North Carolina State University is proud to announce a new partnership with the Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) to enhance and scale up industry-driven training opportunities for current and prospective metalworking and manufacturing professionals. Led by IACMI – The Composites Institute® with funding from the Department of War’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, METAL strengthens and diversifies the U.S. metal manufacturing workforce, focusing on casting, forging and plate rolling.
The METAL (Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeships & Learning) program is a national network of universities offering immersive bootcamps, workshops, and training modules in casting, forging, and related processes. NC State’s hub will fill a critical gap by adding powder metallurgy and powder-enabled forging to the curriculum — technologies now central to aerospace, defense, and high-performance manufacturing.
“Integrating NC State into the METAL program amplifies our workforce development initiatives throughout the region,” said Lucinda Curry, METAL National Workforce Manager at IACMI. “Many students and job seekers don’t realize the innovation, technology, and career potential in metal casting and forging. By collaborating with educational institutions, we’re opening the door to exciting, high-impact careers in these vital industries.”One way to describe Dr. Gracious Ngaile’s lab in Engineering Building III on NC State’s Centennial Campus is “heavy metal.”…