NIMS (The National Institute for Metalworking Skills), established in 1995, is marking its 25th anniversary in 2020 with fresh, forward-thinking methodologies for skills training, performance validation, and credentialing that address the competencies needed by today’s technology-driven manufacturers. 

“Manufacturing operations have automation and digital systems in place today that weren’t even concepts 25 years ago,” said Montez King, executive director of NIMS. “As such, the skills required and the ways in which those skills are taught and measured are changing as well, both on the job and at educational institutions. NIMS is uniquely positioned, after 25 years in industry and career and technical education, to be at the forefront of this effort.”

NIMS was founded in 1995 as a non-profit organization with the mission to develop and maintain a globally competitive American workforce. Over the last 25 years, the organization has become the industry standard for skills training, validation, and credentialing, providing now over 60 portable credentials in specific technical areas. The organization also is instrumental in developing industry standards that NIMS credentialing candidates are tested against, giving employers confidence in end-performance of any potential employee with a NIMS validated credential. In keeping with the revolutionary, “smart” digital transformation occurring in industry with its new advanced technology roles for employees, NIMS has kept pace with this rapid change by revamping its mission’s approach. The organization has developed new Smart Standards, Smart Training Principles, and Smart Performance Measures as the three main pillars of its effective framework. 

NIMS has launched new standards and credentials in recent months based on the new Smart Standards framework, such as Dimensional Measurement and Machining, which features new roles in CAM Programming and 5-Axis CNC Machining. Very soon the organization – partnering with Festo Corporation – will introduce Industry 4.0 standards that will culminate in a portable credential for employees and students by the fall. Essentially, the “new NIMS” is an Industry 4.0 network, but in the world of training and certification. 

“Gone are the days of conformance to a one-size-fits-all training and workforce development paradigm. As schools and companies brought their challenges to us, we had to develop solutions, and those solutions had to align to ‘smart’ manufacturing and Industry 4.0,” said King. “With the leap in technology and its application in manufacturing over the last 25 years, and the new initiatives at NIMS to meet those skills challenges, I’m confident we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2045!”