New Hampshire’s manufacturers create everything from food to satellites, but one thing they are all focused on is creating workforce pipelines. These workforce efforts include a coalition of businesses, colleges, the state and the NH Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NH MEP).
This is critical as businesses look to ramp up hiring. BAE Systems, the state’s largest defense contractor, recently announced it would add hundreds of jobs at its Nashua and Hudson campuses where more than 6,500 employees already work on projects tied to national security. In Manchester, Merrimack Manufacturing has quietly grown from 65 employees in 2018 to 250 today, with plans to exceed 300 next year as demand for its medical devices surge.
Despite differences in size and sector, the challenge is the same: finding skilled workers in a limited labor pool. “It’s not enough to post a job and wait anymore,” says Butch Locke, BAE’s director of strategic operations. “Recruiting has to be active, creative, and community driven. We’re competing not just with other manufacturers, but with every sector in the state that needs skilled workers.”
For Merrimack Manufacturing, apprenticeships have been part of the answer. General Manager Tyler Bernier says the company’s technician program, launched last year in partnership with Manchester Community College and ApprenticeshipNH, has already brought in new talent.
“Students in the apprenticeship program are paid for a 40-hour week and do four hours of classroom work allowing them to get engineering related skills, CAD skills, mechanical design, drafting. This all helps them refine their tech skills and to build a foundation so they can find their role,” Bernier says.
Firms of all sizes feel the strain of growing while trying to fill positions. Microspec Corporation, a Peterborough-based precision manufacturer of tubing for medical devices, employs more than 100 workers and CEO Tim Steele says every new hire is critical. “Our growth is tied directly to the people we can hire,” he says. “We can innovate all day, but without a workforce, innovation only goes so far.”
It’s Starts with a Spark
In NH, developing the manufacturing workforce begins in high school. Spark Academy is a public charter high school for grades 9–12 focused on advanced manufacturing and engineering. Partnering with, and based at, Manchester Community College, Spark Academy blends academics with technical training, preparing students for both college and high-demand careers while strengthening the state’s workforce pipeline.
“We start by getting kids excited, introducing them to robotics, to computer automated design, blueprint reading,” says John Tuttle, Spark Academy’s director. “Maybe they want to get into welding or HVAC or something else. Once they are in their third year, we open the college to them and they can choose whatever pathway they want.” Tuttle says manufacturers often mistakenly overlook recent high school graduates. “If you wait until they go to college, you’ve already missed a big opportunity,” he says.
Emily Benson, employee success officer at Bensonwood, a company that designs and builds high performance homes, agrees. A former professor at Keene State College, she now leads the company’s apprenticeship and workforce training programs. “We can’t hire for a lot of the skill sets we need, so training is essential,” Benson says. “But just as important is getting in front of young people early so they even know this is an option.”
Benson has been building relationships with schools across the Monadnock region, where she says it can be difficult to retain teachers in the trades. “If kids realize even in middle school [that] it’s a good option, that makes a difference,” she says. “The younger the better. Summer jobs work great, too. Kids can learn a lot in a summer and be productive.”
Tuttle frames Spark’s mission in similar terms: helping students see possibilities. The school integrates high school education with college coursework. This allows students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in advanced manufacturing. Hands-on experiences range from robotics and CNC machining to microelectronics, with internships at local manufacturers giving students early exposure to real-world workplaces.
Bensonwood’s apprenticeship program, developed with ApprenticeshipNH, creates similar real-world experiences. Four of the seven apprentices in its most recent cohort relocated to the region to participate. “That shows what’s possible when companies and schools build pathways together,” Benson says, adding the program has helped retain employees.
Bensonwood’s apprentices are full-time employees, working under master builders and gaining hands-on experience in production facilities (prefab, timber-frame, woodworking, etc.) and on actual job sites.
Tuttle emphasizes that perceptions of manufacturing must change to meet growing workforce needs. “We want kids and their families to see what manufacturing really looks like. It’s high-tech, hands-on, and meaningful work,” he says. “Once they understand the opportunities, they make informed choices, and that benefits both the student and the company.”
ARMI: Building a Pipeline
The ReGen Valley Tech Hub hopes to make NH a leader in biofabrication. This effort is led by The Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), which is building a workforce pipeline for biofabrication, a high-demand and specialized sector. Christy Johnson, ARMI’s director of education and workforce, joined in 2022 after 30 years as a high school biology teacher. “The best part of teaching was working with students,” Johnson says. “When COVID hit, I wanted to merge my passion for education with ARMI’s mission. It was the perfect marriage.”
A recent ARMI study estimates 9,000 biofabrication-related jobs will be needed in the next eight to 10 years, with nearly 4,000 not requiring a bachelor’s degree. To meet that demand, ARMI is building a 25,000-square-foot training facility in Manchester, complementing its existing 75,000-square-foot manufacturing center.
ARMI’s flagship BIOTREK program spans nine schools and has three pillars: advancing technology, creating career opportunities, and fostering entrepreneurship. Programming exists from middle school through college and into apprenticeships. “We like to offer as many pathways as possible,” Johnson says. “Students can start in eighth grade, continue through high school, move into college-level programs, and even enter apprenticeships. We want to make the transition seamless.”
Southern NH University integrated a pilot biofabrication course into its permanent catalog in 2024, while ARMI operates the nation’s first registered biomanufacturing technician apprenticeship program affiliated with the community college system and ApprenticeshipNH.
“Community colleges are a big part of workforce development,” Johnson says. “They provide funding opportunities for industry members launching apprenticeships and for students completing coursework. Even small amounts make a difference in helping students succeed.”
ARMI’s apprentice program serves students of many ages including military spouses, career changers, and college students, Johnson says. “After six months, ARMI covers tuition. It’s a win-win. We’re investing in the workforce, retaining talent, and helping people reskill for high-
demand jobs,” she says.
Apprenticeships in Action
Founded in 2018, Merrimack Manufacturing in Manchester is a contract manufacturer specializes in medical device production, including infusion pumps and components for life-changing innovations like the iBot wheelchair and the LUKE Arm, developed in collaboration with DEKA Research and Development.
“When we started, we had about 65 employees,” says Bernier. “Today we’re at 250, and by next year we expect to be over 300. Most of our people come from New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and every hire is critical.”
Bernier credits much of the company’s success to shared recruiting and partnerships with groups like ARMI and ApprenticeshipNH. “We’ve been lucky to have good talent come through those pipelines,” he says. “It’s not just about filling jobs; it’s building careers.”
Merrimack launched its advanced manufacturing technician apprenticeship program a little over a year ago. The program has six apprentices who split their time between hands-on shop floor training and classroom instruction. “We hope to be in the dozens of apprentices soon,” Bernier says.
The model is designed around a 40-hour paid workweek that includes four hours of classroom study. Apprentices gain engineering-related skills in CAD, mechanical design, and drafting while learning how to apply them across the manufacturing process. “Our goal isn’t to push them all into engineering,” Bernier explains. “We want them to find their role, whether that’s in supplier quality, management, or operations. It’s about helping them refine their tech skills and build a strong foundation.”
Partnerships with Manchester Community College and ApprenticeshipNH provide critical support, Bernier says. “Several of our employees drive over to MCC to do classwork,” Bernier says. “Dan LaRochelle and MCC have been instrumental in shaping the curriculum.”
Bernier emphasizes that apprenticeships are long-term investments for companies. “It’s not the fastest way to fill a position, but it’s the most sustainable,” he says. “These programs create people who know the work, understand the culture, and grow with the company.”
Manchester Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing and Biofabrication programs provide stackable certificates in robotics, automation, and life sciences, allowing students to build skills and enter the workforce immediately. Transfer agreements with institutions like UNH Manchester, WPI, and Southern NH University give students flexible options for long-term career and educational advancement.
Bernier sees those connections firsthand. “Our apprentices are getting classroom time at MCC while applying what they learn on the floor,” he says.
An Ecosystem Approach
Taken individually, each of these companies, programs and schools are a piece of the workforce puzzle. Together they form an ecosystem designed to attract, train, and retain skilled workers. “Every student we train could end up at BAE or a startup we haven’t even imagined yet,” Tuttle says. “Once students see what’s possible, they can pursue it with confidence. That’s why early engagement matters both for students and for manufacturers who want to build their future workforce.”
NH MEP, the statewide connector for manufacturing, helps smaller manufacturers adopt new technologies, improve efficiency, and identify workforce needs. Director Tony Fernandez emphasizes the importance of cross-sector collaboration.
“No one sector can solve this alone. Business, education, and government all have to move in step if we want a sustainable pipeline,” he says. This includes collaborating on challenges related to workforce such as housing. Limited housing availability and long commutes make it harder to retain talent, while NH’s older population means a steady outflow of skilled workers through retirement. “Recruiters are asking about housing first,” Fernandez says. “We can train people, but if they can’t live near work, the system fails.”
