NCDMM Honors MFG Day 2018 With Training for High School Students

The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), sponsored by the Arconic Foundation and in collaboration with Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC), announces that to commemorate national Manufacturing Day (MFG Day, observed October 5), it is offering an Intro to Additive Manufacturing (AM) half-day training class to high school students from five local area high schools from Indiana and Westmoreland Counties at its Blairsville headquarters on Thursday, October 4 and Friday, October 5. On Thursday evening, NCDMM will also host an Open House at its office from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for parents, teachers, students and the general public.

“All of us at NCDMM are excited to celebrate MFG Day 2018, in partnership with WCCC and the Arconic Foundation, by providing local area high students hands-on additive manufacturing training,” says Ralph Resnick, NCDMM president and chief executive officer and America Makes founding director. “By 2020, the additive manufacturing industry is projected to be worth more than $20 billon. Within the next decade, while it is projected that more than 3.5 million advanced manufacturing jobs will need to be filled, because of the widening skills gap, upwards of 2 million jobs may go unfilled."

Resnick adds, "The sooner we can expose students to advanced manufacturing technologies like additive and get them interested, we may be able to help reverse this trend. There are and will continue to be career opportunities available in additive. What’s needed most is a skilled workforce. It is our hope that this MFG Day, we can inspire students to pursue a career path in additive.”

MFG Day is an annual national event, executed at the local level that supports hundreds of manufacturers across the nation by hosting students, teachers, parents, jobseekers and other local community members at open houses designed to showcase modern manufacturing technology and careers. The goal of MFG Day is to address common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is—and what it isn’t.

NCDMM manages and operates America Makes, a collaborative partner in AM technology research, discovery, creation and innovation. America Makes is also the flagship Institute in the Manufacturing USA, the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.

The high school students from each of the participating schools of Blairsville, Homer Center, Indiana Career & Technology Center, Greensburg-Salem and Jeannette will receive hands-on training on both the printers and the software used to operate the printers. Students will see the printers in action as they will customize and print out a specific part to a 3D printed fidget-spinner, which they will get to keep. A previously 3D printed school keychain will also be provided to the students.

NCDMM, through the Arconic Foundation, will also be donating to each of the participating schools a 3D printer, a laptop with software to run the printer and a stipend in the amount of $2,000 to cover transportation costs and additional printer materials and supplies.

At Thursday evening’s Open House for students, parents, teachers, school administrators and the general community, NCDMM will be hosting representatives from local manufacturers to highlight the importance of advanced manufacturing and 3D printing in the region. Open house attendees will be able to see 3D printers in action, meet with NCDMM staff and representatives from local manufacturers and get input on how to pursue advanced manufacturing careers.

For additional information, visit NCDMM, America Makes, Westmoreland County Community College, Arconic Foundation and Arconic.

Sources: Press materials received from the company.