Episode 23

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Published on:

24th Aug 2026

The Future of Manufacturing Workforce Development, AI, and Digital Transformation with Bryce Carpenter

How can manufacturers solve workforce shortages while embracing artificial intelligence, automation, and digital transformation?

In this episode of The Manufacturers Network Podcast, Lisa Ryan sits down with Bryce Carpenter, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations & Strategy Officer at Conexus Indiana, to discuss how one of America's strongest manufacturing states is preparing its workforce for the future.

Bryce shares how manufacturers, educators, policymakers, and economic development organizations can work together to strengthen talent pipelines, accelerate technology adoption, and help small and mid-sized manufacturers compete in an increasingly digital economy.

From apprenticeships and plant tours to AI use cases and workforce partnerships, this conversation is packed with practical ideas for manufacturing leaders looking to attract talent, improve operations, and future-proof their organizations.

In This Episode You'll Learn

  • Why workforce development remains manufacturing's biggest challenge and biggest opportunity
  • How AI is helping reshape the image of modern manufacturing careers
  • Why apprenticeships and work-based learning outperform traditional recruiting methods
  • How manufacturers can partner with schools to build long-term talent pipelines
  • Why digital transformation creates higher-paying jobs instead of replacing workers
  • How manufacturers are successfully introducing AI without creating employee resistance
  • Why sharing best practices across manufacturers accelerates innovation
  • The value of plant tours, peer networking, and manufacturing associations
  • How Conexus Indiana collected more than 100 real-world AI manufacturing use cases
  • Why collaboration between industry, education, and government is essential for workforce success

Key Topics Discussed

  • Workforce development
  • Manufacturing workforce shortages
  • AI in manufacturing
  • Digital transformation
  • Advanced manufacturing
  • Manufacturing leadership
  • Apprenticeships
  • Work-based learning
  • Career and technical education (CTE)
  • Community colleges
  • Employee retention
  • Workforce recruitment
  • Manufacturing technology
  • Industrial automation
  • Cobots
  • Manufacturing associations
  • Economic development
  • Manufacturing innovation
  • Supply chain development
  • Manufacturing careers

Memorable Quotes

"The day I started, the biggest challenge was workforce. Today, it's still workforce."
"AI is helping manufacturers show young people what modern manufacturing really looks like."
"Technology is additive to workers, not a replacement for workers."
"You don't have to solve these problems on your own. Someone has already learned the lessons."

Why This Conversation Matters

Manufacturers everywhere are competing for skilled workers while simultaneously navigating artificial intelligence, automation, and rapid technological change.

Bryce explains that success isn't just about adopting new technology. It's about building partnerships that connect manufacturers with schools, community colleges, policymakers, and each other.

The companies that thrive won't necessarily be the ones with the biggest budgets. They'll be the organizations that embrace collaboration, invest in people, and create cultures where technology helps employees do more meaningful work.

For manufacturers wondering how to recruit younger workers, introduce AI successfully, or build stronger workforce pipelines, this episode offers a practical roadmap.

About Bryce Carpenter

Bryce Carpenter is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations & Strategy Officer at Conexus Indiana, where he helps strengthen Indiana's advanced manufacturing and logistics ecosystem through workforce development, digital transformation, economic strategy, and collaboration between industry, education, and government.

Conexus Indiana works with more than 130 manufacturing and logistics partners to advance innovation, workforce readiness, and competitiveness across one of the nation's largest manufacturing economies.

Connect

Learn more about Conexus Indiana:

https://www.conexusindiana.com

Connect with Bryce Carpenter on LinkedIn.

Connect with Lisa Ryan:

https://www.LisaRyanSpeaks.com

Learn more about Smart Plant: Aligning AI, Automation, and People

https://www.SmartPlantBook.com

Listen to more episodes of The Manufacturers Network Podcast:

https://www.TheManufacturersNetworkPodcast.com

Recommended For

  • Manufacturing CEOs
  • Plant Managers
  • Operations Leaders
  • HR Leaders
  • Workforce Development Professionals
  • Manufacturing Executives
  • Community College Leaders
  • Economic Development Organizations
  • Manufacturing Associations
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) Leaders
  • Industrial Engineers
  • State Manufacturing Partnerships
  • Government Workforce Agencies
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About the Podcast

The Manufacturers Network
Real conversations with leaders in manufacturing, automation, and workforce retention.
The Manufacturers’ Network is where manufacturing leaders, plant managers, and industry innovators come to talk straight about what’s working and what’s not, on the shop floor and beyond.

Each week, host Lisa Ryan sits down with people who live and breathe this business: operations executives, HR directors, engineers, and founders who are building stronger teams and smarter systems in the face of nonstop change.

Listeners gain real-world insights on:
• Employee retention and workforce engagement
• Automation, AI, and the future of skilled trades
• Supply chain and operations leadership
• Safety, sustainability, and company culture that lasts

If you’re tired of generic “leadership talk” and want practical conversations from people who get it, this podcast is for you.

New episodes drop every Monday and are short enough for your commute, sharp enough to shape your week.

Subscribe and be part of the conversation that’s connecting manufacturers across industries, one story at a time.

About your host

Profile picture for Lisa Ryan

Lisa Ryan

As a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), an award-winning speaker and author of ten books, Lisa Ryan, CSP, works with her clients to develop employee and client engagement initiatives and strategies that keep their top talent and best clients from becoming someone else’s.
Lisa’s expertise includes: strengthening workplace culture, improving employee engagement, increasing customer retention, and initiating gratitude strategies (“Grategies”) for personal and professional benefit. Lisa’s participants enjoy her high energy, enthusiastic delivery and quick wit and they leave the session with ideas they are committed to acting on immediately to make positive workplace culture changes.
Lisa costars in two films with other experts including Jack Canfield of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” She is the Past-President of the National Speakers Association, Ohio Chapter and holds an MBA from Cleveland State University.

Relevant Experience

• Keynote, breakout or workshop speaker at more than 100 national and international conferences
• Thirteen years of industrial marketing and sales experience, including seven years in the welding industry – and yes, she does weld
• Host of “Elevate Your Engagement Levels: What You Need to Know” on the Elite Expert Network and the C-Suite Network
• Creator of “The Seven Mistakes Managers Make to Crush Company Culture” video series
• Best-selling author of ten books, including “Manufacturing Engagement: 98 Proven Strategies to Attract and Retain Your Industry’s Top Talent”
• Award-winning speaker