Partnership expands the pipeline of skilled machinists through industry-aligned training and hands-on learning

North Central Michigan College (NCMC) has partnered with the America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) program, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®, to enhance and scale up industry-driven training opportunities for current and prospective machining and manufacturing professionals.

Supported through funding by the Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Base Policy, ACE helps revitalize the U.S. machining industry by fostering innovative technology development and workforce training. 

North Central will implement ACE’s nationally recognized curriculum in its program, which includes free online and hands-on CNC machining training with public bootcamps.  

ACE connects top national experts with students and incumbent industrial workers from all backgrounds, levels of education, and work experience to catalyze awareness and interest in all facets of machining, including software development, metrology, design, operation, and entrepreneurship.  

In addition to adult training, these programs will lead outreach efforts for K–12 students by offering workshops on campus and at regional K-12 schools.  

“Expanding ACE’s network to North Central Michigan College will create more opportunities for students, jobseekers, and current manufacturing professionals to develop the skills needed for careers in CNC machining,” said Elliot Keas, ACE program director at IACMI. “By combining industry-aligned curriculum with hands-on training, this partnership will help strengthen the pipeline of skilled machinists and support the long-term competitiveness of American manufacturing.”

ACE uses free online and in-person, hands-on training to connect top national experts with students and incumbent industrial workers from all backgrounds, levels of education, and work experience to catalyze awareness and interest in all facets of machining, including software development, metrology, design, operation, and entrepreneurship. 

North Central’s partnership with ACE includes plans to provide training for 100 participants for week-long, hands-on, in-person bootcamps focused on CNC machining and Metrology throughout the contract period. Participants will come from the public, industry, and student population. NCMC may also provide K-12 workshops, industry engagement activities, and community outreach events as part of its contract with ACE.

“This partnership connects Northern Michigan to a national network of manufacturing expertise, technology, and workforce development,” said Cassandra Hernandez, North Central’s dean of Workforce and Continuing Education. “By bringing ACE’s resources together with our faculty expertise and employer relationships, we’re expanding access to advanced training and strengthening the region’s capacity to develop manufacturing talent. It reflects our commitment to building partnerships that turn community investment into lasting opportunity.”

Earlier this year, IACMI announced plans to expand ACE and METAL, another workforce development program focused on casting and forging, to 53 new locations at universities, colleges, and trade schools by 2030, bringing the total number of sites to more than 100.  Additionally, IACMI will introduce new initiatives to engage more than 50,000 K-12 students and provide hundreds of internship opportunities. 

NCMC’s addition to the ACE network strengthens a growing national network of four dozen partners, including high schools, trade schools, community colleges, and universities. Together, these institutions are revitalizing American manufacturing by delivering responsive, scalable, and sustainable workforce development programs. 

For more information on registering for a bootcamp or industry partnerships, contact Hernandez at 231-348-6613 or via email at chernandez@ncmich.edu.

For more information about ACE, contact Sarah Pope at 865-329-0553 or via email at sarah@piper-communications.com.