ACE Ready, Set, Go

July 18, 2024 – It’s an all-too familiar countdown for many people: ready, set, go.

Whether you’re an athlete about to start an event or a participant in a competition, those three words signify that things are about to get exciting.

At America’s Cutting Edge (ACE), we’re zeroing in on that concept – namely the first of those words, ready – as we look to a new model for partner organizations.

New ACE partners Southwestern Illinois College, Wichita State University Tech, Calhoun Community College, Southern Union State Community College and Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Harriman have one thing in common: they’re ACE Ready.

But what does that mean?

“The concept of ACE Ready was developed to help expedite bringing additional educational sites into the ACE family,” said Kim Harris, IACMI regional workforce manager. “An ACE Ready site already possesses the educational administrative support, trained faculty/trainers and adequately equipped computer numerical control (CNC) machine space to implement the ACE program soon after the primary instructor receives training.”

The benefits of new partner organizations being ACE Ready, Harris says, are that they can quickly embed the ACE training into their machining curriculum as well as implement independent bootcamps sooner.

This is because these sites already have established machine shops needed to integrate ACE training immediately – eliminating the need to wait for new equipment to come in or find experienced trainers, which can be one of the toughest challenges. Each organization will target training at least 50 participants each year.

“The schools we’ve selected welcome our help in establishing that talent pipeline with earlier hands-on career exploration options for teenagers,” said Harris. “ACE becomes a feeder of institutions’ machining programs as well as feeders into pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, internships, employer direct hires and other manufacturing career opportunities.”

Wichita State University Tech officially became an ACE partner this spring. Because they’re ACE Ready, they began training students immediately by embedding the program into their curriculum.

“As WSU Tech joins the America’s Cutting Edge initiative, we are excited to bring next-generation machining and manufacturing training to our students,” said Dr. Sheree Utash, president of WSU Tech. “This collaboration reflects our ongoing commitment to aligning educational pathways with industry needs, fostering innovation, and enhancing the skills of our workforce. We’re dedicated to ensuring that our programs serve as a catalyst for growth in both local and national manufacturing sectors.”

ACE Ready is a win-win concept. Not only do partner organizations benefit from implementing the program quicker, but America’s Cutting Edge can provide more people with training to fill the talent pipeline sooner.

“These ACE Ready schools are a key tool to help us scale ACE up across the country right now,” said Harris. “With each new location, we’re able to connect with local industry there, helping them learn the latest technology innovations developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.”

Schools that become an ACE partner join a network of nearly three dozen other training partners, which have rapidly increased the number of in-person participants in just a year’s time – from only about 600 total participants this time last year (after in-person training began in 2021) to over 1,700 now.

Organizations interested in embedding ACE training into their curriculum should contact Harris at kharris@iacmi.org. Join the over 10,000 others who’ve registered for an ACE online course by clicking here.