MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AS PART OF A NATIONAL MANUFACTURING COMPETITION

BLACKSBURG, Va., July 7 -- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University issued the following news release:

The U.S. manufacturing sector is facing a major talent shortage. By 2030, 2.1 million jobs could go unfilled due to a lack of skilled labor. In the face of this shortage, Virginia Tech is preparing engineering students through hands-on learning experiences.

The most recent example? A national competition hosted by the Steel Founders' Society of America. The competition and inaugural YouTube series called Cast in Steel challenges students from 38 university teams to design and manufacture cast-steel projects while gaining hands-on experience with engineering, manufacturing processes, and industry collaboration.

The challenge f...