Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

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Category: Manufacturing Advancement

Center for Manufacturing Advancement Opens, Welcoming U.S. Navy as First Project Partner

Center for Manufacturing Advancement Opens, Welcoming U.S. Navy as First Project Partner

$28 million center invests in manufacturing technology, industry partnerships to support Virginia’s competitive assets

The Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA), a state-funded project located on the campus of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), is open and ready to attract new businesses and jobs to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“As we strive to make Virginia the best place for veterans to live, work and raise a family, I am thrilled to announce the groundbreaking of our new IALR Center for Manufacturing Advancement in Danville,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “This partnership will diversify, transform and grow Southern Virginia’s production capability for the Submarine Industrial Base as well, marking another major win for Virginia’s defense economy and labor market.” 

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin joined IALR and industry partners for a ribbon cutting to recognize the CMA as Virginia’s newest pro-business platform for developing manufacturing technologies that support business expansion in the region and skilled workforce development.

“The Institute of Advanced Learning and Research is a national model of an adaptive education system that delivers the skilled workforce that our business community and industries require today and for tomorrow,” said Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera.  “It shows how a locally driven, state supported and federally shared Institute can quickly meet the needs of the business community and build the advanced manufacturing pipeline.”

The 51,250-square-foot facility is a $28.8 million investment to promote collaboration among technology leaders and to provide state-of-the-art space for industry partners to optimize their operations and scale. Both existing manufacturers in the region looking to expand and manufacturers looking to enter Southern Virginia with a new site location will benefit. The CMA will help these companies improve quality and innovate technologies that aid economic and manufacturing competitiveness.

“The advancements that are to come out of the Center for Manufacturing Advancement will have significant implications for developing the processes that support manufacturing expansion, as well as the workforce needed to support that growth,” remarked Telly Tucker, President of IALR. “Today’s manufacturing and workforce challenges require comprehensive and innovative approaches to the way industry collaborates, along with significant investments in infrastructure, equipment and people. The CMA fosters each of these obligations in a way that will benefit the region, the Commonwealth, and the country.”

Funded largely by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the CMA was built in cooperation with Virginia’s Division of Engineering and Buildings with financial incentives provided by the Economic Development Administration, IALR and the IALR Foundation, and the Danville Regional Foundation. The CMA and IALR campus resides on land owned by the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority.

“The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors has strategically and successfully targeted advanced manufacturing as a major component of our economic development efforts,” said Vic Ingram, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and the Regional Industrial Facility Authority (RIFA). “We are so excited to see the positive impact the Center for Manufacturing Advancement has on Danville and Pittsylvania County’s recruitment of new advanced manufacturing companies. I am confident this facility will greatly benefit Pittsylvania County, the City of Danville, and our entire region.”

“The opening of this center is the next big step for our city and region in our effort to become an advanced manufacturing hub and further transform the community in which we live,” said City of Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones. “By providing manufacturers with everything they need to launch and grow, the center will be an important economic development tool. It will grow the portfolio of companies that decide to call our community home, and provide new job opportunities for our citizens. We are a proud partner in this effort.”

Center for Manufacturing Advancement

The two-story CMA features:

  • rapid-launch facilities that will enable new businesses to begin limited operations off-site during what is traditionally the initial downtime as new businesses wait for their factory to be constructed and equipped to support full operations;
  • an ISO-certified inspection lab that will provide integrated inspection capabilities required to validate product quality. This service will reduce the start-up phase for a new company by 4 to 6 months, the time required to certify an inspection lab;
  • process improvement labs that will enable new and existing businesses to improve their processes in a more expeditious manner, thereby ensuring global competitiveness;
  • an industry 4.0 integration and training lab that will support next-generation manufacturing requirements
  • a platform for collaborative innovation that allows manufacturing companies, technology companies and engineering students to work together to discover, integrate and showcase emerging technology; and
  • concierge service that provides the wrap-around support needed by companies new to the U.S. during their critical start-up phase.

“The opening of the Center for Manufacturing Advancement brings state-of-the-art technological support and increased workforce development capabilities to the economic growth efforts in Danville, Pittsylvania County, and the entire region,” said Representative Bob Good (R-Va.) 

The opening of the CMA took place during the second annual Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) Summit where stakeholders convened on topics pertaining to closing skills and workforce gaps within the naval defense industrial base. United States Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, and other defense leaders, legislators, and industry groups addressed the challenges and opportunities for building a labor pool that supports emerging technologies for supplying the nation’s shipbuilding industry.

“The Center for Advanced Manufacturing will help close critical supply chain gaps and accelerate defense manufacturing. It will enable partners to move and adapt at the speed of technology, and directly complements the ATDM program,” said Craig Crenshaw Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs. “ATDM is a great opportunity for our Veterans who are supremely suited to the culture and competencies of defense manufacturing. They provide an immediate connection to the mission.”

The United States Navy will be the first project partner locating in the CMA, selecting three of the high bays as part of a new center of excellence they announced at the ATDM Summit.

“This investment of $28.8 million is a huge win for the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research as well as Danville and Pittsylvania County. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and IALR continues to create new opportunities for students in Southside Virginia,” said Virginia Senator Bill Stanley. “I would like to thank Governor Youngkin for his work in this project as we ensure that Southside and Southwest Virginia is the best place to live, work, and to raise a family.” 

The U.S. Navy Opens Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Danville

The U.S. Navy Opens Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Danville

Joint Navy-OSD Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing Program to Benefit from new Multi-Million-Dollar Training Facility

The U.S. Navy is launching its Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) within the State of Virginia’s Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA) on the Danville Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) campus. The creation of the AM CoE marks the first project partnership for the CMA. It demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to investing in and delivering the skilled workforce necessary to strengthen and expand the Navy’s industrial base to achieve the Nation’s strategic defense objectives.

A first for the Navy, the AM CoE will provide a platform for training a skilled additive manufacturing workforce through partnership with the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program, a rigorous, focused 24/5 training schedule that graduates student cohorts every four months in multiple disciplines critical to the defense industrial base (DIB). Industrial manufacturing partners include major shipbuilders like General Dynamics Electric Boat, Huntington-Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding, Austal USA as well as key industry experts like Phillips Corporation, Industrial Inspection and Analysis, FasTech, Mitutoyo, and Master Gage & Tool, to bring multiple processes utilized by the DIB under one roof to improve efficiencies and reduce barriers to entry for manufacturers hoping to enter additive manufacturing.

Utilizing three full bays dedicated to accelerating and scaling additive manufacturing parts and qualification processes, the AM CoE’s principal functions will be to:

  • Promote adoption of mature industrial qualification processes and data to earn technical warrant holder approval for additive manufacturing production;
  • Enable scale and speed to address material readiness challenges and critical fragilities in the castings/forgings market space;
  • Pave a path for sustainable and scalable additive manufacturing production capability in the submarine industrial base.

“Building and sustaining the Navy’s defense industrial base workforce has become a national security imperative, and the demonstration of partnership and collaboration that is represented here in Danville, Virginia today is part of the ‘Whole Government, Whole of Industry’ approach that must be in place to ensure the domestic manufacturing capacity that is required to maintain the Navy’s maritime edge, and surge to meet a dynamic threat environment,” said Matt Sermon, Executive Director, PEO Strategic Submarines.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the AM CoE was held during the second annual ATDM Summit where the U.S. Navy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and additional federal, state and local government officials joined with partners from defense industry and academia to convene topics pertaining to closing skills and workforce gaps within the naval defense industrial base.

During the ceremony, the announcement was also made that the ATDM program, which aims to provide 800-1,000 qualified candidates to fill critical vacancies in the DIB annually by 2024, will expand with the creation of a regional training facility adjacent to the CMA. The multimillion-dollar investment into over 100,000 square feet of dedicated training capability, capacity, and infrastructure will enable ATDM to rapidly scale up to its full potential and add to the economic momentum in Southern Virginia. The Danville and Pittsylvania County Regional Industrial Facility Authority provided land for the initiative.

“The launch of the AM CoE and the announcement of scale-up potential for ATDM go hand-in-hand with IALR’s approach to support the technological and workforce development needs of Industry. We are excited to leverage our new Center for Manufacturing Advancement and work with the Navy and other partners,” said Telly Tucker, President, IALR. “ATDM is one of the strongest examples of what full integration of industry in the training process looks like, by bringing key partners together to be vested in the time-to-talent process and ensuring the unique requirements of shipbuilders and suppliers are achieved quickly to meet the demands of our nation’s defenses.”

“The events we celebrate today – centered on workforce, technology, and the space where those two priorities must meet – are game changing. The scale and urgency needed in these areas is a fundamental differentiator in our Navy’s ability to preserve peace, and when necessary, compete and win,” added RADM Scott Pappano, PEO Strategic Submarines.” 

IALR Announces New EVP of Manufacturing Advancement

IALR Announces New EVP of Manufacturing Advancement

Todd M. Yeatts

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is pleased to announce Todd M. Yeatts as Executive Vice President, Manufacturing Advancement, effective Oct. 3, 2022. Yeatts most recently served as Senior Manager for Government Operations for The Boeing Company in Arlington and brings decades of experience in government and public affairs, strategic communications and economic development. He will lead IALR’s growing Manufacturing Advancement division and will report directly to IALR President Telly D. Tucker.

“I am delighted to welcome Todd to the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and know that he will bring a wealth of knowledge, insight and leadership,” said Tucker. “As we continue to serve as a regional catalyst for economic transformation, Todd’s unique background will help advance Southern Virginia’s role as a leading hub of advanced manufacturing. Maintaining strategic relationships with government, industry, education and technology stakeholders will help provide critical support and awareness, especially as we grow our training programs to serve not only our regional workforce but national and defense industrial base needs as well.”

In addition to overseeing the manufacturing advancement training programs of IALR, Yeatts will also oversee the operation and strategic direction of the new Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA), which is expected to open this year. The CMA will offer resources, space and technology for manufacturers to innovate and integrate emerging technology into their processes; assist expanding and new companies; and develop an industry 4.0 training capability.

While at Boeing, Yeatts conducted program advocacy and awareness campaigns, managed congressional site visits, provided legislative testimony and served as the primary contact for elected and appointed government officials. Prior to that role, Yeatts served Boeing as the Regional Communication Manager for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St. Louis, Missouri, following a 19-month assignment in Iraq as Director of Strategic Communications for a team based in Baghdad. He is a retired 25-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

In addition to his military service, he has worked in state government as the Director of Communications for the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Yeatts also has served as Military Aide-de-Camp for Virginia Governors Warner, Kaine and McDonnell and has received appointments from Governors McAuliffe, Northam and Youngkin to the Governor’s Aerospace Advisory Council.

Yeatts’ local government experience includes serving as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Danville, Va., where he initially served as the Director of Legislative and Public Affairs. Prior to that, he was the Legislative Liaison to the Virginia General Assembly for the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Yeatts serves on a variety of boards and commissions, including the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation – Unmanned Systems Advisory Board, the Virginia Aviation Business Association, the GO Virginia Region 7 Economic Development Commission, the Arlington County Economic Development Commission, the Arlington Military and Veteran Affairs Committee and the Averett University Board of Trustees. He is the current Chair of Go Virginia Region 7 and was the 2016 Chair of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

Danville’s DoD-Funded Training Program Graduates Third Cohort in Shipbuilding and Ship Sustaining Skilled Trades

Danville’s DoD-Funded Training Program Graduates Third Cohort in Shipbuilding and Ship Sustaining Skilled Trades

35 workers from 14 states rapidly trained for employment in defense industry

As a high-performance manufacturing hub, Danville offers an innovative training model that more recently includes a federal pilot project attracting participants on a national scale to defense industrial base trades. The third cohort of students, including 35 adult learners from 14 states, graduated from the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program on Aug. 5. This 16-week, hands-on curriculum rapidly develops skilled workers with industry recognized credentials for employment in the defense industry.

Dr. Debra Holley, ATDM Director at IALR, and Dr. Jerry Wallace, Danville Community College President, award certificates to completers of the third cohort of the DoD initiative to prepare workers for skilled trades positions in the defense industry – the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing Program. Thirty-five individuals from 14 states finished the 16-week program on Aug. 5 and have already received job offers from Newport News Shipbuilding, Electric Boat and BWX Technologies.

ATDM trains workers in key trades to fill skill gaps in welding, CNC machining, quality control inspection and additive manufacturing. The program was developed as a public-private consortium between the U.S. Department of Defense, Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), Danville Community College (DCC), Phillips Corporation and The Spectrum Group, in coordination with maritime defense industry partners and Navy stakeholders. Scaling the ATDM program is a priority effort planned in the Submarines Industrial Base budget, and a key enabler in the Navy’s ability to reach and sustain the required submarine production cadence, deliver on the construction of the Navy’s number-one priority Columbia Class submarine, and ensure sustainment of existing platforms. This program is also positioned to have a significant impact across all maritime programs and platforms, and includes addressing workforce constraints at shipbuilders, shipyards and the sub-tier supply chain.

“At every level in our industrial base, manpower readiness is not a choice, it is an absolute requirement for success. The people graduating from the ATDM program are how I know our Navy and Nation will continue leading in the maritime domain,” said Admiral Scott Pappano, Program Executive Officer, Strategic Submarines. “There is nothing more important than ensuring we have the workforce to lead, innovate, and execute our Navy’s programs and platforms, and this pipeline provides these men and women with an incredible opportunity to join our mission in family-sustaining careers that are in critical demand.”

IALR is leading the multi-year pilot project to test and evaluate ATDM as a training platform for regional training centers supporting the defense industrial base. The pilot project is funded through the National Imperative for Industrial Skills initiative which was launched in 2020 by the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program Office (IBAS) in the office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

“IALR continues to serve as a leading model of intentional, effective workforce development initiatives to generate a sustainable pipeline of work-ready talent for high-performance manufacturers and other target sectors,” said Telly Tucker, president of IALR. “We thank our ATDM partners and congratulate these students on their accomplishments; knowing that we played a role in securing a high-quality job for these men and women while also helping our nation’s defense manufacturers is extremely fulfilling.”

The ATDM curriculum is customized to the skills and training needs of the naval shipbuilding and sustainment sector of the defense industrial base. Training takes place in Danville on the campuses of IALR and DCC, and DCC serves as the curriculum provider.

“We’re incredibly proud of the DCC Knights who have completed the ATDM training,” said Dr. Jerry Wallace, president of Danville Community College. “Thanks to our strong partnership with the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, access to this unique, specialized training is available right here in Danville. These students have mastered skills over the last four months that will propel them forward into high-paying careers, impacting the defense manufacturing industry for years to come. We cannot wait to see where their hard work and dedication leads them.”

Phillips Corporation serves as the technology provider for the ATDM training program, and provides the latest equipment for high-quality, industry-focused training.

“Phillips Corporation is very pleased to continue our training and advanced manufacturing roles with IALR’s ATDM program,” said Rick Morgan, Director, Phillips Corporation. “A terrific example of success related to the mission of this program is that Phillips has hired a recent ATDM graduate of one of the four training programs, in this case a member of the additive manufacturing training cohort. Our new employee, a Marine Corps veteran, will be living and working in Danville for Phillips Corporation on additive and other advanced manufacturing projects as part of Phillips’ continuing commitment and dedication to ‘Team Danville’ programs.”

IALR hosted an ATDM completion ceremony on Aug. 5. Dr. Debra Holley, ATDM Director, and Dr. Jerry Wallace, DCC President, awarded completion certificates. Commissioner Daniel Gade with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services served as keynote speaker. Students hailed from Hawaii, California, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. Of the 35 graduates, two are Navy veterans, two are active Navy personnel, and three are Afghan allies. Fourteen of the students were incumbent workers, sponsored by their employers to advance and expand their skills; sponsoring industry partners included Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Curtiss-Wright (New York), Bearon Manufacturing (Pennsylvania), and others. The remaining graduates are working with ATDM placement staff to gain employment; to date, students have received offers from Newport News Shipbuilding, Electric Boat and BWX Technologies.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves Virginia as a regional catalyst for economic transformation with applied research, advanced learning, economic development, manufacturing advancement and conference services. IALR’s major footprint focuses within Southern Virginia, including the counties of Patrick, Henry, Franklin, Pittsylvania, Halifax and Mecklenburg along with the cities of Martinsville and Danville. For more information, visit www.ialr.org.

Danville Community College is a two-year institution of higher education under the state-wide Virginia Community College System. DCC’s service area includes the City of Danville, Pittsylvania County, and Halifax County. For more information about the college’s more than 100 programs of study, visit www.danville.edu.

Completers of the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) Additive Manufacturing program receive their completion certificates and are accompanied by DCC additive manufacturing instructor Eric Collie (left).

ATDM CNC Machining participants pose with their certificates of completion, along with DCC precision machining instructor Justin Owen (left) and DCC machining technician Wesley Cifers (right).

DCC welding instructor Brian Penny (front, center) celebrates with completers of the ATDM Welding cohort as well as DCC welding technician Darrell Buchanan (second from right).

Completers of the ATDM Quality Control Inspection (metrology) program celebrate receiving their certificates with DCC dimensional metrology instructor Josh Worthley (right) and DCC metrology technician Jacob Corvin (left).
Congressional Leaders Continue Support of ATDM

Congressional Leaders Continue Support of ATDM

With continuing support of congressional leaders, the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program remains in step with growth goals. ATDM members updated Congressman Bob Good and Senator Mark Warner on the 16-week program that trains adults in CNC machining, quality control inspection, welding and additive manufacturing.

Good and Warner have been instrumental in the ATDM program’s funding and have visited the training facilities. They learned of current successes, as well as the scale-up plan to train 800-1,000 students a year within five years.

The visit also introduced IALR’s new president, Telly Tucker. IALR has served as team lead with Advanced Manufacturing Director Troy Simpson. Norb Ryan Jr., of The SPECTRUM Group, joined the visit as well. SPECTRUM serves as government relations expert on the ATDM team. Other team members include Danville Community College, instructional provider, and Phillips Corporation, technology provider. Visit atdm.org to learn more.

Congressman Bob Good, IALR President Telly Tucker, IALR’s Troy Simpson and The SPECTRUM Group’s Norb Ryan discuss continued support for the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) Program.

Tucker and Simpson thank Senator Mark Warner for his support of ATDM as it plans to scale up and train 800-1,000 students annually within five years.