Inside IALR

The Life-Changing Impact of a Four-Month Training Program

• Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

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In this episode of Inside IALR, host Caleb Ayers talks with Patrick Crowley and Ronald Green, recent graduates from the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program. Listen in as they share:

  • Patrick’s transition from logistics to CNC machining for more impactful work.
  • Ron’s journey from entrepreneurship in fashion to welding for career stability.
  • Their intense and rewarding four-month ATDM training experience.
  • How they overcame challenges and built camaraderie with classmates.
  • The promising career opportunities awaiting them post-graduation.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far reaching.

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Caleb Ayers:

Welcome to another episode of Inside IALR. We're here today with two. Well, by the time you're hearing this, they will be graduates of the ATDM program, that's Accelerated Training and Defense Manufacturing. So we have Patrick Crowley, who just graduated from CNC, and Ron Green, who graduated from welding. So thank you guys for being here. Appreciate it.

Patrick Crowley:

Thanks for having us Glad to be here.

Caleb Ayers:

So to start, you know, let's give a quick rundown for those who don't know, atdm that stands for, like I said, Accelerated Training and Defense Manufacturing. This is a Navy program where basically the companies that supply parts for the Navy can't find enough workers. So this program has been stood up on the IALR campus where people come in from all over the country four months in and out. Where they come in, learn, whether there's five tracks. There's welding, cnc machining, metrology, non-destructive testing and additive manufacturing. So people come in with either very limited or even sometimes no experience in those areas, walk out in four months basically ready for a job with an entry level job in that sector. Sometimes it's people who don't have a job lined up, sometimes it's companies sending their employees through for training. So all different kinds of options there.

Caleb Ayers:

But yeah, happy to talk to you guys today about your experience in the program. So to start, just kind of walk us through. How did you end up in the ATDM program, what led you here and where are you guys from? Like, geographically, where are you guys from?

Ronald Green:

I'm from Philadelphia, pennsylvania. Well, for me, I was previously a business owner. I was an entrepreneurial type of person. For the last 10 years, I've been running my own clothing company and you know I was doing fairly well for myself. I was able to support myself over the course of the last 10 years pretty successfully. Sales were consistent and everything was good. But then, up to a couple years ago, I started to notice a change in my customer spending habits and sales, you know, began to decline, even with my you know, continued efforts to market my products and things like that, and it forced me into a space where I had to, you know, make some tough decisions about my future. And, you know, I'm looking to start a family soon. I just recently proposed to my fiance. I'd like to be able to provide some stability in that way.

Ronald Green:

It's just funny how the ATDM program I started seeing ads on my social media nonstop. It was like every time I was on Facebook, anytime I was on Instagram, like at least twice or three times a day, I'm seeing an ad from, you know, webuildgiantscom or something like that. I'm like what is this so after, you know, just being bombarded like literally. I'm like, you know, let me check this out. So I hit the link and I started exploring the website and you know it. Really it piqued my interest because, like I said, I want to be able to be someone that can provide stability for a family structure. And this really, when I saw the welding and all the other programs as well. But welding really just stood out to me because I know that's a skill set that's in high demand. Yeah, so that's really what drew me into the opportunity.

Caleb Ayers:

So what you're saying is, those social media ads work? Yes, they do, they do. Yeah, really what?

Patrick Crowley:

about you, patrick. I'm from Milwaukee, wisconsin. For the past few years I was working in the supply chain and logistics industry, kind of doing like corporate work as like a freight broker. I was kind of wondering how my career progression was going to go, had some discussions with my manager and I was beginning to think at the start of 2024, that I wanted to make a transition out of the corporate world into some sort of trade. So I kind of looked around my local area at like plumber's apprenticeships and electrician apprenticeships and various others. But then actually I kind of was talking about it with family.

Patrick Crowley:

I have a grandpa who used to work for Siemens in their CNC control like sales division. So he kind of like planted the idea in my mind to look at CNC machining as a potential trade to get into. Also, I had worked at a metal spinning company a few years ago and had a little bit of time as a machine operator there. So I was kind of going, you know, with some limited knowledge with that. So, yeah, I just did a little bit of online research through like build submarines and then found the ATDM program applied to it last August I got the word that I was accepted, you know around like late September, october of last year and started up this January and yeah, it's been great so far. Yeah, and I can't believe it's all like come to a close now. It really does go by quickly. But I can confidently say, yeah, I made the right choice and yeah, making this career transition is a big move, but I'm very confident in the newfound skills that I have in the program.

Caleb Ayers:

What have the last four months been like for you all? So I mean you showed up right after Christmas in January, or right after the new year showed up, not really knowing what you're getting into. What have the last four months been like for you guys?

Ronald Green:

For me it's been somewhat of a whirlwind. You know it's been somewhat of a whirlwind. You know it's like coming in. I literally have zero prior experience with welding specifically and even just, you know, like the type of blue collar work that you know is kind of associated with it. I don't come from that background. My family, I have men in my family who do, but I just kind of never saw myself working in that space and, you know, just being here now it's even still kind of surreal to me that I'm, you know, getting ready to come out and start a new career path doing this.

Ronald Green:

So, you know, it's been really fulfilling, though, because I've had a great experience making new friends, feeling, though, because I've had a great experience making new friends, um, the the instructors, um they, they were, they were very helpful and informative every step of the way, and even the you know the intake process, uh the staff here. They've all been very helpful and insightful, um. So you know, I feel like I'm well prepared going into this, uh, going into this new field. But yeah, it's definitely I've had some moments where I felt overwhelmed or, you know, just like wondering like, wow, what am I doing? You know, like, is this the right? Did I make the right move? But you know, as I continued on through the program, you know I was able to, you know, just grow my comfort level and you know I'm feeling pretty confident stepping out here and do you guys know at this point where you're headed next?

Patrick Crowley:

I'm headed to Connecticut for my job.

Ronald Green:

I actually have three different opportunities. It's just dependent upon, you know, what's in my best interest at this point. But the one that's closest to me is in Camden, new Jersey. It's a company that specializes in building large containers for spent nuclear fuel and you know I went through the process, interview process with them, did my weld test and everything, and I'm just waiting on the results from that. So if all works out positively with them, that's where I'll be, but if not, I do have an opportunity to work in Jacksonville, florida, for a shipbuilding company down there as well.

Caleb Ayers:

So you know, just weighing the options at this point, what was that like, coming in with knowing that, basically, you were going to have open options? I mean, you came in not knowing where you would be going next and knowing that you could have open options in a lot of different places. So I mean, what? What has that part of it been like?

Patrick Crowley:

Has that been stressful, or has that been fun, or I'd say I kind of had an idea of, like the geographic regions I wanted to focus on for my job. You know I was either going to it's pretty much the Midwest or Northeast for me, just because you know where I have family, where I have connections and where I know there's CNC machining and manufacturing. As I thought, going into it there were a ton of opportunities in both regions. So it just kind of came down to which individual company I had the best fit with. But it was very cool and very empowering to know that you kind of have your choice of. If you really focus in on one particular area or company, there's a very good chance that you could end up with them just because your skills are so much in demand. So you got a little bit of leverage that way.

Patrick Crowley:

But yeah, the way I found my company, it's an electric motor manufacturer in Connecticut so I'll be machining electric motor components for, like naval vessels and heavy industry and the parent company came to our ATDM job fair in March. So I was talking to one of their business development managers there and kind of like just gave my contact info. I saw where their locations were. Their main headquarters is in Wisconsin, where I'm from, and they also had companies out east as well. So kind of like, okay, well, that's already a good sign, let's get chatting with them and see what they're doing. So, yeah, then I gave my info, obviously, went through the application process. I even traveled up to Connecticut for an on-site interview. I was able to do that with the flexibility and permission from my teachers here. But, yeah, it all worked out pretty well. So, yeah, it was cool to have the open possibilities of anywhere you go. Yeah, if you put your mind to it, you can end up there. Yeah, in just a few months.

Ronald Green:

Yeah, um, same here. I mean, I'm really I was encouraged by the um, the amount of opportunities that were provided via the job fairs and, um, you know, with our cohort coming in when we did, we had the uh, we actually were able to partake in two job fairs, so it was really nice and that's actually the first job fair that we were here, for that's where I met the company that I'm looking forward to working with. It's just really I'm glad that everything worked out the way that it did, because I probably wouldn't even have known about this company. But, you know, just having an opportunity to talk with their recruiters and the HR management and really just start to build some rapport right on the spot was very valuable to me.

Ronald Green:

And, you know, once I, you know, got the specific certifications that were relevant to the position, you know, I decided to reach out to them and submit an application and, you know, thankfully, they they still, you know, kind of remembered me and everything. So, you know, that was a very, very like, like a key component to, you know, just the whole intake process and getting through the interview and everything like that it was, it's a, it's been very fulfilling up to this point. So I'm, you know, I'm pleased with it. It was, you know, because coming in I didn't, I was unsure, like they tell us in the application process that you have to be open to relocation and everything which is, you know, like a huge undertaking for a lot of people, you know, but I felt like I was up for it, you know, and I'm just glad that everything worked out the way it did.

Caleb Ayers:

Ron, you were talking about just kind of how intense those four months are and how you know that old phrase. You know it's like drinking out of a fire hose, you know it's like that seems to apply to this program For both of you guys. I mean, how did you handle that rapid pace? How did you make sure that you were keeping up, that you were keeping up, that you were not falling behind, because obviously if you fall behind even a little bit it's all compounding on each other. So how did you guys handle that?

Ronald Green:

Well, I made an effort to just be very proactive when it comes to the completion of the homework assignments, because that's not something that I was really expecting of the homework assignments, because that's not something that I was really expecting. It's like, not only were we going to be doing, you know the hands-on training and everything, but we also had, you know, like classroom time and then we had, like you know, homework that we did outside of the you know actually being in our welding booths and things like that. But all those things you know like just making sure that you're on top of these things. And me, I'm on the night shift, 11 pm to 7 am.

Ronald Green:

So, you know, even just making that adjustment to my sleep and work schedule and everything was, you know, there was a little adjustment period. That was a little rough. But, you know, once I figured out my flow, you know, I just really had to start to structure my days a lot more so that I could, you know, accomplish what I needed to accomplish while also making sure I get enough rest for the upcoming night in class. So, you know, but I just feel like this is something that I really want to do well in, so it's all just like a worthy sacrifice. You know, and it's like this is what I'm here for. I understand that this is an accelerated program, so you just got to take everything as it comes and just really like portion out your time so that you can be effective and I, just since you said you're doing the night shift.

Caleb Ayers:

So welding for those who don't know is there. There are options for for a lot of these tracks across three different shifts and welding is one of those, right now that it has for a second and third shift, machining. What shift were you, patrick?

Patrick Crowley:

I was first shift, thankfully, so I didn't have to make too much of an adjustment.

Patrick Crowley:

I'm kind of grateful for that too. I had my roommates. He was on second shift so even though we shared an apartment, we were always like coming and going at different times. We kind of like like work together, you know, as much as we could to help get through the classwork process. But I'd say, yeah, in terms of you know, keeping up to pace over the course of the four months, yeah, just making sure to stay on top of things as much as you can and use your time effectively for the time you have. When you're back home, it is pretty nice how everything's situated here. You're living pretty close to where the campus is located. I had my own car so I wasn't taking the shuttle to and from class, so I was able to get home a little bit more quickly, but still wasn't too bad.

Patrick Crowley:

But yeah, I think for CNC machining I came in with very limited machine operating experience, so it's kind of like a whole new world for me. I wouldn't say I was perfect, you know, with everything at first, but I think the big thing for me was just continuing to improve upon each day of class and you'll learn from the mistakes that I made, because pretty much everyone in my class, you know, made mistakes all throughout the entire program. Even the guys who came in with you know over a year of machining experience, and everyone does. You know it. Just it's part of the nature of the trade. But the big important thing was to, yeah, continue to learn. You know, if it's classwork or just something that you're doing, you know within the machine as some sort of work procedure, just continuing to ask the instructors for help. You know learning whatever process or whatever aspect of machining, making really detailed notes.

Patrick Crowley:

I think that helped me out a lot. I'd really they give you a notebook as part of the package when you arrive, thankfully, so I fill up that notebook like pretty quickly here with everything, and I'm going to continue to do that, you know, as I enter the industry. That was one of the big points that my instructors emphasized, you know, when they were shadowing and just starting out with their first machining jobs. Just making really detailed notes on like every single step of of the work process. It's going to make things a lot easier. Um, so, yeah, uh, it definitely does go by quickly, but if, if you like, gain that confidence, you know, over the course of the program and continue to improve, you can knock it out pretty well and really, yeah, do a pretty good job and produce good products.

Caleb Ayers:

So yeah, and you said that you know that idea of what your instructors were telling you, of making good notes. What were some of those other things Aside? I mean, obviously you guys are learning the hard skills of you know how to weld and how to, you know how to run these CNC machines, but what were some of those other things that you learned, those tips and tricks or those ideas that you picked up through this program that you're that you're going to take with you into your next job?

Patrick Crowley:

I'd say in terms of like, yeah, what they call label soft skills. That was a whole like portion of the class they just said really be humble and just always be willing to learn from like anyone, because, as you know, you get into your first machining role. Everyone's going to have more experience than you. So just kind of absorb as much as you can and, you know, just ask a lot of good questions, really specific questions. Be as engaged as you can, because you're never going to ask like a dumb question, no matter how dumb you think it is. That was one thing they said the first day.

Patrick Crowley:

Um, and they would much rather have you be very cautious around the machinery than to go way too quickly and then end up with a costly error Cause that was like the big thing there were. There were a few, you know, like probe crashes and some pieces that turned out poorly because of mistakes that were made. But of course people learn from that. But just taking your time for sure when it comes to machining, because there's just there's so many variables at play in terms of the program that's running, in terms of your tool setup and your fixture setup too, so it's really important to stay on top of all that.

Ronald Green:

A major thing for I mean, for all aspects of this. You know, going into this industry is safety, and that was something that was really stressed to us. You know from day one. You know, just obviously, making sure that you always have your protective equipment with you and that you're wearing it and utilizing the machinery properly. You know, because there are some really, you know, obviously, traumatic injuries that can occur and that do occur, you know, and a lot of these things are preventable, you know, if you're making sure that you're setting yourself up for success in that way, so you know, I feel like the safety measures, that's something that I'm really going to be, you know, like taking with me no matter where I'm at, every aspect of the job. You know, making sure that I'm setting myself up properly, that the machines are running at the rates they need to be running at.

Ronald Green:

And you know that I've got all my things, all my protective equipment on, because I mean, even with that being said, you know that I've got all my things, all my protective equipment on, because I mean, even with that being said, you still can. You know, like burn yourself, things like that. You got hot metal dropping down if you're doing overhead welding and things like that. So yeah, it's just like it's just taught me to be that much more mindful about this, because I mean, I want to be able to work, you know, for you know a long period of time and I want to be able to have longevity in this industry. So, you know, if I get hurt then I'm out the game. So yeah, so I was like I just really have like learned to just take the precautions necessary and not just kind of just dive into things so recklessly.

Caleb Ayers:

What was the kind of just dive into things so recklessly? What was the camaraderie like with y'all's cohorts, with your group? I mean, did y'all feel like you were thrown to the wolves together so that helped you kind of figure it out? Or what was that kind of group dynamic like for your respective cohorts?

Ronald Green:

Well, yeah, it's pretty much like that, like where you sort of bond through these somewhat stressful experiences that you may have, where you know we have to lean on each other and you know, just those are the things that really establish the friendships. That I have now is just learning to rely on the person that's next to you. Thankfully, you know, I had a couple people in my class that have some experience in welding. So, even from, like the first night, you know, I had to share a booth with a guy who you know he already had, like I think, three years of welding experience, um on the job and um, that was very helpful, you know, just for me, just because he was able to, you know, even though I obviously had the instructor there, but being in the booth with him, he was able to, you know, assist me with technique and, like make some corrective measures, you know, like right there on the spot.

Ronald Green:

So you know, just having that, that, that feedback, that consistent feedback from your, from your classmates, and things like that, is necessary. And then we also just really like work to motivate each other. And you know there's even just a, you know we're challenging each other in that way, like there's a little competitive spirit amongst the guys and everything. So that was I mean I really enjoyed that aspect of it and you know it carried over. You know outside of class. So you know we just start hanging out and you know just spending time together getting to know each other. You know beyond, you know the classroom setting and you know I feel like I've made some really great friends like lifelong connections and things in that way.

Patrick Crowley:

Yeah, I had the same type of situation. Yeah, pretty much from day one I had a group not everyone from the class, but most guys from the class we would dine at the Megabytes Cafe at the main IALR building pretty much every day. So that was kind of our moment to like, you know, relax, just get out of the main training center building, kind of like go over and talk about what we've been doing throughout the day and like our various work techniques and you know what we think we're doing next, and kind of like preparing that way. So it was a little bit of, you know, talking shop, but then also just, yeah, getting to know each other as well. Yeah, classmates come from all around the US. There was one guy from New Mexico, one guy from near me in Michigan, a couple guys from Long Island in New York and then another guy from North Carolina. So really it's like a big mix.

Patrick Crowley:

So I got to share, you know, our individual experiences and a couple other guys already had a lot of prior machining experience so I was able to draw on them.

Patrick Crowley:

You know, especially when it came to some of the additional projects that I was working on, we were setting up like multiple vices right next to each other doing some complicated fixture stuff and also just using some unusual tooling on the lathe because you can do, if you progress past, you know, the required coursework you're able to do on that, because the ATDM instructors have a lot of additional projects to work on, which is pretty cool, when you're just like given a drawing and then you determine, like, the setup and tooling for it.

Patrick Crowley:

So, yeah, working together on that was really informative when the instructors were more hands-off and it was up to you to, you know, figure everything out. Yeah, you definitely wanted to draw upon the resources and the experience of others and then, yeah, it just was, uh, everyone kind of worked at like there were various paces, uh, between all the classmates, but overall, you know, everyone was able to collaborate when, when need be and everyone had a really good communication with each other. You know a lot of there's a pretty big age gap as well between people, but still, that never got between people and you just had different perspectives on that and it was shared pretty well and our instructors did a lot to, you know, encourage a lot of like teamwork and collaboration. So, yeah, it came together really well in such a short amount of time.

Caleb Ayers:

I mean you're talking about those soft skills earlier. You're going to be working with people of different ages and from different places. Those are good, good skills. To go ahead and get them in the program.

Ronald Green:

And about that age gap too, it was interesting. I hadn't even considered it, but I'm pretty much like the oldest guy in my class, like everybody else was, you know, like either like 18, 19 year old guys had like a couple of 22 year olds and things like that, but myself'm 41, you know. So I'm literally learning from these younger guys. You know how to do these things and I'm just grateful that everything worked out the way it did because, like I said, I mean, even with me being the the eldest class member and everything like that they still I, I was still able to, you know, connect with these guys in a meaningful way and create some solid bonds, and you know they were very, very helpful, you know. But I'm grateful for everything.

Caleb Ayers:

If you hear friends or family talking about they're not sure what they're doing with their life, or if they're thinking about a career shift. What's your elevator pitch, based on your personal experience, for why someone should consider this program?

Ronald Green:

What it comes down to is, if you're looking for an opportunity or a way to be able to support yourself going into the future, you need to be setting yourself up in a way that has some solid prospects that you can be able to look and feel confident about. This is a. The industry that we're going into is very high demand when it comes to the skill sets that we're learning and there's just as far as welding goes. I looked it up and they said there's like almost there's over half a million jobs that are unfilled right now for welders, for skilled welders, and that's just in the US. I said there's like out of the entire US population, there's maybe like 0.1% of the population that can actually weld on a professional level.

Ronald Green:

So just seeing those statistics right there, like the playing field is wide open for us and there's a lot of room for growth, obviously, and being able to make a solid income that you can support yourself and a family from. You know and really have like a fulfilling career. You know something. And then also it's like this is an opportunity to contribute to something that's greater than yourself. You know what I mean. It's like this is really like you know, you're, in a way, you are serving your country, and I think that's very important.

Patrick Crowley:

Definitely agree with that. Yeah, I kind of came to the ATDM program for similar reasons. I think the biggest thing is, yeah, if you're interested in gaining the hard skill that can translate over, you know, for the rest of your career, and even if you want to do it as a hobby as well, you can do that with welding, you can do that with machining. It's pretty cool. Yeah, it packs a lot into a short amount of time, but if you're really committed to it, if you give it your all you can have, you can lay the groundwork for a hard skill that's always going to be in demand. That's very tangible.

Patrick Crowley:

I always, like you know, having the one word job title machinist, welder. People just know exactly what it is right off the bat and you can talk Sometimes you can't talk about what you're working on in terms of security clearances. I've heard a lot of stories about that. It's pretty cool and everyone was always really curious about it and they're wondering how you got into it and what you know the trade entails. And, yeah, just being able to explain that to people and how you're contributing towards you know our national defense in your own particular way, it just it's super cool and yeah, really the sky's the limit.

Patrick Crowley:

Once you get into the ground floor, with the skills that you gain here, you can go as far as you want to for as long as you want to, and you never know what kind of opportunities can come up down the road. Just you know, by being a machinist or being a welder or working in QA or additive as well, because that's a whole new field that's just continuing to grow at a rapid pace. But really, yeah, with the skills that you can gain here, yeah, the sky's definitely the limit and there's so much opportunity, yeah, so just a lot to look forward to now that it's all over. So I'm just very excited about it.

Caleb Ayers:

I love seeing the variety of career stories, or I guess, the variety of stories of people who come here. You know there's people who have basically coming out of high school no previous career experience to people who are more mid-career, which I would say is more like what you're talking about, ron. You had some career, had a business, ran that and decided now it's time to do something else. And there's people who are even later in their career, who have successfully come through this program and just seeing that variety of this ATDM can be perfect for someone who's fresh out of high school and someone who's in their 50s and done 30 years of work and is like I want to try something new. You know it can be for any and anywhere in between. Yeah, thank you guys for being here today.

Caleb Ayers:

I just love, you know, hearing the stories of the success of this program. You know, obviously this program is, you know, funded by, you know the funded by the Navy and Department of Defense and obviously, you know, funded by, you know the funded by the Navy and Department of Defense and obviously you know the impact is about how it they're concerned with the impact of. You know how those companies that are making their parts and their equipment can get the workers they need. But obviously this, you know, that impact trickles down to those individuals who come through. And I know, you know, we had the big summit last week talking about this program and our president, telly Tucker, he was talking about.

Caleb Ayers:

You know, the six main points of ATDM. You know and I forget exactly what they were, but on the bottom one it said changing lives. You know he added that one in and I think it's cool to just see the. You know the stories of how many stories there are of people coming into this program with. You know I was doing this job that I didn't really like or wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, and walked out with this job that I'm really excited about and will be making, you know, a salary that I can support my family on. It's just, it's really really cool to see and that's, you know, that reminder of why this program exists. So but thank you guys for being here, really appreciate it. Anything else you would want to add before we go?

Patrick Crowley:

Yeah, thank you for having me, and yeah, I really enjoyed kind of like recapping everything for myself too, you know, saying it out loud. Yeah, it's just a great experience.

Ronald Green:

Yeah, I think I'll echo those same sentiments. I really appreciated the time that we had here, a really high quality experience with some really great people. I learned a ton and I'm just ready to get out here and, you know, put it all to use. Now I'm really excited about the next phase of my life and you know I'm glad that I had the opportunity to take part in this program.

Caleb Ayers:

Absolutely Thanks for having us. Thank you, guys.