FANUC To Support Next Generation of Skilled Workers With $1 Million in Scholarships

FANUC has created a $1 million scholarship fund to encourage students to pursue education and careers in advanced manufacturing. The endowed scholarship will supply $50,000 yearly to students interested in manufacturing and automation career paths and will be administered through the SME Education Foundation. This $1 million in scholarship funding will be awarded over the next four years.

The Automation Endowed Scholarship Fund will provide $50,000 in yearly scholarships to students pursuing careers in the United States and Canada. Image used courtesy of FANUC

The Automation Endowed Scholarship Fund

Since 2019, the SME Education Foundation has distributed over $20 million in funds to students and educational facilities to create stronger pathways from the classroom to the manufacturing industries. In this time, they have served over 12,000 students, including those from underrepresented populations. The SME Education Foundation has over 60 distinct programs and provides both need and merit-based awards. Depending on the specific scholarship, some are one-time awards, and others are renewable if forward progress criteria are met. 

The FANUC Automation Endowed Scholarship Fund is the biggest automation scholarship in SME Education Foundation’s history. As an endowed scholarship, students will receive a minimum of $50,000 every year through the length of their program. Students are eligible for the scholarship if they are pursuing a career in advanced manufacturing and industrial automation in the United States and Canada. Both two-year and four-year degree-seeking students can apply. 

FANUC’s scholarship fund aims to build a new generation of skilled workers in manufacturing and industrial automation. Image used courtesy of FANUC

Bridging the Skills Gap

FANUC’s most recent plant expansion represented $110 million in investment and required 400 skilled laborers, highlighting the company’s need for a trained workforce now and in the future. According to FANUC America’s Executive Director of Education, Paul Aiello, however, it is estimated that by 2030, there will be over two million unfilled jobs in the manufacturing and automation sectors. There continues to be a growing gap in skilled labor as baby boomers and generation X retire. FANUC, with the help of the SME Education Foundation, aims to bridge this gap between generations and fill the positions required in current and future workforces. 

While this is the largest automation-focused scholarship awarded by the SME Education Foundation, it is by no means the only educational initiative FANUC has funded. The company also has its own educational and training programs to teach students how to use FANUC hardware and software and to learn basic concepts in automation. FANUC even develops products for schools and has its own certification process to mark learning achievements.

A room full of FANUC robots undergo tooling upgrades before the Fall semester of a college program in Modesto, CA. Image used courtesy of the Control Automation engineering team

How to Apply

The SME Education Foundation will make the 2025-2026 school year application available beginning November 1. Students interested in automation, mechatronics, industrial engineering, and similar disciplines are encouraged to apply. For more information on this scholarship and other educational opportunities, visit the SME Education Foundation website.