AEC’s skill training aims to future-proof North American aluminium extrusion

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The North American aluminium extrusion industry is taking a more coordinated approach to its growing skilled-labour challenge, with the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) developing formal skill training with apprenticeship programmes for maintenance technicians, aluminium extrusion press operators and die technicians.

The initiative aims to help extrusion companies attract new talent, retain experienced workers and transfer specialised manufacturing knowledge as workforce shortages become an increasingly important constraint on industry growth.

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AEC’s industry-wide approach to skills development

The shortage of skilled workers has become a major concern across North American manufacturing. Research cited by the industry indicates that manufacturers could need 3.8 million new workers by 2033, with around 1.9 million positions potentially remaining unfilled. At the same time, 79 per cent of manufacturing executives identify skilled labour shortages as their biggest obstacle to growth.

For aluminium extruders, the move bears significance, as most companies are small or medium-sized businesses with limited resources for large-scale workforce development programmes. The AEC is addressing that gap by pooling industry expertise and resources to create training initiatives that individual extrusion companies would find difficult to develop on their own.

A formal apprenticeship programme takes shape

The AEC chose to work through a formal US Department of Labor (DOL) apprenticeship programme, allowing the industry to benefit from an established framework, existing approved programmes and potential funding opportunities.

Because the DOL process involved specific terminology, documentation and registration requirements, the AEC brought in a consultant to guide member companies through it — clarifying responsibilities, registering locations and candidates, and setting up the required classroom training.

The programme initially focused on a generic “Industrial Machine Systems Technician” apprenticeship, since maintenance technicians were a common priority across extrusion facilities. It runs for two years, combining 2,000 hours of on-the-job (OTJ) training annually with 144 hours of related technical instruction, covering hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical systems, electronics and programmable logic controllers.

Member response was strong enough to establish the programme while the AEC was still finding its footing with the DOL. Between late 2024 and 2025, companies at 11 locations across six companies received approval, and the initiative now has nine active apprentices. Even so, getting each location from initial engagement to an active apprenticeship took roughly six to nine months, covering employee education, DOL registration, candidate selection and RTI development.

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AEC zooms in on industry knowledge transfer

With the first apprenticeship established, the AEC turned to two of the industry’s most specialised roles: extrusion press operators and die technicians. Both are fundamental to production and face significant workforce turnover over the next five-plus years, yet no DOL-approved apprenticeship programmes existed specifically for them.

More than two dozen industry specialists worked together on training frameworks for two new programmes:

• Aluminium Extrusion Die Technician – three-year apprenticeship

• Aluminium Extrusion Press Operator – two-year apprenticeship

Both were submitted to the DOL in mid-2024 and approved later that year, giving extrusion companies access to the frameworks to build their own programmes.

Recognising that many companies lack the internal resources for this depth of specialised training, the AEC decided in 2025 to add a supplementary train-the-trainer (TTT) programme, creating capable in-house trainers who can pass on best practices cost-effectively, rather than having every company build a system from scratch.

Building a longer-term extrusion skills pipeline

AEC’s workforce initiative is moving beyond simply filling vacancies. By combining formal apprenticeships, specialised extrusion training and knowledge transfer, the Council is attempting to create a more sustainable skills pipeline for the North American aluminium extrusion industry.

AEC is working with around 20 companies to establish press-operator and die-technician apprenticeships. Given the six-to-nine-month preparation period required for each location, the programme is being developed well ahead of the intended training start.

With press operators and die technicians now part of the formal apprenticeship structure, the next course of action for the Aluminum Extruders’ Council is to scale participation, attempting to build a long-term skills pipeline for the North American aluminium extrusion industry.

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