STARKVILLE, Miss. (September 1, 2026) – The Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) program, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, is proud to announce a new partnership with Mississippi State University (MSU) to enhance and scale up industry-driven training opportunities for current and prospective metalworking and manufacturing professionals. Supported through funding by the Department of War’s (DoW) Office of Industrial Base Policy, METAL strengthens and diversifies the U.S. metal manufacturing workforce, focusing on casting and forging.

Mississippi State University will implement METAL’s nationally recognized curriculum in its program, beginning with a combination of online training and immersive in-person bootcamps held at a manufacturing lab, equipped for metal melting, heat treatment and machining capabilities.

In addition to adult training, MSU will also develop and implement a K-12 Mobile Training Unit, a transportable STEM learning environment suitable for K-12 educational use, offering in-person sessions that consist of hands-on activities and programs, career exploration demonstrations, and educator engagement sessions. The program will support integrated STEM instruction, aiming to spark early interest in metallurgical and advanced manufacturing careers. Activities include age-appropriate educational experiences related to casting, forging, machining, materials science, advanced and additive manufacturing, automation and robotics, CAD/CAM technologies and manufacturing design challenges.

The METAL/MSU partnership is not the first of its kind; MSU partnered with IACMI in 2024 to become a hub for America’s Cutting Edge, another workforce development program focused on machining and manufacturing. To date, ACE has served 676 participants through its partnership with MSU.

“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Mississippi State University through the addition of the METAL program,” said Mike Kubacki, METAL Program Director at IACMI. “Mississippi State has already demonstrated its value as a trusted partner through our ACE program, and we look forward to building on that success with METAL. Partnerships with educational institutions play a vital role in increasing awareness of advanced manufacturing technologies and the rewarding career opportunities they offer. By connecting participants with internships, apprenticeships, and hands-on learning experiences, these collaborations help prepare a skilled workforce and open pathways to high-paying, in-demand careers.”

For adult training, upon completing online and in-person bootcamp training with MSU, participants may enter a stacked curriculum offering a menu of specialized training opportunities within METAL, allowing participants to tailor their learning experience, including an enhanced focus on automation in the casting and forging industry. 

“We are extremely excited to expand Mississippi State’s partnership with IACMI through the METAL program and continue building a comprehensive advanced manufacturing workforce pipeline for Mississippi and the nation,” said Ross Smith, director of Mississippi State University’s Innovation Design & Engineering Educational Laboratory (IDEELab). “Through the IDEELab, our goal is to connect education directly with the needs of industry, introducing students to manufacturing at an early age, providing university students and incumbent workers with hands-on technical training, and creating clear pathways into high-demand manufacturing careers. METAL will allow us to expand that model into casting, forging and metallurgy while giving Mississippi manufacturers access to a stronger, more highly skilled workforce prepared for the technologies shaping the future of American manufacturing. METAL also gives us an exciting opportunity to extend that pipeline into K-12 education through the development of a mobile training unit that will take hands-on manufacturing and STEM experiences directly to students across Mississippi, helping spark interest in these careers at an early age and build the next generation of our manufacturing workforce.” 

MSU’s partnership with METAL includes plans to:

• Provide online training, progressing to hands-on, in-person bootcamps conducted within a manufacturing lab, equipped with metal melting, heat treatment and machining capabilities
• Execute a minimum of 16 in-person bootcamps for at least 325 participants throughout the course of its tenure 
• Deploy a fully operational K-12 mobile unit by the end of 2026, with the goal of reaching a minimum of 3,200 students by the end of its tenure
• Hold at least six outreach events for a minimum of 125 K-12 students
• Foster collaborations with local grade schools, high schools, community colleges and universities. This strategic partnership will focus on integrating METAL training into their educational curriculum, enriching opportunities for students interested in metalworking and manufacturing and addressing critical needs.
• Develop and sustain an industry engagement strategy, expanding relationships with regional employers representing metalworking sectors to ensure training remains aligned with current workforce demands. Engagement activities include:
  • Inviting industry partners to participate in networking events, guest speaking opportunities, technical presentations and workforce panels designed to increase awareness of career pathways within the metalworking sector
  • Encouraging industry partners to participate in on-site training activities, including attendance at in-person bootcamps, demonstrations of real-world applications, and direct engagement with participants to communicate skill expectations, hiring needs, and emerging workforce trends
  • Encouraging employers to utilize METAL online and instructor-led curriculum as part of incumbent worker training, apprenticeship development, and new employee onboarding processes
  • Inviting industry partners to host facility tours, participate in onsite job fairs, provide interviews and hiring opportunities for participants, and contribute subject matter expertise to continuous improvement teams responsible for curriculum review and modification
  • Inviting industry partners to participate in advisory boards, provide internships and mentorship opportunities and identify emerging technologies and process needs to ensure the curriculum remains relevant to the evolving metalworking workforce
• Establish academic credit for secondary and post-secondary students and non-credit pathways including courses that can be applied to micro credentials, industry certifications, apprenticeships and degree tracks. The effort ensures alignment with industry standards while providing students with recognized certifications and a future in manufacturing. 

Earlier this summer, IACMI announced plans to expand METAL and America’s Cutting Edge (ACE), another workforce development program focused on machining and manufacturing, to 53 new locations at universities, colleges and trade schools by 2030, bringing the total number of sites to more than 100. Additionally, IACMI will introduce new initiatives to engage over 50,000 K-12 students and provide hundreds of internship opportunities.

Mississippi State University’s addition to the METAL network strengthens a growing national network of METAL hubs, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham, The Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee Tech, Michigan Technological University, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, NC State, Purdue University, Georgia Southern University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Northern Iowa, Cleveland State University and Texas State University. Together, these institutions are revitalizing American manufacturing by delivering responsive, scalable and sustainable workforce development programs.

For more information about METAL at Mississippi State University, please contact:

Sarah Pope
Email: Sarah@piper-communications.com
Phone: 865-329-0553 

About METAL
Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL), led by IACMI, is an industry-driven initiative aimed at providing high-quality, hands-on training in the metalworking and manufacturing sectors. The program is designed to address workforce development needs by offering comprehensive curricula in casting, forging and metallurgy, with an emphasis on automation and modern manufacturing technologies.

About IACMI
IACMI – The Composites Institute® is a national public-private partnership focused on advancing composite materials and process technologies. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of War, IACMI brings together over 170 members from industry, academia, and government to drive manufacturing innovation and workforce development.

About Mississippi State University 
Mississippi State University’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering is committed to advancing engineering education, research, innovation and workforce development to meet the needs of Mississippi and the nation. Within the Bagley College, the Innovation Design & Engineering Educational Laboratory (IDEELab) serves as a hands-on advanced manufacturing, design and workforce development environment connecting students, faculty and industry. Through state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, industry-driven training programs, experiential learning and partnerships with regional and national employers, IDEELab prepares students and incumbent workers with the technical skills needed for careers in modern manufacturing. The laboratory also serves as a hub for workforce initiatives spanning machining, advanced manufacturing, composites and metalworking, helping strengthen Mississippi’s manufacturing talent pipeline while supporting the competitiveness of U.S. industry.