Filling a widening gap.

With American vocational and technical education in decline, it falls to our industry to build the necessary skills for success. Where formal schooling falls short, we must pick up the slack.

So NTMA has developed an arsenal of training programs designed to develop the skills necessary for success in precision manufacturing. These range from informal best-practices tools to online education culminating in a college degree.

NTMA training programs include:

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills

Founded by NTMA with funding from NTMF, NIMS is the nation’s only ANSI-accredited developer of precision manufacturing skill standars and competency assessments. This means that it’s a source of skills-based continuing education for employees of NTMA members, offering certifications and accredited programs that translate to immediate value on the shop floor. NIMS stakeholders represent more than 6,000 American companies.

NTMA Education

This is a new program that provides an online curriculum through participating institutions of higher education, offering college credit toward an associate degree and a head start toward a future in manufacturing. Entry-level employees, those who desire more than what NIMS has to offer and those looking toward a future in manufacturing are all candidates for this program.

National Apprentice Program

This is an ongoing best-practices program at the regional and national levels, offering webinars on technology and techniques that have the potential to affect our entire industry. It demonstrates NTMA’s aim to make employees of small- and medium-sized companies the best they can be.

AMPED

This is a regional, self-study training and certification program consisting of a user-updatable Wikipedia-like online database of best practices and success stories. Making this available to members provides them with resources at their fingertips to conquer the challenges they face.

Regional Training Centers

Some NTMA chapters, such the Los Angeles regional chapter, have founded their own training centers aimed at bridging the gap between a high-school education and the knowledge necessary to succeed in precision manufacturing. These benefit members by providing necessary skills while benefiting students through high placement rates.