Bridging the Gap: Education and Training in Additive Manufacturing for Industry and Workforce Advancement
摘要
Additive manufacturing (AM) education and training are essential for wider adoption in production and manufacturing environments. College courses introduce AM, but most educational institutions lack access to industrial printers and full production environments to fully prepare students for the workplace. OEMs have depth of knowledge but offer a biased perspective on their technologies. The current workforce must stay up to date with the latest AM technologies to meet the increasing demands from industry. But how can professionals acquire the necessary AM knowledge and ensure it aligns with employer requirements? Education requirements should be based on industry consensus and defined certification criteria to ensure an unbiased approach across all AM technologies. By leveraging industry experts and using on-demand resources, a comprehensive and accessible training framework can be developed to meet the needs of AM users worldwide.