Tag Archives: METAL

Robert “Bob” Voigt with Penn State University – METAL Program

Check out this episode of Industrial Talk featuring Robert “Bob” Voigt with Penn State University

Industrial Talk is onsite at Penn State and talking to Robert “Bob” Voigt, Professor with Penn State University about “Educating the Future Manufacturing Leaders”.

The conversation highlights the importance of the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress, scheduled for November 3-5, 2023. The Industrial Talk podcast, hosted by Scott Mackenzie, features an interview with Robert Voight, a professor at Penn State Behrend, discussing the Metallurgical Engineering Trade Apprenticeship and Learning (METAL) program. Voight emphasizes the hands-on experience provided to students, including foundry visits and practical metal casting. He also discusses the evolution of materials like austempered ductile iron and the integration of digital technologies to improve manufacturing efficiency and quality. Voight’s contact information is available for those interested in learning more.

 

 

 

The Horseman’s Axe: College Students Discover Careers and Community at Cast in Steel 2026

The first time Marisa Holding heard about Cast in Steel, an upperclassman walked into the University of Wisconsin–Madison holding what looked like a spear. Not a prop. Not a replica — a real spear. He pulled an African spearhead from his backpack and explained it was for the Cast in Steel competition. 

“I was lost for words,” Holding said. “What competition has students make weapons on campus that are meant to be functionally tested? I decided then that I was going to join the competition the following year.”  

What is Cast in Steel?

Subscribe to Cast in Steel to see sparks fly on the Season 1 premiere, “George Washington’s Sword,” July 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET on YouTube.

Holding kept that promise, participating in 2025 and 2026 Cast in Steel – a national competition where college students test their engineering expertise by designing and casting metal tools like Thor’s hammer and George Washington’s sword from scratch. This year, 62 teams from universities across the United States came together to cast their own horseman’s axe. But the competition isn’t only about teaching tomorrow’s engineers how to make performance-ready products. For many, Cast in Steel is their first introduction to the craft and community behind modern American manufacturing. 

“The primary goal of this competition is to touch the hearts of young people who’ve never realized that going into manufacturing and making castings or forgings could be thrilling, worthwhile, purposeful and meaningful,” said Raymond Monroe, executive vice president of the Steel Founders’ Society of America, the organization that hosts Cast in Steel. 

Today, more than half of Generation Z, people ages 14 to 29, remain neutral or disinterested in manufacturing careers. In one survey, almost 60% of Gen Z respondents said they might have pursued manufacturing if they had access to related programs in school. 

Programs like Cast in Steel and METAL, both supported through funding by the Department of War’s (DoW) Office of Industrial Base Policy, which manages investments made pursuant to the Industrial Base Fund (10 U.S.C  §4817), are working to change these odds for future generations with hands-on training and real-world metalcasting experiences. 

That mission comes at a critical moment for the industry. By 2033, nearly 4 million manufacturing jobs could be available in the U.S. with only enough workers to fill half the roles. When America’s manufacturing foundation is weak, its defense, energy and other critical infrastructures are left vulnerable to supply chain shortages.

“Our job is to deter a conflict from ever happening,” said Matthew Draper, the technical director for the U.S. Department of War. “To make sure that everyone in the world who is potentially our adversary knows and understands that America is ready to respond, we need people. We need a lot of people in manufacturing.”

This year, student teams from 10 of METAL’s university partners participated in Cast in Steel, including grand prize winner the University of Wisconsin–Madison.  

An Axe to Grind – How to Make a Horseman’s Axe

For six months, 300 college students dedicated their time in between classes mastering the art and science of casting a horseman’s axe. They pulled all-nighters, drove hours to work with industry partners, and some like Teagan Strecker learned how to form and reshape metal for the very first time.  

Strecker, a UW–Madison material sciences major, had no interest in metalcasting. In fact, no one on her Cast in Steel team, The Mad Badger Metalcasters, had attempted casting or forging before. But with mentorship from experienced Cast in Steel competitors, including Holding and Laney Zuelsdorff, Strecker joined in. 

“I didn’t really know what Cast and Steel was, but they promised me it would be fun, so I decided to give it a shot,” she said.

Before firing up the foundries, university teams realized they’d need to win the battle of historical research.  

A horseman’s axe isn’t exactly like an axe used for chopping wood. Rulers like Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, were believed to use this type of axe in man-to-man combat, wielding the weapon with one hand during combat from horseback. Horseman’s axes were often outfitted with leather wrist straps for utility, langets — or narrow strips of metal — for strength, and spikes for protection. The students’ axes, meant to resemble historical accuracy, could not weigh more than 3.3 lbs or be longer than 31.5 inches.

“The most important thing a lot of teams miss is the research and narrowing down what makes a horseman’s axe, a horseman’s axe,” said Devyn Fidel, a Cal Poly Pomona manufacturing engineering major who competed in Cast in Steel for the second time this year. “It can’t be too front heavy, otherwise it’s really hard to swing.”

Turning ideas into battle-ready weapons was tough — demanding teams of mechanical engineering, materials science and manufacturing engineering technology students, plus the expertise of industry leaders. 

Cast in Steel 2026 Grand Prize Winners, The Mad Badger Metalcasters, from the University of Wisconsin–Madison included Malini Datta-Nemana, Evelyn Dwyer, Chase Edwardson, Mathias Gitterle, Ana Lesmeister, Simon Niemcek and Teagan Strecker. Photo courtesy of UW–Madison’s College of Engineering.

The Messy Middle

In addition to design, students had creative liberty to choose the materials they cast their axes from. Ryson Haag, a mechanical engineering student at Georgia Southern University, said his team’s axe wasn’t pretty, but they were determined to cast a tool that wouldn’t break. They decided to use a modified 8630 steel with extra chromium and experimented with heat treatments to avoid brittleness.

“Our first axe was a sledgehammer,” Haag said, forming a broad triangle with his hands. “With a 40 degree tip, it’s not cutting anything.” 

To overcome design challenges, Haag learned how to use CAD simulation software like SOLIDCast to optimize mold designs and solve metal velocity problems during a pour. Practicing simulations taught him how to make effective molds for investment and sand castings, applying the engineering principles he learned in class to a real-life project.  

“It saved me a lot of time because it taught me here’s what the theoretical says and here’s what better and worse ideas look like,” Haag said. “That is one of the best things I could have gotten out of Cast and Steel.”

Cast in Steel competitors are under a time crunch to complete alloy selection, mold design, casting simulations, heat treatment processes, post-processing finishing, and product testing — often for the first time. The students who participate in METAL’s bootcamps have an advantage. Through METAL’s nationwide training programs, students gain hands-on foundry experience and foundational casting and forging skills before stepping into competitions like Cast in Steel.   

Steven Fedell, a 2026 mechanical engineering graduate from Penn State, Behrend, said his experience with the university’s METAL bootcamp helped prepare him to lead his team to second place in Best Sand Casting.  

“I went into the competition thinking, ‘You have to consider people’s lack of experience and you only have so much time,’” Fedell said. “You could be the smartest person in the world, but if you can’t communicate your ideas to others, does it really matter?”

However, limited experience doesn’t deter students’ motivation or imagination. Daniel Branagan’s team from Michigan Technological University made the unconventional choice to cast a heart-shaped axe head from cast iron steel. The durable, heat-resistant nature of cast iron is perfect for products like skillets and wood-burning stoves, but using it to cast a functional axe was complex.   

“To make cast iron strong enough, you have to go through a specific heat treating process, which is impossible to do on your own,” explained Branagan, a material sciences PhD candidate at Michigan Tech. “You need molten salt baths and carbonizing atmospheres.”

Branagan’s team worked with Aalberts Surface Technologies, a leading surface technology service provider that specializes in metal coating and heat treating for the automotive, mechanical engineering and medical technology industries. Industry partners are an essential resource during the competition, providing students guidance and facilities they may not have access to. Aalberts provided chemistry recommendations and heat treated the team’s axe in addition to funding Michigan Tech’s costs for the project.   

Working with an industry partner showed Branagan how the skills and techniques he used for Cast in Steel are relevant to industrial metal manufacturing. 

“This could very well turn into a job someday,” he said. 

At Miller Castings, engineer Eric Cramer partnered with Cal Poly Pomona’s students. Miller Castings, a lost wax investment casting manufacturer that serves aerospace, military and commercial customers, financially supported the project, provided foundry tours, and mentored the students throughout the investment casting process. 

“I don’t think they realized how much time and effort goes into every step. They learned a lot from the explanations on why their design should be tweaked to get it through the foundry,” explained Cramer, a Cal Poly Pomona alumnus who’s just as invested in the outcome of Cast in Steel as the students he works with. “I really wanted them to win.”

This year, with Cramer’s help, Cal Poly’s License to Steel team won second place for Best Investment Casting. 

“What prepares people the most is being face-to-face with the industry,” said Ethan Beltran De Anda, a mechanical engineering major at Cal Poly. “You actually meet with them and talk to them. Then people in the other groups are your future peers and coworkers. It’s just a really good experience.”

Cast in Steel runner-ups, The Mad-Town Axemen, included University of Wisconsin–Madison seniors Ivan Cermak, Dominic Chione, Marisa Holding, Wen-Yo Yen and Laney Zuelsdorff. Photo courtesy of UW–Madison’s College of Engineering.

Chopping Down the Competition

What matters most after six months of production is having a functional tool to test. For three days in April, every university team meets in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a live, high-energy showdown where industry experts judge the cast creations in a series of performance challenges. 

Dr. Frank Pfefferkorn, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison, said Cast in Steel is as close to a real-world engineering project as students can get.

“From the very beginning, they have a product they have to deliver,” Pfefferkorn explained. “It’s like you’re a contract manufacturer and you have to make every decision along the way.”

“It builds their confidence that they can do this,” he added. 

Before the event, teams test their weapons at home, slicing into everything from logs and Roombas to playing real-life Fruit Ninja. Then, if the axe survives, it’s ready for the Cast in Steel stage – a moment heightened by TV crews filming the competition. 

“We were really nervous that the ax was going to break,” admitted Breannyn Black, a mechanical engineering major at Michigan Tech. Her team had ideas for optimization, but simply ran out of time. Ready or not, she stepped onto the testing stage and threw their axe into a knight’s suit of chainmail.

“I could not believe it took that first hit. I was so happy,” Black said. “When I hit it again, I was like, ‘Wow, I made something that does its function. It does what it’s supposed to do and it’s impressive.’ I felt pretty empowered by that.”

Performance tests included piercing a two-by-four plank of wood with its spike and cutting into a steel sheet suspended from the ceiling. The teams were not only under the scrutiny of the judges, but their peers from other universities, too. 

“It was cool to see how everyone performed,” said Zachary Platt, a mechanical and manufacturing engineering technology student at the University of Northern Iowa. The spike on his team’s axe wobbled during its performance, knocking them out of the competition. “You can’t win them all, and I’m happy with how ours turned out.”

Not all the axes made it through in one piece.

“I can’t lie,” Fedell laughed, “watching some of the axes shatter spectacularly on stage was pretty neat.”  

Beyond axe performance, students were judged on technical reports, casting creativity, and videos documenting their process. Longtime Cast in Steel judges Patrick Nowak and Forged in Fire’s David Baker say the competition never fails to deliver impressive ingenuity. 

“I like seeing the students’ approaches to the problems they’re given and how they use whatever resources they have to try to meet the contest criteria,” Nowak said.

“The point of the competition isn’t to win or lose,” Baker added. “Don’t get me wrong, everybody’s excited to win, but it’s really about designing and manipulating material to create a tool. It’s an exciting thing to watch and it’s fun to be part of it.”

Cal Poly Pomona team “License to Steel” tests their axe out at home with real-life Fruit Ninja.

The Winning Moment

If there’s one moment Holding, Strecker and Zuelsdorff will never forget, it’s winning Cast in Steel. After three days of brutal product testing, the remaining teams stood on stage, waiting for the final results. One by one the judges named the teams who, unfortunately, did not cast the winning horseman’s axe.    

“Finally, there were two teams left on stage and it was Wisconsin and Wisconsin,” remembered Zuelsdorff. “We had matching shirts, so it looked like one team up there, and we looked at each other and said, ‘We won no matter what. We’re giving it back to our university’s club.’ It was an all-around amazing moment.”

That’s exactly what the grand prize winners, The Mad Badger Metalcasters, chose to do. The team donated the entire $25,000 prize to UW–Madison’s Material Advantage and Foundry Society student chapter. Holding and Zuelsdorff’s team, The Mad-Town Axemen, earned second place — and took pride in mentoring The Mad Badger Metalcasters on an award-winning axe. 

Strecker walked off the stage with more than prize money and bragging rights. She had discovered an entirely new career path. 

“I was not really interested in metallurgy at all before I did Cast in Steel, and now I’m doing it in my job,” said Strecker, who’s an intern at GE Healthcare’s refractory process innovations plant. “Seeing that you can do metallurgy, especially as a woman, inspires you and shows you that metallurgy is still an exciting field to be in.” 

For SFSA Executive Vice President Raymond Monroe, the students’ enthusiasm is all that matters.

“These students are the future of our industry and American manufacturing,” said Monroe. “I’m thrilled we have so many young people who are excited to be involved in our competition, and I look forward to their leadership in the future.”

Ready to cast your future in metal manufacturing? Explore METAL’s free online training and hands-on bootcamps to discover careers in metalcasting and forging. Visit our events page to find a bootcamp near you.  

Watch the Season 1 premiere of Cast in Steel, “George Washington’s Sword,” July 9 at 8 p.m. ET on YouTube.

Creativity is Contagious: Q&A with Yellow Goose Forge’s Jason DiCosimo

Craftsman and retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major Jason DiCosimo started blacksmithing simply because one of his woodworking clients needed custom metalwork. But after he forged metal for the first time, DiCosimo never stopped. 

Today, DiCosimo, 47, is a self-taught blacksmith and bladesmith known for bringing fantasy knives, battle axes and swords to life through forging and metalworking. From Aragorn’s sword, Anduril, from Lord of the Rings to the Call of Duty cleaver and the Catspaw dagger from Game of Thrones, DiCosimo is up for any forging challenge — and he loves sharing the process behind his craft. 

Through his social media channels, Yellow Goose Forge, the artisan blacksmith shows millions of people what’s possible with fire, steel and creativity. But forging isn’t the only craft essential to DiCosimo’s work. Over time, he’s expanded into machining and metalcasting to push his projects even further. After 16 years of teaching himself how to transform raw metal into finished pieces, DiCosimo was thrilled to discover METAL’s metallurgical bootcamp. For nearly a week at Penn State Behrend, DiCosimo learned metalcasting basics, CAD software, foundry processes and the science behind modern manufacturing from professional metallurgists. Here’s what DiCosimo shared about his journey into blacksmithing, forging and metalcasting — and how METAL unlocked new levels in his metalworking world.

Listen to this interview (10min)

 

How did Jason DiCosimo start blacksmithing? 

I first started out woodworking. I was building all kinds of way-out-there things that attracted a lot of strange clientele who had great ideas and a lot of creativity. I had one client who asked if I could find him a set of hinges that were big and ornate with branches and leaves. I looked everywhere for him and I told him I couldn’t do it. I failed him.

He asked, “Should you just make them?” 

I said, “Yeah, probably.” So I started my metalworking journey. From there, it’s just been forging steel ever since.

How did Jason DiCosimo learn forging and metalworking? 

To learn how to forge, there’s really nobody to learn from. There’s a small community of craftspeople out there that do this, but they’re very tight lipped. So you have to look for opportunities to get into forges where they’re doing artist or structural projects. 

Then you go to the bladesmith, who’s only doing blades, and you pick that up. 

Then you’re like, “Oh, I need to weld this piece. Let me learn how to weld. I need to machine this one. Let me learn how to use a mill,” and keep going from there. Playing with metals is a good time.

How did Yellow Goose Forge become known for swords and fantasy weapons? 

I started as an artisan blacksmith. I would do lots of normal blacksmith things — fire pokers, plant hangers, dinner bell triangles, candle holders — that kind of stuff. I was pushed by someone I worked with to put my projects online. So I did, and then Yellow Goose Forge caught traction and started snowballing and snowballing. 

In the comments, people would ask, “Dude, can you make this? Can you make that? Can you make this sword from this video game? Can you make this ax from this movie?” 

From there, it took off. I started getting contacted by movie production companies and TV shows.

What are Jason DiCosimo’s favorite blacksmithing projects?

The ones that I have no idea how to get done. 

My last sword was this big, crazy, out-there fantasy sword. So you’re welding, you’re forging, you’re machining, you’re milling, you’re doing all that stuff on the lathes. Those are the projects I love. The ones you really don’t know how you’re going to do it.

I wish everybody knew the feeling of their first completed project. Whatever it is, no matter how large or small, just the first thing you make with your hands by shaping, machining, or forging metal. When you’re done, you just sit there and look at it, something that didn’t exist before — it existed in a different form. You’re taking something raw and using heat and force to make it into what you want. You can feel it, You can hold it. 

That feeling is something like, “Oh my God, I made this.” It’s super cool.

Why are forging and manufacturing careers a strong fit for veterans? 

Because it takes a certain type of person.

I spent 23 years in the Marine Corps. I retired as a sergeant major in South Carolina, the same place where I went in. It was an amazing, close-the-book moment. But you learn discipline, fortitude and consistency. Those translate into everything.

For service members to transition back into the regular world, it takes a person who’s not afraid to get dirty, but also not afraid to knuckle down and do equations and learn the math and measurements. It takes somebody who can really focus on what’s at hand, especially because of the danger involved. It could be very hazardous if you’re not safe, which is another thing that’s transferable from the military services. Safety is not paramount, safe training is paramount. You’re still doing it, but you’re doing it with intention. 

What do students learn at METAL’s metalcasting bootcamp? 

What I wanted to get out of the bootcamp was sand casting. I’m not good at it, but I can make it look really good. I’ve already gotten so many nuggets of things that’ll fix my work and make it easier with less cleanup at the end.

As far as casting goes, I learned how to properly vent molds, how to lay the molds and gate them, and how to use sprues, risers, and vents appropriately. I wasn’t able to do that before. It was always a calamity. 

The education level of METAL’s instructors is top-notch. The experience is way above what I’m used to in the craft and the trades.

I was also looking forward to going to the foundry. I’ve been in foundries before. I have my own small version of a foundry, but I want to see the large scale — what it looks like and how they do it. Whether you’re doing small or large scale, it’s all the same process, the same tools. Some of the tooling might be smaller or more unique to whatever the process is, but definitely getting to the foundry is what I looked forward to the most. 

How is METAL training the next generation of metal workers? 

When you’re in a trade where not a lot of knowledge gets passed around, coming to a place like METAL’s bootcamp — where people are so willing to give the secrets away and impart their knowledge onto the people coming along behind them — is huge. 

I want to see more competition. I want to see more free flow of collaborative ideas and passing along the skillsets. I want to expose forging to everybody and then let people who naturally want to do it come along like a lighthouse. 

With METAL, all the content, all the information, all the education, all of the skills people need to cast and forge are here. How do you get it out to the masses? You put it in front of as many people as you can, and the ones who are drawn to it will come. 

Why should aspiring metal workers attend METAL’s bootcamp? 

I would say whether you’re looking to get your hands dirty, use new tools, or whether the calculations are your thing, everything from the desk work to the forge work is included in this bootcamp, which is the coolest part. 

There’s something for everybody. I’m not a big fan of math. However, a lot of people love that kind of thing, so calculations it is.

Why is interest in blacksmithing and forging growing?  

What I do in my craft, and how I present it to the world, is I’m making things that people think you can’t make with your hands. They think there’s no way you’re going to be able to make this crazy sword or battle ax. So when I show people the process from beginning to end, when they see the end product, they want to know, “how did you do it?” 

The question I get most often from thousands of people every day is, “how do I learn how to do that? How do I get started?”

The hunger for people to learn forging, metalcasting and hands-on manufacturing is there. We just need to show them how. 

Ready to forge your career in metal manufacturing? Explore METAL’s free online training and hands-on bootcamps to discover careers in metalcasting and forging. Visit our events page to find a bootcamp near you. 

Follow Yellow Goose Forge on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. 

FAQs

What is blacksmithing?

Blacksmithing is the process of shaping and forging metal using heat, tools and force. Blacksmiths create everything from decorative ironwork and tools to knives, swords and industrial metal components.

What’s the difference between forging and metalcasting?

Forging shapes heated metal using force from hammers, presses or dies, while metalcasting involves pouring molten metal into a mold to create a finished shape. Both are essential manufacturing processes used across industries including defense, aerospace, automotive and energy.

How do beginners learn blacksmithing and forging?

Many beginners start by watching online tutorials, attending workshops, or enrolling in hands-on manufacturing training programs and bootcamps. Learning forging often includes skills like welding, machining, metallurgy and shop safety.

What careers are available in forging and metalcasting?

The metal industry offers careers including blacksmithing, forging, welding, machining, foundry work, CNC operation, metallurgy and tool-and-die manufacturing. Skilled workers are needed across defense manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and industrial manufacturing.

Why are manufacturing careers a good fit for veterans?

Manufacturing and forging careers often align well with military experience because they require discipline, attention to detail, safety awareness and problem-solving skills. Many veterans transition successfully into skilled trades and advanced manufacturing roles.

What is sand casting?

Sand casting is a metalcasting process that uses compacted sand molds to shape molten metal into finished parts or components. It’s one of the oldest and most widely used casting methods in manufacturing.

Can blacksmithing become a career?

Yes. Modern blacksmiths and bladesmiths build careers creating custom metalwork, artistic pieces, knives, swords, architectural ironwork and industrial products. Many also teach classes, create online content or operate fabrication businesses.

What industries rely on forging and metalcasting?

Forging and metalcasting are critical to industries including aerospace, automotive, defense, shipbuilding, construction, medical manufacturing and energy production.

How can someone get started in manufacturing training?

People interested in forging, metalcasting and manufacturing careers can begin through free online training programs, community college courses, apprenticeships, trade schools and hands-on bootcamps like METAL’s workforce training programs.

From Bootcamp to Career: How METAL and Laborup are Rebuilding America’s Manufacturing Workforce

METAL, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, and funded by the Department of War’s IBAS Program, was built to revitalize American manufacturing through hands-on training. Now, in a new partnership with hiring platform Laborup, METAL is connecting aspiring metal workers with the jobs forging America’s future. 

For anyone eager to build a high-energy, high-impact career with real earning potential, there’s no shortage of opportunity in metal manufacturing. It’s exciting work that rewards precision, grit and problem-solving — and America needs more people ready to step into it.

As President Donald Trump’s National Security Strategy pushes to rebuild America’s industrial base, manufacturing demand is rising fast. At the same time, Baby Boomers are retiring at record rates, leaving critical workforce gaps across the metal industry. By 2033, nearly 4 million manufacturing jobs could be available nationwide.  

Manufacturers need to hire — fast. Yet workforce shortages and ineffective recruiting are slowing efforts to fill the jobs that the nation’s supply chain and armed forces directly depend on. 

Together, METAL and Laborup, creator of the artificial intelligence (AI) software empowering America’s most critical workforce needs, are closing the employment gap by training future metal workers and helping manufacturers connect with skilled talent faster. 

Step 1: Train the Next Generation of Metal Workers

Jonga, a tech entrepreneur and chemical engineer, said his first time in a foundry felt surreal. The blasts of heat, sparks and piles of newly formed metal reminded him of his time working on an oil rig. 

“You know the feeling you have when you’re standing in front of an ocean? You feel small. Being in a foundry almost feels the same,” Jonga said. “Once you’re in the industry, there’s no leaving. This thing happens to you when you experience and see that.” 

Jonga has also experienced the frustrations and pitfalls of working for manufacturers short on skilled trades people. Million dollar projects halt or fall behind, not because teams can’t hire engineers, but because they struggle to find qualified metalcasters, machinists, welders and fabricators. 

“Even now, as we work with companies doing critical work for our military, the government and in energy, they don’t have a shortage of work. It’s a shortage of people,” he explained. 

But how do you get skilled trades people in the foundry door? Welcome them in. 

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. 

For nearly a week, bootcamp participants gain hands-on experience in sand casting design and pouring processes. The trainees pound sand into molds, learn CAD software, pour molten metal, and machine finished parts. Participants leave with their own metal creations, foundational metalcasting and forging skills, and a clearer picture of promising careers in aerospace, automotive and defense manufacturing.   

High school student Yash Babar said the bootcamp introduced him to careers in foundry operations, quality testing, and casting production that he didn’t know existed before.  

“It gave me a ton of exposure,” Babar said about the bootcamp. “It showed me that I don’t have to have a desk job when I grow up. I could be doing something with my hands, I could be creating something. It opened up a new perspective.”

As more than half of Millennials (63%) and Gen Z (65%) worry about AI eliminating jobs, apprenticeships and skills-based trades are becoming more attractive to younger workers. 

“The public is on high alert,” said Dr. Vasileios Maroulas, Director of AI Tennessee. “Technological innovation and workforce demands are now outpacing the size of our workforce and the average worker’s skill set.”

Jonga believes AI should help workers access opportunity — not replace them.  

“Frankly, there’s millions of job openings in manufacturing, so there’s a lot to be done,” Jonga said. “AI is how we can amplify people and get them in the best role for them.”

Now, thanks to Laborup, bootcamp participants won’t just leave METAL’s training with new skills and potential. They’ll also have direct access to a tool and resources designed to help them launch careers in manufacturing. 

Step 2: Turn Training Into Real Career Opportunities 

Billions of people use popular platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed to search for jobs every day. But Jonga said most networking platforms were built for office workers behind computers — not foundry workers operating 2,000°F furnaces or climbing 20-foot molds before a pour.  

Laborup is different. 

Through AI-powered technology, Laborup connects manufacturers with vetted, skilled workers five to ten times faster than traditional staffing agencies. Trades professionals can start by creating a free profile and speaking their job history and skills into the app. Laborup’s voice AI takes it from there, generating a resume and job profile recruiters can quickly evaluate. Once a profile is complete, the app begins matching workers with manufacturing opportunities aligned with their experience, skills and wage expectations.

“We wanted to build something a 65-year-old welder or metal worker can use just as easily as a 17-year-old machinist,” Jonga said. “With Laborup, someone can make a resume from a conversation. We want to make it that simple.” 

Since launching two years ago, Laborup has connected with more than 100,000 skilled workers while helping manufacturers cut hiring costs by more than 50%. According to company data, workers using the platform earn about 30% more in their next role on average. 

“I was a little skeptical at first, but wow was I wrong,” a senior CNC machinist from Oak Ridge, Tennessee said about Laborup. “The platform itself is easy to use, but also the people behind it are easy to reach and help you along the way. It’s awesome to see something built for us.”

A maintenance machinist from Knoxville, Tennessee added, “Finding high-paying manufacturing jobs is hard. Laborup is making it easy and putting us workers first.”

Laborup also offers in-app career coaching and interview preparation. Jonga said his team works with companies from small machine shops to Fortune 500s to better understand the technical and soft skills companies look for in manufacturing hires. Looking ahead, he hopes to use video and virtual reality to give workers a firsthand look inside modern foundries. 

“How can we bring the career resources that a person on Vanderbilt’s campus or University of Tennessee’s campus has to a worker in rural Pennsylvania?” Jonga asked. “AI really breaks down the barriers for this workforce to interact, but also for training and career prep.”

Step 3: Help Modern Manufacturers Hire Faster and Smarter 

Manufacturers are embracing Laborup, too, noticing the app’s top talent. 

When aerospace and defense manufacturer Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering (ORT-E) needed a better way to hire qualified machinists and engineers, President Steve Mullins decided to try Laborup. The app’s speed, convenience and rigorous applicant screening process helped ORT-E reduce staffing costs while identifying candidates more likely to stay long-term.  

“By the time Laborup sends me someone, I already know they’re a good fit,” Mullins said. “I’d be afraid to tell my competitors about Laborup. They’d get an edge on me.”  

With METAL, Jonga said Laborup is greasing America’s metal manufacturing pipeline — helping trained bootcamp participants move from the classroom into high-demand manufacturing careers. 

“At the end of the day, we want to create more skilled workers and revitalize metal working,” Jonga said. “But it will take everyone — training programs, the government, employers and platforms like ours — to make this work and achieve everything the U.S. wants to achieve.”

Ready to forge a new career? Start METAL’s free online training and visit our events page to attend the next METAL bootcamp or workshop near you. 

Create your Laborup profile today by downloading the app in the Apple Store or on Google Play. 

Industrial Talk: Dr. Paul Lynch with Penn State METAL Program

Check out this episode of Industrial Talk featuring Penn State Associate Professor Dr. Paul Lynch.

Scott Mackenzie hosts the Industrial Talk podcast, celebrating industry professionals and their contributions. In this episode, he interviews Dr. Paul Lynch, who oversees the Metallurgical Engineering Trade Apprenticeship and Learning (METAL) program at Penn State Erie. Dr. Lynch discusses the importance of manufacturing in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the METAL program’s role in training the next generation of skilled workers. He emphasizes the need for hands-on training and collaboration between industry and academia to address the workforce shortage. The program aims to inspire interest in manufacturing careers and provide practical skills through boot camps and apprenticeships. Dr. Lynch also highlights the upcoming new center for manufacturing competitiveness at Penn State Erie.

 

 

Uniting Small Manufacturers: Q&A With Russell Winter, Founder of US MFG

Russell Winter has spent most of his life on a machine shop floor.

As a third-generation tool and die maker, Winter cut his teeth at his grandfather’s company in Illinois, where he learned how to finish die castings and machine precision parts. What began as a small tool and die operation in the 1970s has evolved into Center Tool Co., the milling, turning and machining company Winter leads today.

But Winter wasn’t handed ownership of his family’s business — he had to earn it. Under the guidance of his father, Allan, the second CEO, Winter spent years mastering mills, CNC machines, CAD design software, welding and part repair. Like many manufacturers, he learned a few lessons the hard way, spending late nights on the shop floor making up for early-days mistakes.

Now 32, Winter is president of Center Tool Co., a champion for small businesses and founder of US MFG, a network that helps small metal manufacturers grow, scale operations and pass ownership to America’s next generation of industrial entrepreneurs.

At a recent METAL bootcamp, Winter spoke to us about his founder journey, the future of the metal industry — from CNC machining and precision tooling to metalcasting and forging careers — and how US MFG is reinforcing the manufacturing community for long-term success.

Listen to this interview (15min)

 

Why did you launch US MFG and how is US MFG helping small metal manufacturers grow?

Russell Winter: My story started with Center Tool, but then it led to US MFG, which is now what I spend most of my time on. After I bought the business from my dad in 2019, I started having more conversations with other owners of small businesses. I realized all these guys are retiring, they’re aging out of the workforce.

My dad’s generation was told, “You got to take over the family business. You’re the only one that’s going to do it.”

My generation was told, “Go to school, join the military, do what you have a passion for.” Those of us that grew up in family businesses saw how much stress it was running and managing it. So for good reasons, I think a lot of this generation hasn’t taken over family businesses. I was realizing that could be a problem.

What happens to all these companies that are owned by Baby Boomers looking to retire and no one is going to take them over? That got my wheels turning back in 2019 when I was having those conversations and that eventually led me to starting US MFG.

We built software that allows small businesses to connect with each other and streamline their operations and workloads between companies. What we realized was being a small business, you can easily get backlogged or easily be dead and have no work — there’s a lot of fluctuation. When we have two companies that work together, they can help balance their workloads.

Right now we’re focused on getting small manufacturers cybersecure so they can get into defense work. Then the platform is built to start getting them into the defense industrial base, get them more work and make them healthy. Succession I think will follow a healthy company.

What challenges did you face while building US MFG?

Russell Winter: I started it with the mission mindset of saving small shops and good jobs in small communities because that’s where I grew up. We wear steel toe boots and flannels and we like to go fishing and we’re not looking to be billionaires, but we want a fair salary or hourly rate and flexibility. So I started it with that intention and I thought if we built this software, we could raise money and buy all these small shops. It took me a few years. I was homeschooled, grew up on a farm, and grew up in the shop. There were a lot of things that I had to learn the hard way.

One of those things was, is it even worth buying small shops? Are they a good investment? It was a painful realization for me because I felt more of the mission drawn to buying these companies than the financial outcome. And I realized that a lot of them are not investible.

If they’re old and have depreciated equipment and old buildings and they’re making an 8% margin at the end of the year, it’s not an attractive investment. So how do you raise money to go buy those and say you’re going to pay back investors and buy new machines?

Then I had to refocus and tackle it by saying, “Well, let’s get these shops more work, and then they’ll grow and be healthy.” That’s how you can help sustain them. 

I think there is a need for aggregating the capacity that small manufacturers have. A lot of us are operating one shift a week, 40 hours, probably utilizing half of the machines we have on the floor. So there’s a lot of unused capacity in these businesses. If you could get them to work together, even just on a platform level, you could utilize them more for bigger contracts.

We’re at the point where we have this software, we got into defense work on our own as a three person shop and got all our certifications. We know that we can help other people do it, but we’re at the stage where we need to raise money or get enough capital so we can hire a team to fully build US MFG out and expand it.

What challenges are small metal manufacturers in the U.S. facing today?

Russell Winter: I think one of them is that small manufacturers are really good at making parts. That’s what they want to spend their time on, not fighting to get work. 

On the defense side, with cybersecurity certifications and requirements, when we did it, I basically spent my full time figuring out the compliance side, and my other buddy built the software, and my other one was doing the machining. It’s a lot to expect a small manufacturer to either be able to afford to hire someone for $100,000 to get compliant or to dedicate all their time to that when they’re already trying to fight for work. I think if they had more work and a better idea of what type of work best suited their facility, they would do great at making parts.

Another challenge is, culturally, a lot of people talk about how it’s hard to hire, and I’m probably not the best person to speak for it because we have four people. I’ve probably hired four people in my life. It’s never been an issue for me to find those people, but I’ve only hired four. So I think a big part of the hiring issue, though, has to do with culture and how do you attract new employees? It’s your company culture. That’s one of the top three selling points for how to attract people nowadays, and a lot of shops need to update their culture. They need to be a little bit more relevant and flexible, and there are plenty that are doing it, and they’re hiring people.

I would say let’s get more work, get your culture healthy, and then you’ll have the people to do it.

How can metal manufacturers attract more work and talent?

Russell Winter: On the culture side of things, I think something that would be very helpful for young people coming in is having a career roadmap. Our local high school has a shop program. By the time they get out, they could already have three or four years of hands-on programming and machining. By the time they get to employment, we probably already worked with them for a year or two. We did that with one apprentice. We brought them on while they were still in high school. But give them a roadmap — don’t just say, “Hey, you’re going to do this for the next 20 years you’re here.” Because they probably won’t be there for 20 years. But if you say, “This is what we need you for now, if you learn these skills, this is the kind of raise you’ll get,” and build something out that shows them the future of achieving what they want out of life.

And be open to new ideas. Even if you think it’s a bad idea, be open to it as long as it’s not going to be a catastrophic failure. Allowing someone to fail is really good for retention and growth, and isn’t that what you want? 

I know that because that is how my dad ran the shop when I was growing up. I made a pretty big mistake one time and we had to scrap 10 grand worth of parts. I sent a part after heat treating, we machined it, hard machined it, sent it out. Normally, we send it out for nitriding because they were mold tooling inserts, and I sent it out for heat treating again. So when it came back, it was warped and we couldn’t fix them. All I did was sign the wrong stuff on the order sheet for the treatment.

When I realized that, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was like, “Oh, Dad, I just screwed up.”

He said, “All right, you just got to go remake them.”

I almost wanted him to blow up at me because I felt so bad about it. Nope, I just slept at the shop in front of the machine and made the parts. I got it done, but that taught me responsibility.

What made you want to join METAL’s metal manufacturing bootcamp?

Russell Winter: I first heard about METAL’s bootcamp at Reindustrialize last year. I think this is such a huge opportunity when you have free training open to everybody, and getting into a career that gives you a lifestyle you want. I just had to see it for myself.

The METAL bootcamp being about casting and forging is outside of what I normally work on with machining and fabrication. That was a lot to learn, but I was like, “I wish I knew this already,” because it applies. There’s a lot of crossover. Even on the machining side, I learned about diamond turning. There’s always something to learn.

How do programs like METAL help manufacturers overcome workforce challenges?

Russell Winter: I definitely think more education and more awareness of the opportunities in manufacturing solves challenges because a big part of it is that people genuinely don’t understand it and don’t know about it. So bringing awareness to manufacturing and working with schools and getting kids that aren’t currently in the school system into the program, I think that works to solve it.

Mostly I’m looking at METAL as a huge resource to direct people when they’re not sure what they want to do. It’s just like, “What are you going to risk?” It’s a week. Learn about it and experience it, whether you’re from that background or not. You’ve got nothing to lose to learn about this opportunity. I think people will find it more interesting than you think. It’s pretty fascinating.

Why is rebuilding metal manufacturing critical to national security?

Russell Winter: There’s a certain level of industrial base that you need to maintain so that you can produce things that you need. You don’t need to make everything, right? I think there’s reasons to buy from other countries and to have allies. But on the national security side, if you’re playing on the global stage and you have other powers that are not aligned with your interests, you need to hold your own. If you don’t have an industrial base that can support holding your own, you lose. On the defense side, that’s very important. On the other side of national security, we saw with COVID we didn’t make a lot of the personal protective equipment. Well, when you need it, when the world needs it, whoever makes it keeps it.

There’s a lot of different ways that applies, but it’s a foundational sector of the economy and it’s been dying here for generations. Because I used to be focused on buying the small shops, people have reached out like, “Hey, I want to buy a small company. I want to buy a manufacturer.” That’s great there’s a lot of interest in it, but it helps to understand manufacturing before you want to own a company. They should come to METAL.

What excites you most about the future of the metal industry?

Russell Winter: It’s weird growing up and it never really being talked about. It was kind of like a hidden career. People didn’t talk about it like they were proud of it. But I see on Instagram and X people who have this lifestyle where they afford their house, they bought a car, they have a family. It’s like, “Oh wow, they’re 30 years old and they did this. What did you do? ‘I’m a welder. I’m a pipe fitter. I’m a machinist.’”

It really excites me that there’s more awareness of the need because that’s a lot of opportunity. I have little brothers, and their Gen Z uncertainty in careers is a big deal right now. I think these careers will be around for a long time. This is a healthy pathway to take for a while. 

So mostly the opportunity that’s out there, and seeing that policies and government are getting behind manufacturing now — that’s what’s needed. That’s one of the main reasons why it diminished. As a country, we’re moving to support it and METAL is a direct result of that. This is the government saying, “We’re serious about this. We will pay for people to come and get trained just to show them the opportunity that’s here.” I see it as a pivotal moment in policy where it’s like things are changing, so that’s exciting to me.

Ready to build your future in metal? Start METAL’s free online training, explore hands-on bootcamps and discover careers in metalcasting and forging. Visit our events page to find a bootcamp near you.

Connect with Russell Winter on LinkedIn, X, or reach out to him at usmfg.com.

FAQs

What does a tool and die maker do?

A tool and die maker builds and repairs the tools used to manufacture metal parts, including molds, dies and fixtures. Tool and die makers often use precision machining, CNC machining, CAD software and welding to create highly accurate parts.

What is CNC machining in the metal industry?

CNC machining is a manufacturing process that uses computer-controlled machines to cut and shape metal. It is commonly used by metal manufacturers to make precise parts for industries like defense, automotive and aerospace.

Why are small manufacturers important to the metal industry?

Small manufacturers play a major role in the U.S. metal industry because they produce specialized parts, support local jobs and strengthen the domestic supply chain.

Are there good careers in the metal industry?

Yes. Careers in the metal industry include tool and die maker, machinist, welder, CNC operator, manufacturing engineer, and skilled roles in metalcasting and forging such as foundry technician, patternmaker, melt operator, forge press operator and metallurgist. Many of these metal manufacturing careers offer strong pay, hands-on work, long-term stability and opportunities for advancement across industries like defense, automotive and aerospace.

What is the difference between metalcasting and forging?

Metalcasting creates parts by pouring molten metal into a mold, while forging shapes solid metal using compressive force. Both are essential processes in modern manufacturing and offer strong career opportunities across defense, automotive and aerospace industries.

***

The Skills Gap Threatening America’s Foundries: How Keystone Development Partnership Plans to Fix It

Keystone Development Partnership (KDP) launched 20 years ago after a massive skills gap derailed Pennsylvania’s transportation industry. Now, America’s metal industry faces a similar situation. An unprecedented labor gap has emerged, and KDP, Jobs for the Future (JFF) and METAL are working fast to repair it. 

For the first time since WWII, America needs more metal workers. 

By 2033, there could be nearly 4 million manufacturing jobs available across the country. But without stronger training pipelines, almost half those jobs could go unfilled, threatening national defense and U.S. supply chains. 

An aging workforce and reindustrialization have lit a fire under metal manufacturers — and the nation. 

“American prosperity and security depend on the development and promotion of competence,” President Donald Trump wrote in the 2025 National Security Strategy. “Cultivating American industrial strength must become the highest priority of national economic policy.”

But the most experienced metal workers are tired of keeping the irons hot. 

Millions of Baby Boomers are retiring, or trying to. Debra Killmeyer, a KDP project consultant and former dean of workforce at the Community College of Allegheny County, says labor shortages keep metal manufacturers and their employees under strain. 

“I talk to companies with people who’ve been there 44 and 46 years about how they can’t retire because they don’t have their replacement,” Killmeyer said. 

Since 2000, workers 55 and older have been the fastest-growing age group in the workforce, according to the United States Census Bureau. In manufacturing, the shift has been more pronounced. In 2022, 40% of employers had workforces made up of at least one-quarter older workers, nearly triple the rate of two decades earlier. States with older populations, including Maine, Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois, rely more on workers who are 55 and older.

Source: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/12/older-workers.html 

“That is where apprenticeships help,” Killmeyer said.

In partnership with METAL, a program led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, with funding from the Department of War’s IBAS Program, and Jobs for the Future, KDP is forging Pennsylvania’s next generation of metal workers through registered apprenticeships. 

History Repeats Itself

This is not the first time KDP Executive Director John Tkach has watched an essential industry fall behind.

In the 1990s, Tkach worked for the Public Transit Agency in Pittsburgh as Pennsylvania’s buses underwent a technological transformation. The old General Motors “fishbowl” buses were being replaced with higher-tech Neoplan models. Before long, more than 1,000 Neoplan buses were on the roads.

“One day, buses became computers on wheels,” Tkach said. For years, the buses stayed under warranty and went back to the manufacturer for repairs. When the warranties expired, transit mechanics were suddenly responsible for maintaining machines they had never been trained to understand. 

“When they went out of warranty, these vehicles had between 500,000 and a million miles on them,” Tkach explained. “Then it was the transit worker who had to take care of it, and they didn’t have the experience or knowledge.”

Today’s metal industry faces the same challenge.

Automation is creating safer, more accessible foundries — and deepening the industry’s skills gap. More training is required to operate the robotic arms, automated pouring systems, and autonomous cranes that now do the heavy lifting. 

“It’ll always be a process with people,” said Dr. Robert Voigt, a professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering at Penn State University. “But the demands on the workforce have gone up in terms of the application of knowledge at all levels.”

In 2000, Tkach conducted a skills gap analysis for the Public Transit Agency, learning what skills the mechanics and technicians needed to repair modern buses and developed a training curriculum. Soon, Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry wanted in-depth labor research conducted for other industries. Five years later, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, a statewide federation of labor unions, launched the Keystone Development Partnership. 

“My passion is to ensure businesses have the skilled workers they need and workers have the opportunities,” Tkach said.

Today, KDP is the driving force behind Pennsylvania’s manufacturing ecosystem, connecting employers and workers to the training resources they need to thrive. 

Forging the Future Together

KDP has partnered with Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit transforming education and workforce systems, to strengthen manufacturing apprenticeships for nearly a decade. They’ve expanded industrial manufacturing technician programs across the state, supporting almost 900 workers in everything from metal fabrication to food processing to bio-medical production. In total, KDP has managed program administration for 3,600 apprentices. 

Brian Paterniti, the director of workforce development of The Manufacturers’ Association, said one benefit to working with KDP is its extensive community network, including union and non-union companies, local workforce development boards, job centers, training providers, and community organizations. 

KDP also offers the Registered Apprenticeship Navigator program, a registered apprenticeship program that prepares people to assist employers and other organizations in developing and registering apprenticeships across Pennsylvania. So far, KDP has trained 150 people through the program.

“Apprenticeships are not easy. It’s difficult. It’s a lot for the apprentices and the employer,” Paterniti said. “KDP, JFF and METAL make it easy. John and Deb are right there, holding the manufacturers’ hands.

METAL’s partnership with JFF and KDP is helping manufacturers do more than fill open jobs. It’s offsetting training costs and revitalizing a metal workforce that’s built to last. Training an apprentice without experience can cost nearly $9,000, according to one Department of Labor study. That doesn’t include the price of an apprentice’s travel, salary and equipment. 

Through METAL and JFF, casting, forging and plate rolling companies across the country can receive assistance in developing an apprenticeship or other work-based learning programs. This funding is also eligible for training equipment and instructor costs, curriculum development, program design and implementation, and support services for apprentices. 

“We’re seeing a growing gap in the workforce. Experienced, highly skilled workers are retiring, and too few younger workers have the training needed to step into those roles,” Tkach explained. “Employers are looking for quick fixes, but the real solution is a long‑term strategy. That’s what registered apprenticeships provide — a reliable pipeline to develop your own skilled workers.”

More than 65% of manufacturers say attracting and retaining talent is their top business challenge. Apprenticeships are solving this problem — and introducing younger generations to career options that don’t require college. According to the Department of Labor, 94% of people who complete a registered apprenticeship stay employed with average salaries of $84,000 a year. 

“Apprenticeships reduce the risk for the employer with a tried and true system,” Killmeyer said. “With METAL’s funds, I’m able to sit down with casting and forging companies and take the time to listen to each of their challenges and help them find solutions.” 

More than anything, foundries need people who are ready to be hands-on in casting America’s future.

Your Apprenticeship Starts Here

Tkach and Killmeyer have spent decades navigating workforce challenges for one reason: apprenticeships create careers — and change lives. 

KDP’s network reaches veterans, immigrants and refugees, women in trades, formerly incarcerated individuals, and people in addiction recovery through community partners and apprenticeship sponsors. With decades of experience, Tkach’s team is connecting underrepresented communities to meaningful work in metalcasting and forging.

“It’s been really nice helping populations that may not otherwise know or have been exposed to these types of careers,” Killmeyer said. “Being able to do that makes a difference.”

Tkach will never forget one apprentice he met through Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, which helps people with disabilities enter the workforce. The apprentice, a young man, was eager to pursue a career in metal manufacturing, but needed additional support in the classroom.

“He said, ‘I’m not stupid. I learn differently. This apprenticeship program was exactly what I needed,’” Tkach remembered. 

The apprentice told Tkach he never imagined he would have a career — or a house and a family of his own. Today, he has all three. His employer is even considering him for a supervisor role.

“All because of an apprenticeship,” Tkach said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Ready to forge a stronger workforce? Learn how JFF can help your company implement an apprenticeship or other work-based learning programs here.

Cast your career in metal. Register for our free online training, then visit our events page to attend the next METAL bootcamp near you. 

If I Can Cast, You Can Too: A First-Timer’s Experience in the Foundry

Nothing could have prepared me for my first time in a foundry.

Yet there I was at Erie Bronze and Aluminum Co., mesmerized by the sound of grinding machines, the sharp smell of metallic dust, and the giddy energy of everyone around me — all waiting in line to pour their first casting.

One metal worker, both hands wrapped around the heavy castings he cleaned, smiled warmly at the line of newcomers. “I’ve been there,” his eyes, filled with knowing anticipation, seemed to say.

Staring inside the massive ceramic crucible glowing red like a dragon’s mouth, I tried not to think about what I was about to do.  

“I’m nervous,” I said to Russell Winter, a third-generation tool and die maker still dressed in his silver protective gear, raising my voice over the foundry’s symphonic churn. 

“My arms shook the whole time,” he admitted, “mostly from nerves.” Great, I thought, staring up at the well-over-six-foot-tall man. I flexed my biceps — reminding myself they existed — attached to my spindly 5-foot-6 frame. Would I even be able to hold the ladle? Let alone manage a ladle filled with molten aluminum?

I heard the voice of Crystal Bentley from IACMI – The Composites Institute, in the back of my mind. On the flight to Pennsylvania she said, “In every class I’ve been to, someone has spilled the metal.”

Not me, not today, I prayed. Before fear held me back, someone piled a fire-resistant coat, gloves, leg and foot covers, and a massive face shield into my arms. “Your turn.” 

I stood there like a toddler as student teachers from Penn State Behrend quickly and efficiently strapped everything onto me, tucking the protective gear over exposed clothing and tugging to make sure it all fit right. The oversized stuffed gloves turned my hands into teddy bear paws. 

“How do you grip anything in these?” I said. A voice beyond my face shield responded, “Tightly.” 

My Journey to the Foundry

Getting to Erie Bronze and Aluminum Co. took two flights from Knoxville and Charlotte and a 15-minute car ride. Finding my way to metalcasting took more than a year, and that journey began with METAL.

My trade is writing. The most gratifying part of my job is listening to the stories people share with me. For a moment, I see the world through their eyes, gain an understanding of their experiences, and find the words to pass it on. Then, I find the next story.

But writing about the metal industry felt different — I haven’t been ready to move on. I’ve spent the past year writing blogs for METAL, a program funded by the Department of War’s IBAS Program to revitalize metalcasting and forging in America through hands-on K-12 workshops, metallurgical bootcamps and apprenticeships. 

I’ve seen the enthusiastic glow of students learning the trade; been inspired by the earnest dedication of the metallurgists reviving it; and felt the passion of recruiters who’d do anything – even babysit – to make sure apprentices succeed. 

Here’s what I’ve learned along the way: Metalcasting is doing more than offering people careers — it’s changing lives.

For example, Georgia Southern University student Robert Myers became a welder and machinist after high school. But when a car accident put his career on hold, he decided to return to school, where he discovered GSU’s metalcasting program and hands-on internships.  

“I’m so glad I found metalcasting when I did,” Myers said. “This industry is one of the blocks the world is built on. We need people who are willing to keep it alive.” 

Then there are service members like Airman Savana Ohlenburger, learning the skills needed to support U.S. aircraft and weapons production; and Barron Industries’ Michael Price, a quality coordinator who stepped into the metal industry for the first time during COVID in search of a better way to support his family. 

Again and again, I’ve heard these stories – often holding back my own tears during interviews, moved and stunned by the opportunities manufacturing jobs are offering Americans once again.

Why didn’t anyone tell me? I’ve thought. People should know these jobs exist. 

“Have you tried it before,” interviewees would ask, “pour metal?” Sheepishly, I’d shake my head no.

“You should,” they’d say. Maybe. 

America’s Blue Collar Comeback

There’s no denying the future of American manufacturing is strong. By 2033, the country could need nearly 4 million manufacturing workers to support its defense and supply chains. However, half of those jobs could go unfilled if manufacturers can’t train new employees fast, Deloitte reported. 

At the same time, “white collar” office jobs across tech, government and other industries continue to get slashed. In 2025, the information sector lost 5,000 jobs on average per month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These included jobs at software, publishing, broadcasting, telecommunications, data processing and web companies. Tech giants like Amazon and Meta laid off thousands in 2025 and early 2026, with more cuts likely to come. Federal employment continues to slide, down 11% since October 2024.

Some days, scrolling on LinkedIn is downright depressing. Layoff victims are now competing with artificial intelligence, corporate offshoring and a ruthlessly competitive job pool. Professionals across marketing, human resources, administrative roles and sales are begging for interviews. But the jobs just aren’t there. 

As someone in the “information” industry, diversifying my skills started to seem like a wise idea.

Breaking Metal – And Barriers

More than 20 blogs and dozens of interviews later, I decided it was my turn to experience the foundry. Doubts I’ve carried my entire life lingered: I’m not good at math. I couldn’t make more than a C in chemistry class. I have no hand-eye coordination, and I’m clumsy. When I told my family I planned to attend a casting and forging bootcamp, my sister laughed. “Can I come watch?” she said.

I share that to say, if you feel like an unlikely candidate for metal manufacturing, you’re not alone.

Thankfully, the encouragement from everyone I’d met in the industry overpowered preconceptions about myself and today’s manufacturing environments. Sure, people said it was dirty and the hours could be long. But they also said it was innovative, fulfilling and often thrilling – watching electric arcs illuminate the inside of a furnace, or flames flash up from sand molds during a pour. 

More than anything, the sparks – and camaraderie – around metalcasting and forging sounded fun. So, I took METAL’s free online training, laced up my leather boots and prepared for the experience of a lifetime.  

For two days, I joined real metal workers, manufacturing owners and industry leaders in Erie, Pennsylvania to learn new skills for the nation’s most urgent jobs. We learned how to use SolidCast and FlowCast software to simulate the time, metal quantities, and cooling patterns of pouring a casting. 

We tested the strength of iron, aluminum and other metal materials using tensile and hardness testing machines. All metals and metal manufactured-parts undergo rigorous quality testing. After all, lives depend on it. 

“Would this be the type of test they’d use on steel beams before building a bridge?” I asked, watching the Tensile machine stretch a thin strip of metal to its breaking point. A quiet anticipation filled the room. 

“Absolutely,” a student teacher responded. A minute later, the metal split with a loud “pop,” like uncorking a champagne bottle. Everyone jumped, some exclaimed, and we all laughed at ourselves.  

The group also dabbled in mold design. We used Autodesk Fusion, a software for 2D and 3D CAD modeling, to turn simple lines and dots into drawings of real machined parts. Man, I thought, customizing my creations on the screen, I could have enjoyed this. If only I had known it was an option.      

Then on a March morning, dressed in my shiny, silver suit, it was finally time to pour molten metal.

The Final Pour

“This one is going to be more complicated,” said Dr. Paul C. Lynch, an associate professor of industrial engineering, as I stepped up, death-gripping my empty ladle. I’d watched in patient awe as everyone in my group meticulously poured the lava-like aluminum into stein molds. No one had spilled a drop, and I was the last one up.  

Dr. Lynch leaned in and shouted over the machines, “We are going to need the metal to cool in your ladle before it is poured. After your ladle is filled, we’re going to put a metal cooling block in it to try to bring the temperature down before you pour.” 

I nodded, wordlessly, and turned to the metal worker who manned the crucible in protective wear that reminded me of the X-Files. He scooped molten aluminum into his ladle and gently transferred it into mine. I turned back to Dr. Lynch, slicing the air with the ladle’s heat. 

“Swish it!” He said, and my arms attempted small, careful circles. His student came over with the cold stone and I went stock-still. He dunked it in the metal once, read the thermometer and shook his head. Again. Dunk, still not cool enough. I pinched my elbows into my abdomen and activated my core. I could not let go.  

As I began to wonder how much longer I could hold, Dr. Lynch released me, “It’s cool enough! We can pour!”

I found the molds on the floor behind me. I was pouring spiral castings instead of steins, which explained the temperature difference. Cautiously, I overturned the liquid metal into the mold’s teacup-size hole. Dr. Lynch guided me. “Faster,” he encouraged. Seconds later, I finished pouring metal into three molds and returned my leftover aluminum to the crucible. 

It was over – and the metal didn’t spill! My fears of tripping and setting the foundry on fire slipped away.

I returned to my group like a champion. Exhilaration and a sense of accomplishment clung to the warm air. We had all faced our fears. We overcame stigmas, passed down from parents and grandparents, about manufacturing work. We looked beyond gender, age and education to learn something new. We got our hands dirty. We took part in a process that civilizations are built on

And, much like any rat pack, we were sorry to see the moment end. 

Nothing could have prepared me for my first time in a foundry — or for my next question:

When can I do that again? 

Ready to explore a future in metal? Start METAL’s free online training and visit our events page to attend the next METAL bootcamp or workshop near you.

By: Amanda Freuler

Georgia Southern University partners with METAL to advance workforce training in metalworking and manufacturing

STATESBORO, Georgia (February 11, 2026) – The Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) program, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, is proud to announce a new partnership with Georgia Southern University to enhance and scale up industry-driven training opportunities for current and prospective metalworking and manufacturing professionals. Funded by the Department of War’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, METAL strengthens and diversifies the U.S. metal manufacturing workforce, focusing on casting, forging and plate rolling.

Georgia Southern’s Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) program 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, these programs will lead outreach efforts for K–12 students by offering workshops and partnering with high schools and other local and regional schools to spark early interest in metallurgical careers.

“The hands-on training students and job seekers will experience through METAL’s partnership with Georgia Southern will teach them industry-ready skills they can apply immediately,” said Lucinda Curry, METAL National Workforce Manager at IACMI. “These are high-demand, high-impact careers and exposing students to modern metalworking helps build a pipeline of talent ready to support American manufacturing and innovation.”

Upon completing online and in-person bootcamp training, 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 excited to partner with METAL to provide hands-on and computational learning experiences using our exceptional manufacturing facilities,” said Mingzhi Xu, Ph.D., FEF Key Professor at Georgia Southern. “By opening our foundry and laboratories to the broader community, we are proud to support METAL’s mission and help prepare the public for high-impact careers in modern metal manufacturing.”

Georgia Southern University’s partnership with METAL includes:

  • 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 12 in-person bootcamps for at least 150 participants throughout the course of its tenure
  • Host at least six open foundry nights for a minimum of 200 K-12 students
  • Foster collaborations with local high schools and community colleges. This strategic partnership will focus on integrating METAL training into their educational curriculum, enriching opportunities for students interested in metalworking and manufacturing. 
  • Participate in a comprehensive Train the Trainer initiative, which aims to equip future METAL program partner schools and training centers with the knowledge and capability to host bootcamps
  • 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 future educational opportunities in metallurgy.

Georgia Southern’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 and Purdue University. Together, these institutions are revitalizing American manufacturing by delivering responsive, scalable and sustainable workforce development programs.

For more information about METAL at Georgia Southern, 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 Georgia Southern University Foundry Educational Foundation Program
The Georgia Southern University Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) Program provides hands-on education and workforce training in metalcasting. FEF Certified in 2021, the program integrates experiential learning, modern foundry practices, and industry-aligned curriculum to prepare students and professionals for careers in metal manufacturing. Through access to state-of-the-art foundry and manufacturing facilities, the program supports education, outreach, and industry engagement while contributing to the development of a skilled, industry-ready workforce.

About Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 with a Carnegie Community Engagement classification, offers approximately 149 different degree programs serving nearly 31,600 students through 11 colleges on four campuses in Savannah, Hinesville, Statesboro, Swainsboro and online instruction. Founded in 1906, Georgia Southern is a leader in higher education in southeast Georgia with expert faculty and a focus on public impact research and engaging learning opportunities through knowledge and know-how that prepare our students to soar beyond and take ownership of their lives, careers and communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.

 

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METAL Is for Everyone: Finding Your Place in Metals Manufacturing

Dr. Alexandra (Allie) Glover remembers her grandfather, Douglas Glover, by his quirky inventions, from a mechanical cherry pitter to a peanut butter stirrer, and his passion for metallurgy. He was a specialist in powder metallurgy and ball bearing manufacturing, dedicating his career to improving movement in engines, industrial equipment and power tools. 

He also illuminated the pathway for his granddaughter’s career.

Douglas Glover

Today, Allie Glover is a professional metallurgist and assistant professor in materials science and engineering at her alma mater, Michigan Technological University, where her grandfather also earned his metallurgy degree.

“Metallurgy isn’t something you find out about by accident,” Glover said. “Normally, someone has a connection — a family member or friend, or they live in a community that has a forging house or metal casting foundry.”

Dr. Allie Glover

However, the connection between metals manufacturing and American communities slowly faded. When Glover’s grandfather began his career in the 1950s, the U.S. had three times more foundries, and more than 16 million Americans made a living from manufacturing. Today, metal stamping and forging businesses are declining 2.3% per year on average. By 2033, almost 4 million manufacturing jobs could be available in the U.S. without the trained workers to fill them. 

“We gave our know-how and our facilities away,” said Dr. Paul Lynch, an associate professor of industrial engineering at Penn State Behrend, referring to offshoring efforts. “We need to train people and get the know-how back.”

What was once seen as a dangerous job for manual laborers is now a high-tech, innovative field with competitive salaries for skilled engineers, technicians and foundry workers. In 2024, U.S. manufacturing workers earned more than $106,000 on average, while production workers and non-supervisors made about $61,000 and saw 4.2% annual wage growth.

“I think people still have misconceptions that the field is dirty or antiquated,” Glover said. “But it’s a very fun field to work in. I’ve found metallurgy to be incredibly welcoming and rewarding.”

Motivated to inspire the next generation of metalcasters and inventors, Glover joined METAL and professional metallurgists across the country in rebuilding America’s metal industry — one person at a time.

Metal Is for Everyone

METAL, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, with funding from the Department of War’s IBAS Program, is preparing a resilient, adaptable metal workforce that the nation can depend on. Through hands-on K-12 workshops, metallurgical bootcamps and apprenticeships, METAL ignites student curiosity about manufacturing while helping employers improve training practices.

“There isn’t a lot of structured training in the foundry,” explained Michelle Szymik, vice president of human resources at Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry. “You have to rely on your tenured employees to train new people who may have never even walked into a manufacturing environment before.”

From NFL pros to key players in national defense to tomorrow’s engineers, METAL makes metalcasting and forging accessible to everyone. Career seekers and industry professionals can get started with METAL’s free, self-paced online training. After learning the basics of casting design, additive manufacturing and melting processes, they’re ready for hands-on training with professional metallurgists — 3D-printing molds, pouring red-hot, molten metal and finishing their own castings. METAL also offers advanced bootcamps focused on digital casting technologies and sand science.

“The hands-on participation was amazing,” said retired NFL linebacker and entrepreneur Tim Johnson, who attended METAL’s Ohio State University bootcamp while developing his life-saving helmet technology, H.I.P. MD’s Brain Crown. “I used a ladle to pour aluminum into a mold, finished what I made, and earned a certificate in metal. If you’re looking for a metalcasting opportunity, this is the place to go.”

Bootcamp participants spend nearly a week in a foundry learning design and simulation software, discovering the chemistry of aluminum, brass and steel, and safely pouring liquid metal into molds — casting souvenirs like a stein, coins and a design of their choice.  

“There really is something for everyone,” Glover said. “If you find something that you excelled at or enjoyed, pay attention to those moments. You don’t have to be good at everything to succeed.”

Yash Babar, the youngest person to ever attend a bootcamp, decided to try the experience at Ohio State University during his summer break. Not only did he leave with an aluminum Nike sneaker he designed and cast, but with the confidence to consider a career in engineering. 

“I’m still trying to find out what I want to do in the future, and I ended up loving it,” Babar said about metalcasting. “The instructors were easy to approach and spent time explaining things. When you’re new to something, you might be shy. They make you feel like you belong here.”

Forging New Pathways Into Metal

After years of hearing her grandfather’s stories of sparks and fire, Glover tried metallurgy for the first time in a high school jewelry class. Torch in hand, she learned how to melt and bond metals, print custom designs with a rolling mill, and experimented with titanium anodizing, a process used in aerospace and defense to color-code parts. 

“I think many women are more attracted to arts or crafting spaces,” Glover said. “A lot of casting and forging programs are focused on blacksmithing, and that works for some students. But we try to have avenues for someone who might be interested from a creative arts background, too.” 

Hands-on experiences like these, Glover said, are what turn curiosity into career direction.    

“That’s how you get to see the industry,” she said. “There are so many possibilities.”

Through a partnership with the Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF), METAL supports universities nationwide with hands-on curriculum and paid internships for students pursuing metallurgy. FEF scholar Victoria Rambo was a sophomore at Virginia Tech when she began to discover how many doors foundry experience could open. Her enthusiasm led her to create replica missile fins for the National Museum of the Marine Corps, present at the American Foundry Society national conference and be featured in the book Women in Steel Volume II.

“The experience helped me with professional development and technical knowledge when I applied for the job I have now,” said Rambo, who’s an associate metallurgist at Carpenter Technology Corporation. “If you fall in love with metalcasting, give it your all because the opportunities will be there. The connections you make will be your biggest support along the way.” 

James Votava, a CNC operator engineer at C&H Precision Weapons, isn’t sure where his career would be without his hands-on internships and scholarships.

“I didn’t have the money for college,” Votava said. “I took out a couple of loans and I worked at McDonald’s, but FEF helped me get industry experience and financial support. Without these programs, metalcasting will be lost.”

The Future of Metal Is Built by Everyone

There’s never been a better time to consider a career in metals. In 2020, almost 29 million Baby Boomers retired, leaving unmanned machines and significant skills gaps across U.S. foundries. As Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z step into leadership roles, the American workforce is rapidly changing, and manufacturing is too. 

Manufacturing Works, a partner of METAL and Jobs for the Future, connects manufacturers with talent and resources to keep pace with industry trends and high-quality production. Tiffany Rashada, director of strategic marketing, said creating welcoming spaces where younger people can thrive is critical to manufacturing’s future.

“There are a ton of students coming out of high school who are not interested in the college path,” Rashada said. In 2024, more than 17 million Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 were not enrolled in school. “They want jobs where they can do hands-on learning and have a career.”

From builders and problem solvers to artists, engineers, career changers and lifelong learners, METAL Program Manager Mike Kubacki said the metal industry is for anyone who wants to make a difference in their lives — and move the nation forward. 

“Metals manufacturing needs more than one type of person, and that’s exactly its strength,” Kubacki said. “Whether someone is discovering metal for the first time, returning to the workforce, or bringing decades of experience, there is a place for them here. METAL is proving that the future of metals is built by and for everyone.”

For Glover, the metal industry has always been a place where she could be herself. With a visual mind and love for hands-on learning, metallurgy gives her a creative outlet to bring new ideas to life.

“I think it’s the same reason people craft or cook — both things I enjoy,” Glover said. “Metallurgy gives you ownership of a project and helps you build skills that apply to a lot of other careers.”

Her advice for anyone curious about metalcasting or forging is simple: try it.

“If you learn something about yourself, like what you enjoy or what you’re good at, you’ll broaden your horizons,” Glover said. “Just be open to those opportunities.”

Ready to find your place in manufacturing? Start METAL’s free online training and visit our events page to attend the next METAL bootcamp or workshop near you.

Purdue University programs partner with METAL to advance workforce training in metalworking and manufacturing

WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (February 3, 2026) – The Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) program, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, is proud to announce a new partnership with Purdue University engineering programs to enhance and scale up industry-driven training opportunities for current and prospective metalworking and manufacturing professionals. Funded by the Department of War’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, METAL strengthens and diversifies the U.S. metal manufacturing workforce, focusing on casting, forging and plate rolling.

Purdue’s School of Materials Engineering within the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology Program within the Polytechnic Institute 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, these Purdue programs will lead outreach efforts for K–12 students by offering workshops and partnering with high schools and other local and regional schools to spark early interest in metallurgical careers. Purdue has been a core innovation partner with IACMI since the institute was founded in 2015, providing leadership for Design, Modeling & Simulation Technology for composites manufacturing and performance. This expanded partnership builds on that cross-collaboration of research and workforce development.

“Purdue is an exciting addition to the METAL program,” said Lucinda Curry, METAL National Workforce Manager at IACMI. “Many students and job seekers are unfamiliar with the advanced technologies and career opportunities available in metal casting and forging. We are partnering with educational institutions to showcase the dynamic, rewarding careers that these industries offer.”

“We are thrilled to partner with IACMI and the METAL program to leverage decades of Purdue investment in metal casting, heat treating and characterization across campus,” said Michael Titus, associate professor of materials engineering. “The METAL program will expand and update our capabilities across investment casting and automated foundries to bring unique training opportunities to students, job seekers and industrial partners alike.”

Ragu Athinarayanan, professor of smart manufacturing and industrial informatics, added, “The METAL program will leverage Purdue’s uniquely integrated Smart Foundry, embedding Industry 4.0 capabilities such as digital twins, advanced sensing, data analytics, robotics, and AI directly into the foundry environment. This positions Purdue as a living laboratory where metalcasting expertise and next-generation digital manufacturing technologies come together to advance productivity, sustainability, and workforce readiness.”

Upon completing online and in-person bootcamp training, 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. 

Purdue’s Engineering and Polytechnic partnership with METAL includes plans to:

  • Develop an investment casting module with both online and in-person components, as well as an in-person smart foundry bootcamp.
  • Execute a minimum of 15 in-person bootcamps for at least 225 participants throughout the course of its tenure.
  • Hold at least 25 outreach events for a minimum of 750 K-12 students.
  • Foster collaborations with local high schools and community colleges. This strategic partnership will focus on integrating METAL training into their educational curriculum, enriching opportunities for students interested in metalworking and manufacturing. 
  • Participate in a comprehensive Train the Trainer initiative, which aims to equip future METAL program partner schools and training centers with the knowledge and capability to host bootcamps.
  • 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 future educational opportunities in metallurgy.

Purdue’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 and NC State. Together, these institutions are revitalizing American manufacturing by delivering responsive, scalable and sustainable workforce development programs.

For more information about METAL at Purdue, 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 Purdue School of Materials Engineering
The School of Materials Engineering (MSE) at Purdue University is a nationally recognized program offering BS, MS, and PhD degrees focused on the structure, properties, and design of materials used across industries from aerospace to biotechnology. Purdue’s MSE undergraduate program is ranked in the top 10 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, while its graduate program consistently holds a #12 national ranking, reflecting excellence in research and education. Currently, MSE is home to over 250 undergraduate students, 170 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and 40 core faculty members, with research and teaching spanning metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, electronic materials, and sustainable materials.

About Purdue School of Engineering Technology
The School of Engineering Technology (SOET) at the Purdue University Polytechnic Institute provides industry-ready education and high-impact research programs and offers BS, MS, and PhD degrees focused on areas such as computer engineering technology, electrical engineering technology, mechatronics and robotics engineering technology, and smart manufacturing. Purdue’s SOET talent pipeline produces graduates with engineering knowledge and practical skills who are recruited by Fortune 500 companies and startups worldwide. SOET is home to more than 1,400 undergraduate students, 170 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and 80 core faculty members, with research and teaching spanning manufacturing technologies, autonomous and intelligent systems, health sciences and technologies, energy, materials and sustainability, and a senior capstone course that produces new intellectual property and companies each year. 

NC State awarded Department of War-funded METAL hub to advance U.S. metals workforce

RALEIGH, North Carolina (January 14, 2026) — North Carolina State University is proud to announce a new partnership with the Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) to enhance and scale up industry-driven training opportunities for current and prospective metalworking and manufacturing professionals. Led by IACMI – The Composites Institute® with funding from the Department of War’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, METAL strengthens and diversifies the U.S. metal manufacturing workforce, focusing on casting, forging and plate rolling.

The METAL (Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeships & Learning) program is a national network of universities offering immersive bootcamps, workshops, and training modules in casting, forging, and related processes. NC State’s hub will fill a critical gap by adding powder metallurgy and powder-enabled forging to the curriculum — technologies now central to aerospace, defense, and high-performance manufacturing. 

“Integrating NC State into the METAL program amplifies our workforce development initiatives throughout the region,” said Lucinda Curry, METAL National Workforce Manager at IACMI. “Many students and job seekers don’t realize the innovation, technology, and career potential in metal casting and forging. By collaborating with educational institutions, we’re opening the door to exciting, high-impact careers in these vital industries.”

At NC State, the hub will be Co-led by Dr. Tim Horn, Associate Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Director of Research at the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL), and Director of the Powder Materials Manufacturing Facility; and Dr. Gracious Ngaile, Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Advanced Metal Forming and Tribology Lab (AMT_Lab). Together, they bring internationally recognized expertise in powder production, additive manufacturing, and advanced forming processes.

The NC State METAL Hub will be open to the public, offering Bootcamps and Workshops — immersive training in powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and forging, reaching K-12, students, apprentices, and working professionals. The program will also feature the Manufacturing Road Show — a novel, weeklong immersive manufacturing statewide engagement model in which participants visit and actively work with multiple North Carolina manufacturers to experience real-world scale industrial practices.

“By leveraging NC State’s world-class facilities and expertise, we will prepare participants to meet the workforce needs of the aerospace and defense industries while ensuring North Carolina remains at the forefront of advanced manufacturing,” said Horn.

Ngaile added, “Our hub will deliver hands-on training in the science and practice of metal forming and powder metallurgy, equipping engineers and technicians with the skills to drive innovation and competitiveness.”

With this award, NC State joins leading institutions including Penn State, The Ohio State University, Michigan Tech, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as part of the METAL network. The hub underscores NC State’s commitment to advancing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, strengthening supply chains, and training a resilient workforce.

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.

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