SmartStart USA sets a one-million-person target for future manufacturing jobs

What happened

During the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, SmartStart USA was launched with a target of preparing one million young people by 2035 for future-ready roles in manufacturing and supply chains.

The initiative placed vocational and technical pathways alongside the wider Davos debate about artificial intelligence, automation and labour-market disruption. Its focus was not simply on predicting which jobs may disappear, but on building entry routes into occupations that advanced industry will continue to need.

Why it mattered

Industrial investment cannot scale if employers cannot find technicians, operators and supply-chain specialists with relevant skills. The launch shifted the Davos jobs agenda from broad reskilling language toward a measurable delivery target, a named population and a 2035 deadline.

What to watch

The tests are how the programme selects participants, which employers and training institutions deliver the pathways, what credentials are recognised and how many participants move into sustained employment.

Image rights

Hero image: Robot arm operates machine in factory setting, available under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. No endorsement is implied.