FANUC America in Rochester Hills has opened the FANUC Training Academy, which the company says is the largest corporate robotics and industrial automation training center in the United States and a significant expansion from the company’s previous workforce education facility.
Located in Auburn Hills on FANUC America’s West Campus, the three-story facility represents an investment of more than $18 million and covers 132,000 square feet, including 56,300 square feet dedicated to training space for technicians, engineers, educators, students, and manufacturing professionals.
“Manufacturers across North America are investing in robotics, automation, and AI-enabled technologies, but the availability of skilled workers remains one of the industry’s greatest challenges,” says Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America.
“The new FANUC Training Academy is designed to help close that gap by providing hands-on training. As manufacturing continues to evolve, the opportunities are changing as well. This investment helps prepare the workforce for higher-skilled, technology-driven careers, and strengthens domestic manufacturing.”
The company says the $18 million Training Academy investment complements the $90 million Michigan manufacturing expansion FANUC announced in March, reinforcing the company’s focus on production capacity and workforce development.
“With its $108 million investment to expand operations in Michigan, FANUC is helping strengthen American manufacturing and creating new opportunities for American workers,” says Keith Sonderling, U.S. Secretary of Labor. “During my tour of the Auburn Hills facility, I saw firsthand the critical role the FANUC Training Academy plays in equipping American workers with the skills they need to succeed in high-skilled, high-paying jobs in this rapidly evolving industry.”
The new Training Academy in Auburn Hills replaces the previous training facility located within FANUC America’s headquarters in Rochester Hills, increasing the number of classrooms to 28 from 13. FANUC’s training network, which includes the Training Academy and eight other regional facilities, now has the capacity to train approximately 17,500 participants annually. It features more than 160 robots and over 40 CNC simulators.
FANUC’s workforce development efforts extend beyond customer training. Through its Certified Education Training (CERT) program, FANUC supports more than 1,700 schools across North America, engaging approximately 60,000 students annually in robotics, CNC, and automation education.
“Advanced automation requires advanced skills,” says Rich Meyer, general manager of FANUC America’s Customer Service Group. “The new FANUC Training Academy gives students, educators, and manufacturing professionals unprecedented access to the technologies shaping today’s factories. By expanding hands-on learning opportunities, we’re helping manufacturers develop the workforce they need while creating pathways to rewarding careers in modern manufacturing.”
The project was completed through a Michigan-first construction approach, led by Frank Rewold & Sons in Rochester and supported by Michigan-based subcontractors. In addition to expanded training capacity, the facility includes a full-service cafeteria, 200 additional parking spaces, and future space for a customer support call center scheduled for completion in 2027.
“The Training Academy reinforces metro Detroit’s position as a global center for manufacturing innovation, robotics, and automation,” Cicco says. “The region’s concentration of manufacturers, educational institutions, and skilled talent makes it an ideal location for a training operation serving customers and students from across North America.”
The Training Academy is designed to support a broad range of workforce development initiatives, including training for manufacturers and system integrators, educator certification programs, community college partnerships, high school mechatronics programs, and FANUC’s extensive educational network.
As manufacturers increasingly adopt AI-enabled robotics, expand domestic production, and modernize operations, the Training Academy is intended to help develop the skilled workforce needed to support those trends by providing students, educators, and industry professionals with hands-on experience using the same industrial automation technologies found in today’s manufacturing environments.
To read a DBusiness magazine feature story about FANUC, visit here.
For more information, visit fanucamerica.com/.
