A Pathway to Future Careers in Advanced Manufacturing: Project Lead The Way, Building the Next Generation of Talent

Have you heard? PLTW released new opportunities for students to prepare for advanced manufacturing careers and related industries. We have launched two new curricular opportunities for students powered by the Intel Foundation that explore topics like smart manufacturing, AI in manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, and industrial automation.

The Advanced Manufacturing module for grades 8 and 9 will be available starting this fall as an open-source, game-based learning experience. The module is designed for use in both classrooms and out-of-school time programs with 10 hours of immersive learning experiences.

The Advanced Manufacturing course piloted this year, but will be fully released for the 2026-27 school year as part of the PLTW Engineering program (or stand-alone) for high school students. The year-long course developed in collaboration with the Intel Foundation will immerse students in the real-life situations faced by professionals in advanced manufacturing. 

This course immerses students in the world of advanced manufacturing as they develop essential skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving. Students will experience complex, tech-driven systems, tackling the same problems faced in factories and labs across the country right now, through smart-factory robotics and workcells, digital twins, and inter-connected communication systems.

Learn more about PLTW and the course here.