In today’s world of fragile supply chains and constant disruptions, resilience is a requirement within the defence sector and beyond. Supply chains now function as instruments of national power, and their failure is felt first by small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), the very companies that knit together industrial capacity across regions and alliances. When it comes to additive manufacturing (AM), these companies have ambition but lack mission-ready talent to deploy at operational speed. That gap, visible in the U.S. and echoed globally, has become a strategic vulnerability.
At America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, our workforce strategy is grounded in evidence, mapping the real skills and roles required to move AM from pilot to production. A key element is the research study Preparing the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce: A Study of Occupation and Skills Demand in the 3D Additive Manufacturing Industry, which characterises technical workforce needs for advanced manufacturing areas focused on highly specialised training for jobs aligned with specific Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, including integrated photonics, robotics, flexible electronics, functional fabrics, and AM. The research highlights critical roles such as AM technicians and CNC operators, as well as essential skills for ensuring quality and efficiency.
As global competition for talent intensifies, shared learning standards and compatible credentials have become essential for cross-border collaboration, making talent preparedness a cornerstone of industrial strength and defence stability. Effective development models, such as competency- based learning, modular credentials, and work-based training, accelerate skill-building and reinforce manufacturing network robustness.
