America’s Cutting Edge celebrates three years
The program's goals are to: (1) inspire young people about jobs in manufacturing; (2) kickstart careers with machining training; and (3) help others further develop their skillsets.
On December 7, 2020, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) Professor Tony Schmitz took a bold step in helping revitalize U.S. manufacturing. That’s the day he launched America’s Cutting Edge’s (ACE) successful online training program. Three years later, more than 7,000 online attendees and 700 in-person individuals have participated in ACE activities.
The goals are to: (1) inspire young people about jobs in manufacturing; (2) kickstart careers with machining training; and (3) help others further develop their skillsets. The program has grown to certify participants in CNC machining, metrology, composites, and cybersecurity. The phenomenal growth has been through the support of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program. The workforce training initiative is managed by the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and combines advanced training tools and techniques from UTK and the scientific expertise of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
While the growth has been remarkable to witness, Schmitz says there’s still new heights to ascend. “When I started the program, I stated that my goal was to reach 10,000 online participants, and that’s where we’re headed,” he said. Looking to the future, more locations and bootcamps are being added. In-person bootcamps are being configured for ACE metrology and composites. Videos in Spanish are being developed.
