IACMI has big plans to expand across the USA, thanks to new federal funding
IACMI's America's Cutting Edge and METAL programs will more than double their footprint, reaching from kindergarten classrooms to upskilling bootcamps with new federal backing from the Department of Defense.
Two manufacturing workforce programs run out of the Knoxville-based Composites Institute (IACMI) are set to more than double in size by 2030, thanks to new backing from the Department of Defense.
IACMI–The Composites Institute, a national manufacturing institute that links industry, government, and academia, has a goal to establish more than 100 training sites nationwide by 2030, which means it will need to kickstart 53 site-based programs at universities, colleges, and trade schools over the next five years.
The growth is happening through two of IACMI’s key program offerings: America’s Cutting Edge (ACE), which trains students in CNC machining, and METAL, short for Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeships & Learning, which focuses on the casting and forging industries.
“ACE and METAL have made a profound impact on the lives of thousands of people and the manufacturing industry at large,” said Chad Duty, chief executive officer of IACMI. “With this expansion, we seek to further promote awareness of manufacturing careers and provide greater access to training, enabling people everywhere to acquire the skills necessary to join the workforce rapidly.”
Additionally, alongside the expansion announcement, IACMI shared that a new internship program will offer six- to eight-week placements at every ACE site in the network, and a K-5 curriculum called ACE METAL Foundations aims to reach more than 50,000 students by 2030 using portable, hands-on kits.
Both initiatives act as a first step in a larger, nationally supported effort to inspire and educate kids towards careers in advanced manufacturing.
METAL is growing just as fast. Launched in 2023, it has reached 14 sites and will double that footprint by 2030. IACMI anticipates that the program will climb past 75 apprenticeships and 350 internships by 2030, as well.
The METAL program also has plans to roll out two mobile training units, one aimed at K-12 learners and another built to reach rural areas.
“America cannot rebuild its industrial base without rebuilding the human talent behind it,” said Justin Brooks, deputy director of workforce development at IACMI. “This expansion is about creating a national system that reaches students early, connects training to real industry demand, and gives people clear pathways into the machining, casting, forging, and manufacturing careers that strengthen our economy and national security.”
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