Developing the Workforce of Tomorrow – COMET – a Collaborative Operationalized Manufacturing Engineering & Training Strategy

Workforce development is a key focus area for the Department of Defense. Workforce development directly addresses Chief of Staff of the Army’s “Future Army” priority and several Army Futures Command Lines of Effort (LOE). As we move forward, especially in the areas of manufacturing and STEM, there is an immediate need to utilize public private partnerships to revitalize the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) workforce. The same shortcomings have been identified in domestic manufacturing broadly, and investments in this space will have dual use benefits. The US Army DEVCOM Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC) and New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), a subsidiary of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), have developed a Strategic Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between DOD, Industry, & Academia to address these workforce gaps. Building off DEVCOM AC and NJIT’s 10 plus year strategic partnership the team has recently established the Collaborative Operationalized Manufacturing Engineering & Training (COMET) Center. COMET provides an environment where DoD Scientists and Engineers, Universities & Colleges, and Industry (especially small businesses and non-conventional contractors,) can co-locate to design, develop, and collaborate on technologies and products that assist the DOD in its strategic missions. In addition, COMET simultaneously builds a pipeline of future experts to expand the US Defense Industrial Base, as well as the overall domestic manufacturing capacity.