The Ohio State University Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) received $1 million from the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) to develop a metalcasting workforce and upskilling program. 

The funds will allow for a Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship and Learning (METAL) Hub, which will provide hands-on training for students and professionals in CDME’s metal foundry. The program includes outreach events for K-12 students and supports online curriculum for metal manufacturing.

CDME will host boot camps available to students and working professionals, led by experts in the field. The bootcamps will offer a unique opportunity for hands-on experience in metalworking, heat treatment and machining, and education on automation in the casting and forging industries.

“METAL’s partnership with Ohio State will increase workforce skills in metallurgy in skilled trades from the technician through engineering levels, providing a pipeline of personnel excited about the industry,” said Lucinda Curry, METAL national workforce manager at IACMI. “By working together, we are increasing capacity in the United States to meet both the commercial and national defense supply chain needs.”