Basu, T.
, Conrad, B.
, Bell, A.
, Forshey, J.
, Foy, R.
, Smith-Schoettker, A.
and Long, J.
(2026),
Leveraging the Undergraduate Mathematics and Physics Curriculum to Strengthen the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Pipeline, NIST Advanced Manufacturing Series: Reports Subseries, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AMS.100-87, https://nps-ext.nist.gov/nps/nps_public_api/api/Publication/file/963002 (Accessed November 13, 2026)
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Leveraging the Undergraduate Mathematics and Physics Curriculum to Strengthen the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Pipeline
Published
Author(s)
, , Aaron Bell, Jeremiah Forshey, Robert Foy, Ashley Smith-Schoettker,
Abstract
This report provides faculty with advanced manufacturing terminology and data to articulate the occupational relevance of their teachings, without changing curriculum. The MFG USA Competency Framework can be used to make mathematics and physics certifications more accessible to employers and hiring managers. Undergraduate mathematics and physics courses develop abstraction, modeling under constraints, and reasoning with uncertainty, which are skills applicable to a wide range of advanced manufacturing career pathways. The academic language used to describe these skills can make it challenging for employers to interpret academic course relevance in the competency-based terms more familiar to industry. To address this systemic issue, the Manufacturing USA Advanced Manufacturing Occupation and Competency Framework (MFG USA Competency Framework) provides an industry-validated framework that outlines occupations, competencies, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) in advanced manufacturing. By mapping the skills developed in familiar undergraduate coursework onto the framework's industry-wide and sector-specific competencies, this analysis highlights relevant connections between academic training and entry-level advanced manufacturing roles—connections that are often implicit to faculty but not immediately apparent to hiring managers, workers, and employers.Citation
NIST Advanced Manufacturing Series: Reports Subseries - 100-87
Report Number
100-87
Pub Type
NIST Pubs
Download Paper
Keywords
Manufacturing USA, Advanced Manufacturing, Manufacturing Innovation, Advanced Manufacturing Workforce, Advanced manufacturing credentials, Advanced manufacturing skills, Advanced manufacturing competencies, Advanced manufacturing curriculum, Mathematics, Physics.
Citation
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Created November 10, 2026