Makr
Shakr, the world's leading producer of robotic bartending systems, has launched
the world’s first “Automation Stipend” pilot program in collaboration with SUNY
Erie Community College (SUNY Erie) and the SUNY Erie Foundation. Through the program,
which leverages automation to produce positive social impact, Makr Shakr sponsored a student
enrolled in the College’s Brewery Science and Service Certificate program for the
Fall 2019 semester.
The Automation Stipend is inspired by the idea that, as
robotics enter into the workspace, every person might end up having a robotic
counterpart that is working in her or his stead - producing an income that in
turn allows that person to upskill and get ready for tomorrow's professions. For
every bartending robot sold, the company assigns a $1,000 monthly stipend to a
selected person whose profession might be impacted by automation. This stipend
is meant to support the individual in a specific training program - with
special attention to the relation between tech and the food and leisure
industries.
“If we are able to handle the issues of transition and
redistribution, the future will be brimming with opportunities,” says Emanuele
Rossetti, CEO of Makr Shakr: “Makr Shakr is a young and small company, but we
believe that it is our responsibility since day one to invent new ways to
manage the consequences of widespread automation in the food and leisure
industry. The automation stipend is not intended to be a welfare solution.
Rather, it is a way for companies to have a positive social impact, without
stopping innovation, while preparing people for the professions of the future.”
SUNY Erie student Brian Townsell is the first recipient of
the stipend. Mr. Townsell grew up working in restaurants and hotels but has
been unable to pursue his dream to work in the brewery field while also
struggling to support his family. SUNY Erie President Dr. Dan Hocoy believes students
like Townsell are exactly who the stipend is designed to assist.
“With constant changes in technology, workers are often
concerned with losing stable employment to automation. Makr Shakr’s program is
designed to allow workers the opportunity to upskill and prepare for the future
of their chosen field. This kind of forethought is welcome for our students as
they seek family sustaining employment,” President Hocoy said. “This stipend provides
students like Brian with the assistance needed to follow their dreams, while also
providing him with an opportunity for training in a growing field. This collaboration
is a win-win for the student and the College.”
Makr Shakr, which launched recently launched Toni,
the first bartending unit addressed for the mass market, will commence the stipend
pilot in Italy next year with further plans to expand to other companies or
educational institutions in the coming months.