KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Dec. 7, 2020, a CNC machining course developed at a kitchen counter launched online, aiming to teach the craft to anyone who wanted to learn.
Five years later, the course has evolved into a national workforce development program that’s transformed thousands of lives through free online and in-person training.
Yours could be next.
Don’t have any experience? Consider the story of Macrae Alford, who went to an America’s Cutting Edge bootcamp without prior machining experience and later got hired to start his CNC career.
Are you a student? There’s Ashley Egenti, whose ACE experience at the University of North Texas helped her land a gig with Lockheed Martin.
Maybe you’re in manufacturing as an employee or business owner. Industry stands to benefit through upskilling current talent – or by finding it through bootcamps.
“When I go to the school and hire someone out of the program, they’re ready to go,” said Monica Dirr, owner of Pace Machine & Tool.
“It’s a no-brainer,” said Josh Reitmeier, director of operations at Coldspring. “This is so unique, it would have been impossible for us to dream this up. This feels like something everybody could benefit from.”
In five years, nearly 20,000 people have registered for one of 11 online courses.
Over 5,000 have completed an in-person bootcamp.
And with dozens of locations across the United States, finding a training opportunity near you has never been easier.
Join the next wave of manufacturing talent. Click here to get started.
More about ACE’s fifth birthday here.
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 tool industry 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.
Media Contact:
Michael Alachnowicz | IACMI Communications Specialist
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/945c5360-421c-4664-b3d3-3fe19a1ee434