UT Expands AI Workforce Training for Tennessee Manufacturers
The University of Tennessee is expanding workforce development opportunities for Tennessee manufacturers through a new partnership between the UT Knoxville College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) and the UT Institute for Public Service’s Center for Industrial Services (CIS). The partnership combines CECS’s expertise in emerging technology education with CIS’s statewide industry relationships and manufacturing expertise.
The first initiative under the partnership is the AI in Manufacturing Workforce Certificate, a 16-week program designed to help manufacturing professionals understand how artificial intelligence can support their work, improve processes and strengthen decision-making.
The certificate grew out of a successful workforce pilot developed by CECS and CIS in collaboration with DENSO. The pilot brought together CECS faculty, CIS advanced manufacturing consultants and DENSO manufacturing leaders to provide employees with practical, manufacturing-focused AI training. The new certificate expands that training opportunity to manufacturers across Tennessee.
Participants learn through manufacturing-focused case studies, hands-on activities and team projects centered on real-world applications. The program explores AI fundamentals and practical uses of the technology in manufacturing, helping employees identify where AI can complement their knowledge and experience and create value within their organizations.
The certificate is part of a broader CECS-CIS partnership aimed at helping Tennessee employers respond to changing workforce needs. Future efforts are expected to include training in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science, along with customized corporate training, open-enrollment programs and stackable credentials.
The AI in Manufacturing Workforce Certificate is now accepting participants, with the next cohort beginning Oct. 1, 2026.
Learn more and enroll: AI in Manufacturing Workforce Certificate