MaintainX For Students Program Aims to Empower Thousands of Future Maintenance Leaders

While manufacturers always value predictability, they crave it more in times of uncertainty. And these are very uncertain times. 

Global trade is in flux. Supply chains are unreliable. Technology is evolving faster than companies can keep up.

With so much out of their control, senior leaders are investing in what they can influence. One of their biggest bets is in maintenance to protect asset health, production capacity, and margins. In fact, 31% of maintenance teams expect their budgets to increase this year, according to the 2025 State of Industrial Maintenance report.

But with more opportunity comes more pressure, especially for the next generation of maintenance professionals. They’ll be expected to be AI-fluent, data-literate, and capable of driving reliability at scale from day one, all while hitting uptime targets. 

“The next generation of maintenance and operations professionals are going to be digitally connected in a way the industry has not seen before,” says Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millenial.  “To accommodate this data-first mindset, asset management professionals will need to rely on new strategies and technologies.”

It’s always been challenging to apply lessons learned in a classroom to real world situations, and connect the physical and digital worlds. But it’s also never been more important.

“Those entering the maintenance and operations workforce will be expected to be strategic thinkers who make a significant impact at the highest levels of the business,” says Jim Mayer, the founder of The Manufacturing Connector and host of The Manufacturing Culture Podcast. 

“If we want to develop confident, capable people in this field, we need to give them access to the same platforms they’ll use on the job.”

Introducing MaintainX for Students

That’s why we launched MaintainX for Students, a new program that gives students complimentary access to MaintainX. Keep reading to see details about the program and how students, educators, and businesses can benefit.

How MaintainX for Students is it Helping Shape the Next Generation of Reliability Leaders

The MaintainX for Students initiative gives the next generation of maintenance professionals hands-on experience with a leading EAM and CMMS so they can access technology and develop the skills needed to lead and shape the industry.

The program is designed to empower students while equipping educators with tools for hands-on learning, and helping businesses close the skills gap in asset management.

How MaintainX for Students Helps those Studying in Post-secondary Programs

The MaintainX for Students program will help those studying industrial maintenance, automation, robotics, engineering, aviation, and other programs to:

• Get familiar with real-world technology: Get access to a leading EAM and CMMS used by thousands of companies. Learn workflows, terminology, process-building, and other capabilities that allow you to make a difference in a full-time role from day-one.

• Experience hands-on learning opportunities: Go beyond theory to learn how to manage work orders, track assets, and optimize maintenance operations in a no-risk environment so you can hit the ground running when entering the workforce.

• Stand out to potential employers: Show examples of mastering practical, in-demand skills so you can get noticed by top employers.

How MaintainX for Students Benefits Educators

This initiative was also built for educators, to help them:

• Enhance lessons using practical technology: Translate lessons into real-world examples, help students put their lessons into action, and show them how world-class maintenance and asset management teams operate.

• Meet your students where they are: With a mobile-first approach, the MaintainX platform allows you to connect students with learning opportunities whenever they are, even if that’s outside the classroom.

• Help students develop problem-solving strategies: Allow students to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them in low-risk environments while giving direct, constructive feedback.

How MaintainX for Students Solves Big Challenges for Industrial Businesses

The MaintainX for Students program was also developed with businesses in mind. It will help manufacturing and other industrial companies to: 

• Close the skills and labor gaps: Recruit maintenance leaders that have experience digitizing knowledge and using technology for change management.

• Assess applicants more effectively: Hire from a pool of next generation maintenance professionals that have experience with a best-in-class EAM and CMMS.

• Reduce the time it takes to onboard and train new hires: Accelerate onboarding of new maintenance and asset management employees without needing to familiarize them with software they’ve never used before.

The Future of Maintenance Starts Today

The next generation of maintenance leaders will need to use data-driven and digital-first skills to tackle challenges both on the plant floor and in the C-suite. The MaintainX for Students program is helping to develop these skills by bridging the gap between education and industry and giving tomorrow’s leaders the tools they need to succeed today and far into the future.

Ready to get hands-on experience with a world-class EAM and CMMS used by thousands of top maintenance teams? Learn more and get started with MaintainX for Students.