute’s groundbreaking initiatives built to upskill today’s employees while igniting the interest of the workers of tomorrow. Through this conversation, you will discover a range of groundbreaking strategies that are reshaping the manufacturing workforce. Carolyn also examines how emerging technologies such as AI and automation, rather than posing threats, will actually create more jobs. This episode is about the future of manufacturing, the future of work, and how the American Dream will be reshaped in the coming years.  Whether you’re a business leader, a policymaker, an educator or simply someone with a stake in our economy’s future, this an episode you won’t want to miss.   Show notes More about the Siemens Foundation More about The Manufacturing Institute

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Nov 18, 2025

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Retooling the American Dream

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