Developing the Workforce Advanced Manufacturing Demands
Missouri's manufacturing sector employs hundreds of thousands of workers — but the pipeline of skilled talent isn't keeping pace with the industry's needs. The Missouri Protoplex is taking on that challenge through a coordinated workforce development strategy that reaches from K–12 classrooms to working adults.
We connect manufacturers, educators, and students in a shared effort to build the technically capable, career-ready workforce Missouri's economy depends on. Our approach operates at three levels:
Bring Advanced Manufacturing to Students
Missouri's advanced manufacturing workforce begins in the classroom — and too many students in rural communities never see a path into the industry. The Missouri Protoplex is changing that.
In partnership with the Kummer STEM Center, Protoplex supports camps and outreach programs that bring advanced manufacturing directly to students — 3D printing, CNC machining, laser systems, and robotics — through immersive, hands-on experiences. The STEM Center's mobile labs and equipment vans travel to schools across rural Missouri, reaching thousands of students each year in communities that would otherwise have no exposure to these technologies.
These early experiences don't just spark curiosity. They plant the seeds of a career — connecting young Missourians to the high-skill, high-paying manufacturing jobs that will define the state's economic future.
Work with Researchers, Engineers and Industry
Missouri's manufacturing future depends on engineers and technicians who don't just understand advanced technology — they know how to apply it. Protoplex internships are designed to close that gap.
Interns work directly with university researchers, Protoplex engineers, and industry partners on active projects integrating advanced design, additive manufacturing, and digital-engineering tools. These aren't observational roles — interns contribute to real work that matters to Missouri manufacturers.
The result: graduates who enter the workforce with the technical depth, professional experience, and industry connections that employers in advanced manufacturing are looking for — and that keep Missouri's high-tech talent pipeline strong.
Advance Your Workforce
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For manufacturers looking to advance their current workforce, we offer workshops, short courses, and customized training in advanced manufacturing technologies including additive manufacturing, robotics and automation, advanced materials processing, and quality systems.
Recent Trainings:
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Casting Repair Workshop — June 2024 (Ozarks Technical Community College, Springfield) Focus: Additive and laser-based repair technologies. Partners: Ozarks Technical Community College, Missouri Association of Manufacturers, CAT.
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Casting 4.0: Expanding Your Toolbox — October 2025 (Missouri S&T, Rolla) Focus: Additive design and laser powder-bed fusion. Partners: Boeing, Missouri Association of Manufacturers, and regional OEMs.
Both workshops were part of Protoplex's federally funded grants, aimed at accelerating Missouri's adoption of advanced manufacturing and building a resilient, skilled workforce pipeline.
About the Learning Modules
These introductory microlearning modules on casting & forging provided by America Makes are great for those new to the area or those needing a refresher. The seven modules cover topics such as additive manufacturing's value to casting, post-processing, automation, additive manufacturing in casting use cases, and more.
How to Sign Up
- Select "Get Started" under Industry Users
- Select "Get Started" under Casting and Forging
- Use Code: Protoplex
- Click ‘Validate’