The metalcasting industry is a vital piece of modern manufacturing, producing essential components that keep the world running. Despite its critical importance, the industry faces a challenge in connecting with the next generation of skilled workers.  

Highh school students often overlook the dynamic, well-paying careers available in foundrie, simply because they are unawarethat  these opportunities exist. To address this, METAL partner Non Ferrous Founders Society (NFFS) has launched a new website called Cast Your Future.

METAL, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, and funded by the Department of War’s Office of Industrial Base Policy, was built to revitalize American manufacturing through hands-on training in casting and forging.  

The concept for Cast Your Future originated from a pressing need to unify workforce development efforts across the country. Supported by a grant from the ATI Foundation, the project was developed to create a centralized platform that actively promotes metalcasting careers.

Bill Padnos, Director of Workforce Development at NFFS played a key role in bringing Cast Your Future to life. “This industry doesn’t have a single place to go that promotes metalcasting careers and resources, and that helps industry utilize what’s available out there,” he said. 

Padnos points out that stakeholders frequently suffer from a paralyzing lack of direction, stating, “I always say there’s an analysis paralysis because there are so many programs and activities out there that people don’t know where to start.” He emphasized a need to celebrate the work itself, noting that “there was no site out there that talks about the craftsmanship and the dynamic nature of the industry, and we wanted something that was going to capture that.”

Because metalcasting is rarely taught in high schools, or even at the community college level, students need accessible entry points to experience the trade firsthand. Through K-12 workshops and university bootcamps, METAL introduces students and career seekers to modern metalcasting and forging careers. Participants can complete METAL’s free online training before attending immersive, in-person bootcamps led by professional metallurgists and manufacturing experts across the country. 

Padnos explained how Cast You Future and METAL perfectly complement each other, “what METAL provides is an on-ramp for people who are potentially interested in careers. We wanted to use this site to spark their interest, but then also, after you’ve done a bootcamp or online the curriculum, there’s a place you can go to find out more information.”  

One of the most significant challenges in workforce development is maintaining momentum after a student’s initial introduction to the field. Short-term programs often succeed in exciting students about industrial careers, but engagement frequently drops off immediately afterward. “We concentrate on the smiling faces when they come in and when they leave, but what happens the next day? Same thing with schools: you give a kid a diploma, maybe they tell you where they’re going, but then that’s it… You need that next day. That’s where manufacturers drop the ball,” stated Padnos.  

Without a follow-up strategy, the industry loses potential talent simply because no one tells students what to do next. Cast Your Future provides METAL participants and others with resources after they achieve their certification. METAL’s K-12 programming and follow-up levels provide a long-running series of touchpoints that can help sustain that initial excitement.  

To ensure the platform serves the entire metalcasting ecosystem, Cast Your Future segments its resources, offering specific, tailored pathways and toolkits for students, educators, and industry alike. METAL training and the long-term career navigation available through this new digital hub means the metalcasting industry is no longer waiting for talent to walk through the door; it is actively forging the path to bring them there.