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Education and Training 30 MoldMaking Technology —— SEPTEMBER 2017 By Cynthia Kustush Image courtesy of Autodesk Inc. Moldmaking industry supplier companies are establishing workforce development programs to help increase the flow of new talent for themselves and for the industry at large. Supplier-Based Training Programs Fuel Mold Industry Needs W orkforce development for manufacturing has found its way back into the nation's consciousness, but the focus is primarily on mainstream companies, not moldmakers and certainly not their suppliers. And what about those suppliers? They are responsible for developing and bring- ing to market the technologies necessary for the entire mold lifecycle from software to repair. It's critical that these suppli- ers maintain a skilled workforce too. The companies featured here represent many supplier-side original equipment manufacturers and the workforce develop- ment programs they have developed, for themselves and for the industry at large, to help ensure manufacturing's future. Inspiring Tomorrow's Mold Designers Autodesk (San Rafael, California) states on its website that "today's challenges will be solved by tomorrow's designers." This statement explains why the design and engineering software company established the Autodesk Design Academy, a program to prepare the next generation of engineers and designers. "We have made a commitment company-wide to foster those skills and create a pipeline of new talent," says Matt Pierce, senior manager of Americas, Autodesk Education Experiences. "It began three years ago, when we made our soft- ware completely free to schools," he says. "At one time, schools were a significant source of revenue, but we know that's a bar- rier, especially for smaller institutions where the cost of cur- rent software can be overwhelming." While giving teaching institutions free access to Autodesk products is significant, Pierce says it was only the beginning of what has become a huge, company-wide initiative. "We created our Design Academy program and website to provide downloadable courseware modules, videos to coach teachers, homework exercises and more—a virtual one-stop shop for all an instructor might need to engage and inspire students," he This group of smiling faces belongs to aspiring designers at the University of California, Berkeley, during their ME 110: Intro to Product Development class. Autodesk's Jeff Lee, program manager, is a guest lecturer and provides instruction on how to use the company's Fusion 360 product development software. This article is part of a series highlighting ways in which schools, businesses and trade organizations are working together to shape the next generation of manufacturing professionals.