Plex Systems Helps Close the Manufacturing Workforce Skills Gap with $40,000 Donation to FIRST®

Plex Systems is helping prepare the next generation of manufacturing leaders through a $40,000 donation to the FIRST® organization to advance education, skills development, and career mentorship. Learn more.

DETROIT, May 15, 2019 – Plex Systems, the leader in cloud ERP and MES for manufacturing, today announced it is helping prepare the next generation of manufacturing leaders through a $40,000 donation to the FIRST® organization to advance education, skills development, and career mentorship. The check was presented on-stage to inventor, entrepreneur, STEM advocate, and keynote speaker Dean Kamen at PowerPlex 2019, the world’s largest gathering of manufacturing cloud professionals.

“Finding skilled workers and filling open jobs is the number one threat to the manufacturing industry’s growth and ability to meet customer demand,” said Bill Berutti, CEO of Plex Systems. “In support of our customers and the broader industry, we’re proud to meaningfully invest in an organization that has a successful track record of creating STEM enthusiasts and exposing the myriad science and technology careers manufacturers offer.”

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), is an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use, and enjoy science and technology through exciting robotics competitions.

“More than 570,000 students in over 100 countries participated in FIRST programs this past season, but this only represents a fraction of the students who could benefit from being involved,” said FIRST president Don Bossi. “FIRST will use Plex’s investment to provide more schools and students access to these life-changing programs.”

FIRST programs include the FIRST Robotics Competition, a rigorous STEM-learning program for high school students. Both students and their mentors shared their FIRST experiences and creations with PowerPlex’s 1,000 attendees.