It was a real pleasure to welcome Kathleen Kosmoski, Director of Workforce Development at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), to Manufacturing an American Century. Kathleen leads national efforts to strengthen the engineering talent pipeline and is helping connect community colleges, manufacturers, and engineering societies in new ways to close the skills gap.

Kathleen shares how ASME is engaging the next generation of engineers through its Community College Engineering Pathways and Mechanical Engineering Technology Apprenticeship programs, both designed to make engineering education more accessible and aligned with industry needs. She discusses how these initiatives are helping students enter the engineering profession as technicians and advance through hands-on learning and employer partnerships.

We also talk about the unique role of professional societies in rebuilding America’s manufacturing base, ASME’s collaborations with other engineering associations, and Kathleen’s vision for a more connected and inclusive technical workforce. Her experience leading workforce initiatives and her passion for solving complex challenges shine through as she describes how trust, local partnerships, and persistence are key to lasting impact. Thanks to Kathleen for joining us and for the incredible work she’s doing to build the next generation of American engineers!

🔗Links to Learn More:

• Find Kathleen on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about ASME programs:
• Community College Engineering Pathways
• Mechanical Engineering Technology Apprenticeship
• Follow AMCC on Linkedin.
• Find Matt on Linkedin.
• Visit our website.

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Thank you to the Economic Development Administration for their partnership in producing this podcast. This podcast was prepared in part using Federal funds under award 3070145 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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