全球智库信息集成服务系统

Key Findings

• There is a critical need for better and more-integrated workforce data systems that support data-driven policies for building a better AM workforce. This need can only be addressed by all stakeholders, including employers.
• A weak or absent policy response in the short to medium term might aggravate negative impacts for less educated and vulnerable workers or fail to draw the large, skilled workforce needed by employers.
• The number of AM-related education and training programs is growing, but, based on newly available data, many programs do not offer field-based experience, industry-based credentials, or emphasis on nontechnical "21st-century" skills (e.g., problem-solving and dependability and reliability).
• Based on the available research evidence and federal guidelines for determining quality research evidence, the most-promising practices in education and training programs in AM using robotics include industry-based credentials, apprenticeships, and student support services. Program providers should continue to experiment with the exact format of these practices, while conducting rigorous evaluations of them.