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

Donation will help today's youth develop critical technical and life skills, enabling them to thrive in future manufacturing organizations

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Plex Systems

May 15, 2019, 08:00 ET

DETROIT, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

Inventor, entrepreneur, STEM advocate Dean Kamen interacts with students from FIRST at PowerPlex 2019, the Plex Systems user conference. At the event, Plex announced a $40,000 donation to FIRST to help close the skills gap in manufacturing, one of the most critical issues the industry faces today.

"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.

About Plex Systems
Plex Systems® delivers industry-leading ERP and manufacturing automation to more than 600 companies across process and discrete industries. Plex pioneered cloud solutions for the shop floor, connecting suppliers, machines, people, systems, and customers with capabilities that are easy to configure, deliver continuous innovation and reduce IT costs. With insight that starts on the production line, the Plex Manufacturing Cloud® helps companies see and understand every aspect of their business ecosystems, enabling them to lead in an ever-changing market. Learn more at www.plex.com.

SOURCE Plex Systems