2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Now more than ever, the United States casting and forging industries need to address a severe shortage of skilled workers. A pressing need exists to fill skilled professional roles in these industries that are critical to the U.S. national defense supply chain and national security for the United States. It has been estimated that by 2028, the United States will need to fill an additional 122,000 positions including: skilled tradespeople, engineers, and other critical manufacturing roles. To address this critical metal manufacturing workforce need, the Department of Defense Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program has set out an ambitious plan to educate and create a highly-skilled workforce to sure up the U.S. defense industrial base. The METAL (Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning) program is charged with carrying out this ambitious plan to educate and train from “K through gray” using a tiered educational approach to bring the next generation into the casting and forging industries while utilizing technology and innovation to solidly position these industries domestically for the future.

This paper discusses an innovative approach being taken by the Department of Defense IBAS Program and its partner organizations to provide the necessary recruitment, training, and education to provide a self-sustaining metal manufacturing workforce here in the United States well into the future. The paper will outline the hub and spoke model for the development and dissemination of training content and programs across the United States. The paper will discuss recruitment and training that is currently underway at (2) Levels: K-12 Workshops and Level 1 (Introductory Online and In Person BOOT CAMPS). The paper will also discuss (2) levels that are proposed and are currently under development: Level 2 (Industry Led Online and In Person BOOT CAMPS) and Level 3 (Metal Manufacturing Research & Technology Adoption Online and In Person BOOT CAMPS).

In addition to both hands on and online content being offered at multiple tiers or levels, the revitalization of apprenticeships across the casting and forging industries is also being carried out and is at the heart of the METAL mission to revive and advance the U.S. metal manufacturing industrial base.

Initial data and input collected from the initial METAL K-12 and Level 1 (Online and In Person BOOT CAMPS) will be presented along with the activities and curriculum/ content being carried out in these trainings.