How ATDM Builds Shop-Ready Machinists in Just 16 Weeks | Ep. 541

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For every five people aging out of the skilled trades, only two are stepping in behind them. Manufacturers have spent years talking about that gap. Danville, Virginia, decided to build its way out of it.

In this episode, Jason Wells takes us inside the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program, where students with little or no industrial experience are prepared for careers in machining, welding, additive manufacturing, quality, and other critical trades—in just 16 weeks.

But this isn’t a condensed version of a traditional classroom program. Students train eight hours a day across the same three shifts they may encounter in industry. They clock in, follow travelers, complete shift handoffs, practice 5S, and learn the habits shops expect before they ever reach the floor. They’re taught G and M code instead of relying solely on conversational controls, while communication, documentation, and problem-solving are treated as seriously as technical ability.

Alan Pearce of Fasttech explains why this talent pipeline convinced him to build his company in Danville—and what happened after he began hiring its graduates. People who entered with no manufacturing background have become top-performing employees, shift supervisors, and, in some cases, are earning up to $50 an hour on shift.

This isn’t just a conversation about filling open positions. It’s a look at what workforce development could become when educators, manufacturers, and government stop working in separate silos—and build the talent pipeline together.

What’s Covered in this Episode

• (0:00) Jason’s tour of ATDM: Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing
• (2:16) How Danville rebuilt itself after tobacco, textiles, and furniture collapsed
• (4:51) A Navy funded prototype program heading into its sixth year
• (6:20) Alan Pearce on why FastTech located in Danville for the talent pool
• (10:35) Grow your top and bottom line with CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)
• (11:45) Inside FastTech: wire arc and laser printing, then machining a finished part
• (15:24) The Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence
• (17:48) Reaching an underemployed labor pool with students from 47 states
• (19:53) Why they still teach G and M code instead of conversational programming
• (21:46) Soft skills, clock in and clock out, 5S, and shift handoffs built into the experience
• (24:42) Get buyers real answers on your website with Navu
• (25:54) The Institute as a convener of government, academia, and industry
• (27:27) Graduates who became top scoring employees inside two years
• (31:31) A graduation cycle every eight weeks instead of a semester calendar
• (32:13) Retention through new technology and challenge, not just pay
• (34:46) Why Alan turned down a veteran production manager
• (36:14) The seven habits of highly effective workholding from SMW Autoblok
• (36:58) Three shifts, aluminum Lego blocks, and 600 hours of training in 16 weeks
• (40:58) Hybrid print and machine units now sitting on ships
• (42:05) Split into the Sailors and Marines training and the valve body / twelve-parts-to-one
• (47:28) Housing students locally and the after-hours cohort learning
• (49:33) The down-select: aptitude testing, prerequisites, background check
• (54:25) Word of mouth as their best recruiter
• (59:10) What Alan tells shop owners about ATDM

Resources Mentioned

• Build Submarines
• CLA
• Navu
• SMW Autoblok

Connect with Jason Wells and Alan Pearce

• Connect with Jason on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alan on LinkedIn
• ATDM
• Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
• Fastech

Connect with MakingChips

• www.MakingChips.com
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