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Defense
Manufacturing Needs a 
Workforce Built 
for What’s Next


America’s national security and economic strength rely on a skilled defense manufacturing workforce. Yet a critical gap persists between the speed of innovation in manufacturing and the outdated pace of workforce education and preparation.

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Critical Technology Areas

The Future of Defense Manufacturing

The Department of Defense has identified key Critical Technology Areas that are vital to meeting the United States’ most important national security needs. These six areas reflect the challenging and rapidly evolving landscape for technology investment, development, and adoption in the 21st century.  For workforce development professionals, these CTAs are a clear roadmap of where defense-related manufacturing and jobs will be created, and what skills those jobs will require.


Data to Inform
Workforce Planning

Our team of researchers and analysts take a data-driven approach to understanding industrial change and corresponding trends in education and training.  We provide data and offer insights at the regional, state, and national levels as well as drill down into specific populations, like veterans.


Our National Network of Innovative Partners

We work alongside a number of organizations that are working to accelerate priority technologies and solve workforce challenges across the U.S. 

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CDME
SME
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Upcoming Events

Join us at conferences, summits, and briefings focused on the future of workforce education and defense manufacturing.

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