America’s Cutting Edge will establish CNC Machining and Metrology training bootcamps to expand pipeline of skilled machinists

CLEVELAND, Ohio, (November 10, 2026) – Cleveland State University (CSU) is now a workforce training hub under the America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) program, led by IACMI – The Composites Institute®. 

Supported through funding by the Department of War’s (DoW) Office of Industrial Base Policy, ACE helps revitalize the U.S. machining industry by fostering innovative technology development and workforce training.

CSU will work with ACE to establish itself as a training hub, complete with the equipment and trainers needed to deliver weeklong in-person CNC machining bootcamps, serving a minimum of 120 participants throughout the course of its tenure. Additionally, CSU and ACE will offer one-day, in-person Metrology programming to a minimum of 75 participants.

“We’re proud to work with CSU as an ACE partner. Seeing the institution become its own training hub, branching out to provide workforce support and growing its own network of locations to offer this curriculum is extremely rewarding,” said Elliot Keas, ACE program director at IACMI.

ACE’s nationally recognized curriculum includes free online and hands-on CNC machining training with public bootcamps. By partnering with training sites, ACE’s scalable framework provides access to high-end technical skills without requiring participants to travel for hours to a major university/college campus. 

ACE uses free online and in-person, hands-on training to connect top national experts with students and incumbent industrial workers from all backgrounds, levels of education, and work experience to catalyze awareness and interest in all facets of machining, including software development, metrology, design, operation, and entrepreneurship. 

“Northeast Ohio has a long, proud history in manufacturing, and our region’s employers need skilled machinists now more than ever. Becoming an ACE training hub allows Cleveland State to put hands-on, industry-recognized CNC machining and metrology training within reach of students and working professionals right here in our community, strengthening the talent pipeline that keeps American manufacturing competitive,” said Jerzy Sawicki, Ph.D., Executive Director of the CSU-TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Washkewicz College of Engineering at Cleveland State University.

Additionally, the CSU partnership with ACE includes plans to provide K-12 workshops, industry engagement activities and community outreach events. 

CSU is part of ACE’s growing national network of four dozen partners, including high schools, trade schools, community colleges and universities. Together, these institutions are revitalizing American manufacturing by delivering responsive, scalable, and sustainable workforce development programs.

Earlier this year, IACMI announced plans to expand ACE and METAL, another IACMI-led workforce development program focused on casting and forging, to 53 new locations at universities, colleges, and trade schools, bringing the total number of sites to more than 100 by 2030. Additionally, IACMI will introduce new initiatives to engage over 50,000 K-12 students and provide hundreds of internship opportunities.

For more information on registering for a bootcamp or becoming an industry partner, please contact Matt Duplin, Manager, CSU-TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center at m.duplin@csuohio.edu. 

For more information about ACE at CSU, please contact:

Sarah Pope
Email: Sarah@piper-communications.com
Phone: 865-329-0553 

Cleveland State University:

Krisin Broka
Email: pr@csuohio.edu
Phone: 216-534-2848

About ACE
America’s Cutting Edge, supported by the U.S. Department of War (DoW) Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, is a national training program designed to reestablish American leadership in the machine tools and composites manufacturing industries through transformative thinking, technological innovation, and workforce development. The curriculum combines advanced training and techniques from the University of Tennessee, the scientific expertise of the Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the proven workforce development capabilities of IACMI-The Composites Institute. 

About IACMI
IACMI – The Composites Institute® is a national public-private partnership focused on advancing composite materials and process technologies. Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of War, IACMI brings together over 190 members from industry, academia, and government to drive manufacturing innovation and workforce development.

About Cleveland State University
Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution located in the heart of downtown Cleveland with 13,000-plus students, eight colleges and more than 175 academic programs. CSU leverages its unique location and strategic partnerships to equip learners with knowledge and future-ready skills for infinite opportunities. Through innovative research, dedicated service and exceptional talent, CSU addresses the evolving needs of Northeast Ohio. Find more information at csuohio.edu.