Amatrol Expands Partnership with Detroit’s LIFT
Posted on January 11, 2021

Amatrol joins LIFT as a Silver Member and will continue to provide virtual and hands-on training for students across the country.

DETROITLIFT, the Detroit-based, Department of Defense-supported national manufacturing innovation institute, announced today that Amatrol, the national leader in advanced manufacturing training equipment and interactive, multimedia e-learning courses, has joined LIFT as a Silver Member, expanding its long-term relationship with the institute.

Amatrol, based in Jeffersonville, Ind., designs, develops and manufactures technical training systems, highly interactive eLearning, hands-on simulators, and more to train tomorrow’s global manufacturing workforce.

Since 2016, Amatrol has partnered with LIFT to provide virtual and hands-on training capabilities as part of the institute’s IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing curriculum hosted in the LIFT Learning Lab in Detroit as well as Operation Next, the innovative training and credentialing program that provides a blended learning curriculum to active duty soldiers within their last six months of service which is now expanding across the country.

“We are proud of the LIFT programs we are supporting, like Operation Next and IGNITE, which are truly having an impact on manufacturing in the U.S.,” said Paul Perkins, president, Amatrol. “Becoming a LIFT member will help us continue to grow our relationship with the institute and help both of us ‘move the needle’ in advanced manufacturing talent development.”

“As we are rolling out nationally relevant and impactful talent programs, we need to partner with other leaders in that field, and Amatrol is just that,” said Kevin Kerrigan, vice-president business development, LIFT. “Amatrol has been leading the way in both virtual and hands-on training in manufacturing for decades, which is why they have been with us to launch Operation Next and IGNITE and are now a full-fledged LIFT member.”

Operation Next is an innovative, self-paced, manufacturing-focused training and credentialing initiative, which blends hands-on and virtual learning. Initially launched in 2018 as a pilot program at Fort Campbell in Kentucky to provide credentialing opportunities for service members six months before leaving the service, the program is currently being expanded to nine additional military bases around the country and into industry to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

IGNITE is an innovative three-year high school curriculum built around real industry problems and challenges. It uses engaging, technology-infused interactive multimedia course materials to inspire student interest and encourage participation in learning. Students completing the curriculum are launched on a successful education path to become the next generation of multi-skilled engineering technicians, technologists, or engineers.

Founded in 1981, Amatrol currently serves a wide range of educational markets, including universities, community colleges, technical colleges, vocational schools, high schools, middle schools, and industry. The programs served within these institutions include engineering, engineering technology, technology, construction, manufacturing, robotics, computer integrated manufacturing, electrical maintenance, mechanical maintenance, mechatronics, and pre-engineering. ATS Midwest is the exclusive distributor of Amatrol training systems in Michigan.

ABOUT LIFT

LIFT, operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is the Detroit-based, public-private partnership between the Department of Defense, industry and academia, committed to the development and deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies, and implementing talent development initiatives to better prepare the workforce today and in the future. LIFT funded in part by the Department of Defense with management through the Office of Naval Research.