Our 3D printing company in Seattle has always been an advocate for the potential of additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and now it’s looking like the US Department of Energy is starting to realize this potential in a big way. This is the message being sent by the new Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Program, an education and training program sponsored by the DOE designed to create a new 3D printing-based workforce to meet the needs of this growing industry.
This program consists of a one-year training and certification course, currently being administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. The goal of this program is to provide the workforce needed in the country’s re-emerging manufacturing field, chiefly by granting training to the many members of the armed forces returning from war zones and giving them gainful new opportunities in a growing industry. The course is also being made available to undergraduates of sponsoring schools, US First Robotics participants, and recent graduates.
During this program, students will undergo classes in Engineering Technology Technical Communication, Fundamentals of Mechanical Drawing, Parametric Modeling, Geometrics and Coordinate Measuring, Composite Materials and Structures, Engineering Technology Capstone, and 3D Additive Manufacturing.
You can learn more about this program by visiting the Oak Ridge Associated University website.