Populating the workforce with enthusiastic value generators is the most critical element in the advanced manufacturing supply chain, because manufacturing has been outsourced for two generations of workers. 'Establishing leadership' means harnessing the intellectual fervor, work intensity and commercial innovation baked into the character of the workforce and focusing it on well-defined, strategic goals. This presentation will highlight work products and best practices developed by MIT’s Initiative for Knowledge and Innovation in Manufacturing (IKIM) for national, regional and company specific workforce development.
The AIM Academy project at MIT is the headquarters for the education, workforce development and technology roadmap for AIM Photonics Institute, one of the national Advanced Manufacturing Institutes. It is one of the most active programs within IKIM. Integrated Photonics is a transformative manufacturing technology, but the path to adoption and diffusion into the supply chain is fragmented. Three skill development areas consistently appear as a primary concern: technician-level test and data analysis, engineer-level design into standard foundry processes, and teaming to achieve system optimization. A hierarchy of delivery modes are required to effectively reach K-12 through industry executives; and the IKIM portfolio features TED-Ed videos, on-line courses, in-person academies, bootcamps, and prototyping labs.