Business View Magazine | March 2020

57 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 TOOLING U-SME AND NCDMM: ADVANCING MANUFACTURING TOGETHER By Jeannine Kunz, Vice President Tooling U-SME and SME Marketing Manufacturing has never been so full of potential and energy; new technologies and advances in materials are making possible what we once might only have dreamed. Implementing these advances and realizing their full benefit requires new skills, new knowledge, and a strong and deliberate commitment to training and workforce development. SME is the manufacturing industry’s leading voice for advancement and opportunity. We are committed to helping companies and communities maximize the potential of their current and future workforce to ensure a strong American manufacturing base. We offer resources for manufacturers, promote advanced manufacturing technology, and work to develop a skilled workforce through our training and development business, Tooling U-SME. Tooling U-SME is the manufacturing industry’s leading provider of workforce development and training solutions. More than half of the Fortune 500 manufacturing companies, along with education institutions and workers from every sector turn to Tooling U-SME for tailored and adaptive training to gain new skills and help advance careers. SME believes in partnerships and alignment with others that have common goals and shared missions in pursuit of the same outcomes. That’s why we are so proud of and committed to our relationship with NCDMM. Our organizations share the mission of advancing the manufacturing industry through the dissemination of technology knowledge and the ongoing development of the manufacturing workforce. Our common commitment to this vital industry and its people makes NCDMM a natural partner for Tooling U-SME, and our organizations frequently collaborate. Our goal: to move the latest innovation and knowledge in advanced manufacturing out to industry. One collaboration we’re particularly proud of is the grant we’ve received together as partners from the Department of Defense and sponsored by the Office of Naval Researchto support the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program. Together, we’re developing instructor-led and online training to upskill the defense supply chain in areas ranging from additive manufacturing to the technologies of Industry 4.0. Creating sustainable learning and development programs is a priority for Tooling U-SME. By combining collective knowledge and expertise, Tooling U-SME and NCDMM are supporting America’s national defense needs, helping to assure the technological superiority of the U.S. Department of Defense, and improving the supplier base’s resilience and skills. ...... For more information, please visit our website www.sme.org