Gardner Carrick

Gardner Carrick is the Chief Program Officer for The Manufacturing Institute, the non-profit affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers.  Mr. Carrick leads the Institute’s efforts to create a world class workforce for the U.S. manufacturing sector.  He oversees all of the MI’s program activities, including the Institute’s FAME education program, Heroes MAKE America program, Women MAKE America team and workforce initiatives. As a widely respected resource and advisor across the workforce development ecosystem, he is also creating a new national recognition program for the industry-based credentials used in most manufacturing education programs.  And, he is leading a public-private partnership to determine the outcomes of manufacturing education programs and develop solutions to improve their results.

Previously, Mr. Carrick led the Institute’s research activities including partnerships with internationally recognized consulting firms to produce a regular series of reports on the U.S. manufacturing sector.  This included the Skills Gap series in partnership with Deloitte that first identified the talent shortage that manufacturers are now facing.  He also led the Institute’s military-to-manufacturing program to support transitioning service personnel.

Prior to joining the Institute, Mr. Carrick worked at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration where he served as the Communications Director, Chief Speechwriter, and Special Projects Director for the agency.  He began his career at a consulting firm serving federal and state government clients focused on education and workforce development programs.