Additive Manufacturing Education and Workforce Development Roadmap

America Makes developed the Additive Manufacturing EWD Roadmap to identify measurable and meaningful challenges that, when met,  promote inquiry, knowledge-sharing, and technical advancements across the industry.

To create this Roadmap, America Makes first held in-person workshops and activities where members engaged in a series of methodologies to generate and categorize education and training needs. Working in teams, they documented hundreds of need statements and identified affinities, which ultimately converged on a curated set of concepts.

The outcome resulted in America Makes successfully identifying those concepts that are most suitable for public-private partnership projects, versus those that are more ideal for industry.

The America Makes Additive Manufacturing EWD Roadmap is broken down into the following five focus areas:

Knowledge & Awareness

To increase the 3D Printing and additive manufacturing literacy of current users, students at all levels, academics, government/policy stakeholders, the general public, and companies potentially interested in adopting the technology by increasing their familiarity with the technology, its value, and its benefits.

The following Critical Training Elements under Knowledge & Awareness include:

  • Curriculum
  • Extracurricular STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Programs
  • Learning Media
  • Seminars, webinars, and conferences
  • Case studies

Competency & Skills

To increase the proficiency of current users, students at all levels, academics, the general public, and companies potentially interested in adopting the technology by using 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies as a creative or problem-solving tool.

The following Critical Training Elements under Competency & Skills include:

  • Classroom-based learning
  • E-learning courses
  • Capstone projects
  • Instructor-led labs
  • Maker spaces and fab labs

Industry & Experience

To strengthen and apply additive manufacturing knowledge and skills of students, inventors/entrepreneurs, product designers, and industry participants, by solving a variety of real-world problems.

The following Critical Training Elements under Industry Experience include:

  • Co-ops & internships
  • Apprenticeships
  • Application-specific training
  • Industrial experience accelerators

Individual Advancement

To ensure and grow a stable pipeline of talent by developing tools that link students and industry participants to employer needs.

The following Critical Training Elements under Individual Advancement include:

  • Career development tools
  • Employer needs
  • Scholarships & fellowships
  • Mentoring

Scaling & Diffusion

To help drive the rate and scale of adoption of 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies across the U.S. by driving consistency and integration of knowledge, skills, and experience and developing efficient channels of distribution.

The following Critical Training Elements under Scaling & Diffusion include:

  • Tech transfer to SMB’s
  • Training clearing house
  • Value analysis
  • Teach the teacher
  • Grand challenge
  • Talent supply chain optimization