All Hands on Deck: ATDM and AM CoE Summit Strengthens U.S. Defense Manufacturing Through Workforce Innovation and Advanced Technology
In the heart of Danville, Virginia, a transformative convergence of leadership, strategy, and innovation unfolded as over 450 participants gathered for the fourth annual joint summit hosted by the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program and the U.S. Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE). Held at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), the 2025 summit—aptly themed “All Hands on Deck”—served not only as a high-profile convening of decision-makers and experts, but as a powerful demonstration of how the United States is rebuilding its maritime industrial base through workforce development and advanced manufacturing integration.
From naval officers to defense contractors, technical educators to workforce policymakers, stakeholders from across the defense and manufacturing sectors came together with a unified mission: to address urgent workforce gaps and capability bottlenecks in U.S. Navy shipbuilding and repair. Amid rising global maritime competition and the growing complexity of naval platforms, the summit spotlighted the dual imperative of cultivating skilled talent and deploying advanced manufacturing technologies to accelerate and strengthen defense readiness.
A Strategic Vision Backed by Naval Leadership
One of the most anticipated moments of the summit was the keynote address delivered by Admiral James Kilby, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Kilby’s presence underscored the Navy’s commitment at the highest levels to reshaping the future of maritime power through sustained investment in people, innovation, and capability.
In his remarks, Admiral Kilby emphasized that America’s naval superiority hinges not just on platforms or ship counts, but on the readiness and resiliency of the broader industrial ecosystem. “The Navy recognizes that maintaining our maritime dominance in an increasingly contested global environment requires a robust, agile, and highly skilled workforce—one that is trained not only to meet today’s challenges but prepared for tomorrow’s innovations,” Kilby stated. “Programs like ATDM and institutions like the AM CoE are foundational to this effort.”
Kilby also highlighted the Navy’s forward-looking approach to integrating advanced manufacturing methods into both new construction and maintenance operations. He noted that the Navy’s reliance on an antiquated industrial base is no longer sustainable, and that partnerships like those emerging in Danville are crucial to achieving speed, scale, and quality in the production and repair of complex systems.
Workforce Development: The ATDM Model in Action
Central to the summit was the remarkable progress of the ATDM program, which has rapidly become a national model for accelerated defense manufacturing training. Launched in 2020, ATDM was designed in response to a stark reality: the U.S. defense industrial base faces a critical shortage of skilled labor in trades essential to shipbuilding, submarine construction, and maintenance operations. ATDM provides a rigorous 16-week training program that equips students with high-demand skills in welding, additive manufacturing, CNC machining, non-destructive testing, and metrology.
Earlier this year, the program achieved a major milestone with the opening of the new 100,000-square-foot ATDM Maritime Training Center on the IALR campus. The facility dramatically expands the program’s capacity, enabling it to scale up and graduate as many as 1,000 students annually. This increase is not merely aspirational—it is a strategic imperative, as the Navy and its shipbuilding partners race to deliver on ambitious production goals under the Columbia-class submarine and Virginia-class attack submarine programs.
According to Matthew Sermon, direct reporting program manager for the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base, the results are already tangible. “This Summit extends far beyond a two-day gathering—it’s strengthening America’s maritime industrial foundation,” Sermon said during the event. “The ATDM Maritime Training Center is creating a sustainable, high-output talent pipeline. This is not a pilot or a prototype—it’s a full-scale workforce solution, operating at the speed and scale our national defense requires.”
Sermon went on to describe the critical synergy between ATDM and the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence, noting that the latter “is revolutionizing how we produce critical components, reducing production timelines from years or months to weeks or days. Both are gamechangers….and together, these complementary initiatives address both the human talent and technological capabilities needed to build and sustain the fleet our nation requires.”
IALR: A Nexus of Innovation and Collaboration
At the core of these initiatives lies the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, a regional innovation engine that has become a national asset. IALR serves as both the physical home and strategic partner for ATDM and AM CoE, providing the infrastructure, partnerships, and vision necessary to create an integrated training and innovation ecosystem.
Telly Tucker, President of IALR, spoke at the summit about the institute’s holistic approach. “At IALR, we’re pioneering new accelerated training methods while building the future workforce for defense and maritime manufacturing,” Tucker said. “The new ATDM Maritime Training Center is a vital step in growing the talent pipeline, and by hosting the Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence on our campus, we’re integrating emerging technologies directly into the hands-on training process. This model ensures our graduates are equipped to meet challenges in shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing.”
IALR’s commitment extends beyond classroom instruction to applied research, industry partnerships, and innovation diffusion. The co-location of ATDM and AM CoE within the same ecosystem enables tight feedback loops between technology development and workforce preparation—a model increasingly recognized as a best practice in defense manufacturing modernization.
AM CoE: Speed, Precision, and Capability
While ATDM focuses on cultivating human capital, the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) is redefining the tools and processes used to build and sustain the Navy fleet. With a mission to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) across the maritime defense sector, AM CoE is delivering next-generation manufacturing capabilities where they are needed most.
Throughout the summit, AM CoE experts demonstrated how the center is cutting part production timelines from months to days by leveraging advanced 3D printing technologies. Whether supporting new submarine construction or enabling rapid repair of legacy systems, AM CoE is proving that AM is not just a lab experiment—it’s a deployable, scalable solution.
Moreover, the collaboration between AM CoE and ATDM is yielding mutual benefits. Students in the ATDM program receive hands-on experience in additive processes, while AM CoE gains access to a steady stream of trainees capable of translating digital models into production-grade parts. This seamless integration of education, technology, and deployment capability is what makes the Danville model so distinctive.
Industry Impact: Speed to Capability
One of the most important themes that emerged during the summit was the measurable impact these programs are having on defense contractors and suppliers. Representatives from major shipbuilders and component manufacturers shared how hiring ATDM graduates has shortened onboarding timelines and improved production continuity. With many of these companies facing demographic challenges, including an aging workforce and tight labor markets, access to a high-quality talent pipeline is no longer a luxury—it’s a competitive necessity.
Panel discussions featured voices from across the supply chain, including mid-sized component manufacturers and large prime contractors, all of whom praised the practical skills and job readiness of ATDM graduates. Several noted that ATDM alumni have been instrumental in helping companies meet aggressive production milestones tied to Navy contracts.
Moreover, the summit facilitated networking among employers, educators, and students, creating fertile ground for future partnerships. One senior industry executive described the summit as “a force multiplier” for workforce development and talent acquisition, adding, “This is what the future of manufacturing looks like—collaborative, innovative, and mission-driven.”
A Blueprint for National Replication
As the summit concluded, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and a shared recognition that what is happening in Danville is more than a local success story—it is a blueprint for national replication. The integrated model of accelerated training, applied research, and advanced manufacturing capability offers a scalable solution to the workforce and technology challenges facing the entire U.S. industrial base.
The Navy’s commitment to expanding the ATDM model to other locations was also discussed during the summit. While Danville remains the flagship, efforts are underway to replicate its core elements—compressed training, direct employer engagement, and technology integration—in other high-need regions. Doing so would allow the Department of Defense to strategically align workforce development with regional industrial strengths, creating a more distributed and resilient defense manufacturing network.
About the ATDM Program
Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) was established to rapidly prepare individuals for high-demand roles in the U.S. defense industrial base. Hosted by IALR in Danville, Virginia, ATDM delivers intensive, 16-week training programs that prepare students for careers in welding, CNC machining, additive manufacturing, metrology, and non-destructive testing. These technical skills are essential to the construction, maintenance, and modernization of submarines, surface vessels, and other defense systems.
ATDM graduates are hired directly into the defense workforce, earning competitive wages and contributing to critical national security missions. The program is designed for both new entrants to the workforce and those seeking to transition from other careers, including veterans. For more information, visit https://atdm.org.
About the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR)
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is a mission-driven organization dedicated to advancing economic transformation in Virginia and beyond. Through programs in applied research, advanced learning, manufacturing innovation, and economic development, IALR serves as a regional catalyst for progress. Its footprint spans Southern Virginia, including Pittsylvania, Halifax, Patrick, Franklin, Henry, and Mecklenburg counties, as well as the cities of Danville and Martinsville. Learn more at www.ialr.org.
