ATDM graduates 57 students

The Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program hosted a completion ceremony on Tuesday, May 2, at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of the 57 students in its January cohort, the 5th cohort in the program’s history.

This 16-week, hands-on curriculum rapidly develops skilled workers with industry-recognized credentials for employment in the defense industry. Such skills include welding, CNC machining, additive manufacturing, quality control inspection (metrology) and, for the first time with this graduating class, non-destructive testing. Graduates of the cohort represent 14 states and earned a collective 304 nationally recognized credentials.

“It is extremely gratifying to see another cohort of students graduating from ATDM with the skills needed to meet the high demand of our submarine industrial base,” said Rear Admiral Scott Pappano, Program Executive Officer, Strategic Submarines, United States Navy. “It is important to realize that we are rebuilding manufacturing and the industrial base, which is vital to our national security. The Navy thanks you for what you are doing.”

Since ATDM instruction first began in 2021, the 5th cohort is the first to complete all training on the campus of IALR, a space upfitted to provide a state-of-the-art bridge training solution. Partner Danville Community College (DCC), which previously co-hosted classes on its campus, will continue to provide premier ATDM training curriculum and instruction. The training partners will then locate the program within a planned new ATDM Regional Training Center, to be constructed on IALR’s campus by 2025. This building will house all training under one roof and accommodate America’s scaling needs for defense manufacturing talent. In addition to program lead IALR, as well as curriculum provider DCC, other partners of the Department of Defense program include technology provider Phillips Corporation and strategic consulting partner The SPECTRUM Group.

“We are thrilled to continue to lead this impactful training program that has improved the lives of so many across our nation thanks to these dedicated partnerships,” said Telly Tucker, President of IALR. “ATDM not only helps provide promising men and women with the skill sets for high-quality employment with leading companies, but it also helps ensure the success of our nation’s armed forces with the equipment they need to safely and effectively protect our nation and allies.”     

“The ATDM program is unique and unlike any training in the nation,” said Dr. Jerry Wallace, President of DCC. “The students are getting an exclusive learning experience and the faculty have the opportunity to be a part of a nationally recognized program helping to improve our country’s defense.”

Vice Admiral Norb Ryan, USN (Ret.) with The SPECTRUM Group expressed his sincere congratulations to all the ATDM graduates as they get ready to launch their careers helping to build our U.S. Navy's newest submarines.

“To the entire Danville ATDM Team, a heartfelt Navy ‘Bravo Zulu’ for your awesome leadership and inspiring instructional skills in helping these superb graduates achieve their potential and contribute to our nation's national defense,” said Vice Admiral Ryan.

Director of Phillips Corporation, Rick Morgan, said the company is extremely pleased with the progress of ATDM’s suite of advanced manufacturing training programs.

“Phillips is very proud of its collaboration overseeing the creation and delivery of additive manufacturing (AM) curriculums in partnership with our technology vendors,” said Morgan. “We believe that ATDM’s AM training program is, and will increasingly be, an essential resource for accelerating the delivery of skilled technicians to U.S. Navy and all other military service branches. Developing training programs focused on the most relevant applications of AM technology will also be a growing essential resource for a U.S. Defense Industrial Base increasingly charged with building robust, dependable, and innovative supply chain options for our military services.”  

To learn more about enrolling in ATDM program classes, go to https://atdm.org/atdm-enrollment-application.