# Chocolate Castings, Apprenticeships and the Future of Manufacturing Careers w/ Mike Kubacki

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2025-11-04
- Episode: 282
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-11-04-chocolate-castings-apprenticeships-and-the-future-of-manufacturing-careers-w-mik
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-09c387f6-b43a-469e-b55d-656b714996e0

## Summary

Mike Kubacki, a project coordinator at IACME (Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation), discusses the critical workforce shortage in the US casting and forging industries, which he frames as a national security risk given that 92% of specialized defense end items rely on these processes. He details the METAL program (Metallurgical Engineering, Trades, Apprenticeship, and Learning), which uses an inverted pyramid strategy to engage K-12 students through events like chocolate casting and Tin Man builds, leading to hands-on boot camps for older students. Kubacki highlights successful apprenticeship models, citing Goodwin Castings' 95% retention rate and Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry's expansion, while urging manufacturers to connect frontline work to real-world impact to improve recruitment and retention.

## Chapters

- [0:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-11-04-chocolate-castings-apprenticeships-and-the-future-of-manufacturing-careers-w-mik#t=38) Introduction: Mike Kubacki and the Manufacturing Workforce Crisis
- [3:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-11-04-chocolate-castings-apprenticeships-and-the-future-of-manufacturing-careers-w-mik#t=197) The Defense Industrial Base and Aging Workforce Risks
- [9:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-11-04-chocolate-castings-apprenticeships-and-the-future-of-manufacturing-careers-w-mik#t=584) Modernizing the Shop Floor: Dispelling the 'Dark and Dirty' Myth
- [13:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-11-04-chocolate-castings-apprenticeships-and-the-future-of-manufacturing-careers-w-mik#t=838) The METAL Program: K-12 Engagement and Boot Camps
- [18:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-11-04-chocolate-castings-apprenticeships-and-the-future-of-manufacturing-careers-w-mik#t=1110) Apprenticeship Success Stories: Goodwin Castings and Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry
- [21:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-11-04-chocolate-castings-apprenticeships-and-the-future-of-manufacturing-careers-w-mik#t=1302) Actionable Steps for Manufacturers and Program Resources

## Topics

- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- IACME (company)
- METAL (product)
- Goodwin Castings (company)
- Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry (company)
- Jobs for the Future (company)
- America's Cutting Edge (product)
- Guerrilla 76 (company)

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- [BONUS: What Manufacturers Can Learn from Central Wisconsin's Workforce Strategy (LIVE from Wausau, WI)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2026-06-05-bonus-what-manufacturers-can-learn-from-central-wisconsins-workforce-strategy-li) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [298: Exploring Massachusetts' Aerospace & Defense Industry, LIVE in Canton, MA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2026-08-11-298-exploring-massachusetts-aerospace-defense-industry-live-in-canton-ma) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
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- [Inside IPC: John Mitchell on Building the Future Electronics Workforce in a Changing World](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-03-26-inside-ipc-john-mitchell-on-building-the-future-electronics-workforce-in-a-chang) (EMS@C-LEVEL)

## Citing this page

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