A partnership with The Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) program, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute® is helping Tennessee Tech University’s Department of Manufacturing and Engineering Technology build the future of American metalworking and manufacturing one metal pour at a time.
The university recently completed its first week-long metal casting bootcamp as part of its workforce development partnership with METAL, an industry-driven initiative to strengthen and diversify the U.S. metal manufacturing workforce, focusing on casting, forging and plate rolling. It’s funded by the Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program.
Fifteen participants – including Tennessee Tech students and a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor – received intensive training is casting, forging, design and quality inspection processes.
“This is about workforce development. We’re giving participants hands-on experience in high-demand fields, and the certification of completion they earn at the conclusion of the bootcamp is a credential they can be proud to put on their resumes,” said Ismail Fidan, professor of Manufacturing and Engineering Technology at Tech and principal investigator for the contract.
That certification of completion is from the Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship and Learning (METAL), and it demonstrates that each participant has gained both technical knowledge and practical skills, qualities employers in advanced manufacturing are actively seeking.
The bootcamp kicked off with a demonstration by the participants using a “foundry in a box” setup for high schoolers attending a campus engineering summer camp.
That demonstration was both beneficial to introduce metal casting to a younger audience and to provide a warm-up for the students and professionals participating in the bootcamp, Fidan said.
“It helped spark early interest in metallurgy for the high schoolers while showcasing the practical application provided by our program,” he added.
Sainand Jadhav, the UT Chattanooga professor, said it was especially beneficial for him because it provided him ideas for offering metal casting and forging demonstrations in his own classroom, since his university lacks a foundry.
For the Tech students participating in the bootcamp, the timing was ideal. They said they participated to maintain their skills during the summer between two metal casting courses, one offered in the spring and the next that will be offered in the fall.
“Not only do the students receive an additional certification, but by participating in the bootcamp, it allows them to keep practicing without the pressure of a grade, which really supports confidence and skill retention,” Fidan explained.
More bootcamps are planned for late summer and fall, with the next one set for the week of Aug. 11. Fidan emphasized that the sessions are ideal not only for college students and professors, but also for people working in the industry to gain additional skill and certification.
Fred Vondra, chairperson of Manufacturing and Engineering Technology at Tech, participated alongside Fidan, offering support and encouragement to the participants throughout the week.
“The federal government is placing a renewed emphasis on American-made manufacturing, and that includes building the workforce to support it. That’s what this partnership helps our department to do,” he said.
“This administration is serious about rebuilding American supply chains and reducing offshoring, and by investing in training and education in forging and metal casting, we can build a pipeline of talent ready to step into these crucial roles,” Vondra concluded.
For more information about future bootcamps, email Ismail Fidan at ifidan@tntech.edu.
Tracey Hackett
