February 12, 2020  – The National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), an American precision metalworking association, announced support for President Donald Trump’s proposal to expand vocational and technical training in America’s high schools and stands ready to work with the Trump Administration, Congress and local school districts to support the advancement of training programs that prepare students for high-skill careers in modern manufacturing.

A recent industry survey by NTMA through found that more than 90% of manufacturers are struggling to fill open positions.  Other data show that the number of job openings in manufacturer is expected to grow even more in the next decade if there is not a significant investment in skills training.

This year, NTMA launched AMPED (Advanced Manufacturing Practice & Education Development), a 501(c)3 organization, with a mission to engage, inspire and prepare America’s precision manufacturing workforce.  With programs from the hands-on learning National Robotics League to the online skills training NTMA-U, AMPED is focused on promoting the opportunities in manufacturing careers and preparing students for success.