Nonprofit developing $35M facility holds exploration day to build manufacturing pipeline
By James Drew – Reporter, St. Louis Business Journal. July 22, 2026
As manufacturers across the St. Louis area continue to grapple with a shortage of skilled workers, the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center St. Louis (AMICSTL) on Wednesday brought together industry, higher education and community organizations with the goal of expanding access to high-skill, high-wage career opportunities.
Twenty-six high school students and other young people who want to change careers received hands-on instruction in technologies that are reshaping modern manufacturing including collaborative robotics, additive manufacturing and advanced welding.
The event was held in partnership with Ranken Technical College, Saint Louis University's Center for Additive Manufacturing, HTE Technologies and St. Louis-based Posie Pots, with each organization leading an interactive learning session designed to expose students to real-world manufacturing applications. AMICSTL is the nonprofit group developing the $35 million advanced manufacturing facility in North St. Louis that is scheduled to open in spring 2027.
Participants in Wednesday’s event came from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis' St. Louis Internship program (SLIP), Missouri Works' Apprenticeship Ready Manufacturing program and St. Louis Project Pave, which is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics initiative by the Missouri Department of Transportation and Millstone Weber.
Among them was 17-year-old Daniel Strode, who lives in Berkeley and attends the STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley High School. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
Daniel Strode
James Drew | SLBJ
Strode plans to either get an apprenticeship or attend a trade school. He is interested in carpentry or painting, but he has not ruled out advanced manufacturing.
“I like working with my hands,” he said.
Manufacturers throughout the St. Louis area have cited ongoing difficulty finding workers with expertise in robotics, automation, digital manufacturing and other advanced production technologies.
Kory Mathews, president and CEO of AMICSTL, said the third annual exploration day was intended to provide students with early exposure to those technologies while connecting them with employers, educators and mentors who can help guide them into apprenticeships, technical education and manufacturing careers. Plans call for the event to be held quarterly and then monthly, Mathews said.
“It’s all about creating that long-term, sustainable pipeline of high-quality and high-qualified employees,” he said.