Three-year grant will expand composites training program from Davis Tech

A composites manufacturing institute has been awarded a $5 million grant for a three-year program to expand a composites training program led by Davis Technical College to other locations in the U.S.

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), based in Tennessee, will use the Manufacturing Education Extension Program (MEEP) grant to build skills in the defense industry’s composites manufacturing workforce.

Davis Technical College began its training program in October 2006. Since then, Utah’s composites and advanced manufacturing sector has grown and the state now is home to more than 100 companies in the advanced materials sector.

“The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) has partnered with Davis Technical College to train technicians through the Utah Aerospace Pathways (UAP) Program. The quality of training provided by DTC is second to none,” said Ginger Chinn, managing director of urban and rural business services at GOED. “The partnership between IACMI and DTC is very dynamic and could bring qualified trained technicians to companies nationwide.”

In addition to training program trainees, the national program will also train instructors prior to program launch and will continue to provide support throughout the duration of the program. Instructors will be trained in proven teaching methodologies and will receive certifications in specific processes and technologies.

“The project proposed by IACMI and Davis Technical College presents a unique opportunity for solving workforce needs for current and next-generation manufacturing,” said Nick Moore, coordinator at the Alabama Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation. “This innovative project aligns with the efforts we are making in the state of Alabama toward producing a highly skilled talent pipeline.”

The award was granted to meet the need of Department of Defense (DOD) manufacturers — especially those that develop aerial combat or reconnaissance equipment — that face massive attrition of skilled workers due to retirement and lack a local sourcing for developing a skilled workforce to meet business priorities. IACMI will partner with Davis Technical College to build out the college’s composites manufacturing technology program at multiple locations across the U.S.

IACMI said the program will have the potential to address composite manufacturing workforce deficits in every state, collaborating with DOD manufactures to develop and deliver relevant training programs and provide opportunities for program graduates in high-skill, high-wage careers. Its curriculum is designed to be competency-based, providing the learners with real-world experience, and it embeds fault simulations to sharpen participants’ decision-making and troubleshooting abilities.

The program will be led by IACMI’s workforce director, Joannie Harmon Heath, and Wes Hobbs, Davis Technical College’s national director for composites pathways. The two have proven success graduating hundreds of highly qualified students and trainees from a variety of programs. For example, the IACMI internship program has graduated more than 100 students, with all of them finding job or graduate school placements within six months. Additionally, the Davis Technical College program has a higher placement rate than graduation rate because the students who participate in the program are so well qualified and in such a high demand, IACMI said.

“Over the past three years, Davis Technical College has had more than 150 graduates earn the American Composites Manufacturers Association’s Certified Composites Technician credentials as an earned capstone credential at the end of their program completion,” said Tom Dobbins, president of the American Composites Manufacturers Association. “These credentials allow graduates to enter the workforce with the certification reinforcing the applicable skills developed through the program. We are excited to support the MEEP and excellence through education.”

“We look forward to utilizing the network that we have created over the past five years through IACMI to expand the national training program,” Heath said. “Davis Technical College’s leadership in this education space is incredibly valuable, and it will be a great resource to the U.S. to have this program available to more manufacturers and participants.”

“We are looking forward to expanding our expertise to train a well-rounded national workforce for the composites industry,” said Darin Brush, president of Davis Technical College. “With the Davis Tech program alone, we have increased participation in the program by 20 percent each year and look forward to continuing to meet the needs of the industry.”

The partnership will include several organizations that will leverage resources and expertise to complete the learning network. They include:

• Enterprise State Community College in Enterprise, Alabama, and the Composites Prototyping Center in Long Island, New York, which will be home to learning centers.

• Purdue University, Vanderbilt University, the University of Dayton Research Institute and the University of Tennessee, which will serve to implement the curriculum.

• The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and SpaceTEC CerTEC, which will provide education alignment and certification support.

• Composites One, which will collaborate to develop and deliver workshops with IACMI to support the continuous learning requirements for instructors.

• The Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) Apprenticeship Works program, which will assist employers with establishing Department of Labor-certified apprenticeship programs.

IACMI is managed by the Collaborative Composite Solutions Corp. (CCS) and is a partnership of industry; universities; national laboratories; and federal, state and local governments working together to share existing resources and co-invest to accelerate innovative research and development in the advanced composites field. CCS is a not-for-profit organization established by The University of Tennessee Research Foundation.