As the Department of War’s Office of Industrial Base Policy launches its national Build Freedom campaign to strengthen America’s industrial workforce, a Southern Virginia company is powering the effort by enhancing workforce pipeline efforts in middle and high school while building an alignment structure for all programs.
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Middle school students watch a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine.
TECHnista, LLC is a woman-owned education consulting company headquartered in Pittsylvania County. They have announced a series of initiatives designed to strengthen the K-to-career pipeline in support of the Build Freedom movement. Founded in 2020, TECHnista builds curriculum and content for K-12 programs focused on defense and advanced manufacturing. In 2024, it opened the National Training and Technology Center, which has already provided more than 55 teachers a cumulative 1,660 hours of training.
“TECHnista is committed to innovating K-12 education, and our MEERA program offers a unique focus on strengthening manufacturing workforce pipelines,” said Kelsey Robertson, TECHnista founder and CEO. “Build Freedom has put a national spotlight on the need for skilled trades introduction earlier in a student’s education journey, and we’re helping schools across the country answer that call.”
TECHnista’s support of Build Freedom begins with expanded deployment of MEERA Middle School and MEERA High School. Manufacturing and Engineering Education Reimagined for All (MEERA) provides students with hands-on experience in modern manufacturing technologies while building competencies for future careers. Students in MEERA classrooms are introduced to CNC machining, welding, additive manufacturing, non-destructive testing, electronics and robotics as early as sixth grade, building awareness of the skilled trades careers that are available upon high school graduation.
TECHnista already has MEERA Middle School programs in Michigan and Hawaii. In the first year, more than 1,000 students were exposed to skilled trades curriculum, with 180 students earning the first-in-the-nation junior technician certifications from Mitutoyo America. More than 18,000 students are expected to be enrolled this coming fall in Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Hawaii, Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama and Guam as a part of the Build Freedom initiative.
“With 93% of students expressing more interest in manufacturing after participating in the MEERA program, we know that it is making a difference in the trajectory of students’ lives,” said Garth Cooper, Ph.D., Allendale Public Schools superintendent.
Collaborating with IACMI – the Composites Institute, TECHnista will create a technical competency architecture to align programs across all age ranges in the Build Freedom ecosystem. In addition, TECHnista and IACMI will establish Build Freedom Centers across the country to provide educator training, ongoing program support and meaningful engagement with local business and industry.
“Every community in the Build Freedom network needs access to resources that assist in building and sustaining a strong manufacturing workforce pipeline,” said Robertson. “The background of the TECHnista team in both education and manufacturing will ensure that these resources are both available and accessible.”
As Build Freedom expands its reach across the country and as manufacturers nationwide face a projected shortage of nearly two million skilled workers by the early 2030s, TECHnista is building the framework that connects the early learning opportunities to the skills needed to fill gaps in the skilled trades workforce. The result is a workforce pipeline where students visualize themselves in manufacturing jobs at an early age, learn the foundational competencies in school, train for the role in a postsecondary program and enter the workforce prepared to succeed.
About TECHnista
TECHnista is a workforce and education organization connecting K-12 education, post-secondary learning and industry through hands-on technical education and career-connected experiences. TECHnista brings together educators, communities and industry leaders to build competency-driven career pathways that strengthen workforce pipelines and support the evolving needs of manufacturing.
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