Since 1980, we have increased dramatically our deployment of robots and flexible automation units. Along with this new technology, the 1982 UAW-Ford contract included a paid education benefit for auto workers. Under what was called the Nickel Fund, workers gave up a raise of five cents per hour to contribute to an education fund. A basic reference document for this and subsequent contracts was a University of Michigan evaluation report. The report described the creation and development of the Employee Development Center at the Dearborn Engine Plant, or what was called less officially the Schoolhouse in the Factory.
Education has an irresistible appeal.
Education represents an idea, a touchstone which literally has become a matter of faith. The report suggests that workers enrolled for both practical reasons and broader purposes. At the same time the participants reported that education is essential for gaining insight into their lives and providing direction for the future. Participants reiterated the theme constantly. While this is not to deny the validity of utilitarian outcomes, most enrollees hold a broader view of the meaning of their participation in the program.