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Workforce Development

Young, skilled workers are the lifeblood of our industry. So why are they so hard to find?

EDUCATION AND TRAINING SOLUTIONS

To operate effectively in today’s economy, manufacturers need to continuously improve the training of their employees – providing them the skills required to excel in a high-tech, productive, and increasingly automated environment. Through NTMA, companies can access workforce programs designed around employee schedules and company needs, helping small and midsize manufacturers operate, maintain
and troubleshoot their businesses.

NTMA-U
NTMA-U is a fully online educational program – developed in partnership with industry experts – that can help deliver an empowered workforce and provide benefits that positively impact your bottom line. The program provides both the related instruction for a machinist apprenticeship, as well as specific incumbent worker training.

EMPOWERED TRAINING SOLUTIONS:
Tooling U-SME – NTMA has partnered with Tooling U-SME to provide even more training resources, including their catalog of over 500 specialty online classes.

ACE Program – NTMA endorses IACMI—The Composites Institute’s America’s Cutting Edge program as a way to engage the next generation of machinists and create talent pipelines for the precision manufacturing industry that is supported by the Department of Defense (DoD) to restore the prominence of the U.S. machine tools sector.

NIMS – Empower your company by utilizing NIMS’s proven training frameworks and processes. Formed in 1995 by NTMA to develop and maintain a globally competitive workforce, NIMS allows dynamic responses to our technology-driven economy, and ways to recognize the success of your workforce.

Apprenticeship – Apprenticeship is a proven solution for recruiting, training and retaining world-class manufacturing talent and can take several forms, with flexible requirements and learning options. Contact NTMA for more on information on starting and fostering an Apprenticeship.

Training Centers – Throughout the country, NTMA Chapters are connected to Advanced Manufacturing Training Centers. Contact NTMA for more information on the Centers near you.

Technical Webinars – Through NTMA Technical Webinars, get inspired and educated about emerging technologies that will upskill the workforce, improve quality and advance the future of manufacturing.

DISCOVER FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT:

NTMF – The NTMF provides members a tax-deductible way to address the skills gap by investing in the next generation of employees and the future of their business and industry.

TALENT RECRUITMENT AND ACQUISITION SOLUTIONS

With more demand for fewer workers, manufacturers need to rethink and redesign their process for finding and attracting the workers they need to help their business succeed – both today and tomorrow. In an industry where efficiency and process design are critical, NTMA delivers worker recruitment solutions that helps employers with their talent acquisition function.

MetalworkingJobs – Connect the open opportunities at your shop to the talent in your backyard. The Metalworking Jobs Career Center is designed for job seekers looking for their next career, and for employers seeking new employees.

Pre-Employment Assessment – NTMA‘s Mechanical Aptitude Test was developed in consultation with industry experts to assess the understanding of basic mechanical principles, along with the application to everyday shop situations. This test is appropriate for candidates that will work in a technical setting,
as well as on and around manufacturing equipment.

NEXT GENERATION ENGAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Manufacturers today face an aging workforce – retiring without sharing key knowledge – and the struggle to bring in new talent – owed to outdated pre-conceptions about the industry. Unless things change, there will be 2 million jobs unfilled by 2030 in the manufacturing industry. It’s a complex challenge. NTMA has developed effective strategies to help you attract, engage and begin the development the talent who will be central to driving your manufacturing businesses forward.

National Robotics League – Engage Manufacturing’s Next Generation through Full Contact Innovation. The National Robotics Leagues (NRL) is a manufacturing workforce development program supported by the NTMA where students design and build remote controlled robots (Bots) to face-off in a gladiator-style competition. Through the manufacturing process of Bot building, students’ imaginations are
captured as they design, build and compete with their own robotic creations. Students gain practical knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) – all essential skills for manufacturing.

Pre-Apprenticeship – NTMA’s Pre-Apprenticeship program is designed to develop entry-level skills for employment at a manufacturing company and enhance the skills set for existing employees. Program participants learn skills and behaviors that will lead to success as an apprentice at your shop.

Edge Factor – NTMA Education Partner Edge Factor offers free, actionable toolkits for our members multiple times a year – focused on attracting workers and inspiring future manufacturing professionals to see the potential of our industry.

MFG Day – Held annually on the first Friday in October with events that continue throughout the month, MFG Day—Manufacturing Day—helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders.

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