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There is a growing need for qualified workers in skilled trades such as welding and the industry is responding with competitive pay, job security and the opportunity to build a fulfilling career path. Women are stepping up to fill this gap and are discovering the advantages of this profession. Within the past seven years, the number of women working in skilled trades has increased by nearly one-third. In 2021, there were more than 314,000 tradeswomen in the U.S.

In the world of welding, where sparks fly and metal bends to the will of skilled hands, Makayla Baker stands out as a trailblazer. Her journey from a high school art class to becoming a respected welding technician and instructor at the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing Program is a testament to her passion, determination, and resilience in a traditionally male-dominated field.

In the past two years, 92 Veterans have found renewed purpose and new careers through the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program.

The BuildSubmarines ad blitz is part of an innovative campaign to shore up one particular aspect of the industrial base.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Madeline Eddy moved to Danville, Virginia, in early 2024 to study additive manufacturing at the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program. With a lifelong passion for art and design, Madeline was looking for hands-on career training that challenged her vocationally and allowed her to express her creativity. Before she graduates this June, we caught up with Madeline to ask about her experience at ATDM and learn more about her next move.

ATDM students are driven to succeed in all things manufacturing. But even when they’re not training on campus, they can still live life in the fast lane at a nearby Southside Virginia staple, the Martinsville Speedway.  

If you read Modern Machine Shop, you almost certainly know about the dreaded skills gap — the difference between the demand for skilled manufacturers and the number of people capable of filling those roles.

Moving to Danville to become part of a workforce pipeline program for the U.S. Navy was a seamless process for Rose Lopez, a veteran from Greensboro, North Carolina.

Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing Program's free scholarship for Veterans opens doors.