Foundations and Companies Give Money to Worker Training

Big U.S. manufacturing companies, concerned about replenishing their work forces when the baby boomers retire, are pouring millions of dollars into educational efforts and increasingly hoping to shape curricula, according to The Wall Street Journal.

They have been joined by several foundations that also focus on improving education.

Much of the education push is to improve math and science skills of young Americans to prepare the next generation of engineers and manufacturing workers.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and manufacturing companies are working together to develop standard community-college curricula for teaching industrial skills such as welding and cutting plastic. Another major effort is the National Math and Science Initiative, a teacher-training project to which corporations, foundations, and the government have committed $163-million.

Some efforts are smaller. The James Dyson Foundation, started by the founder of the Dyson vacuum-cleaner company, plans to sponsor after-school engineering clubs at 20 Chicago middle schools.

Students will undertake activities like taking apart a vacuum cleaner and turning it into another contraption. “Learning from failure gives you a far deeper learning experience,” Mr. Dyson said.