What Alliance for Working Together Foundation does

The Alliance for Working Together (AWT) Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 in Mentor, Ohio, that operates a full-spectrum manufacturing workforce development platform in Northeast Ohio. It serves three interconnected audiences: K-12 students and educators (through RoboBots, JuniorBots, STEM Days, and Summer STEM Camps including the new AeroMFG Camp), adult job seekers and incumbent workers (through the free WorkAdvance program, the four-year DOL-registered Apprenticeship Program with five pathways, and short courses in milling, turning, and GD&T), and regional manufacturers (through a membership network of 500+ companies, schools, and community organizations). Its central asset is the Transformation Training Center, opened in October 2022, which functions as a physical hub for training delivery, employer engagement, and industry-education convening.

The core product architecture is a layered talent pipeline: K-12 exposure feeds into pre-apprenticeship credit articulation with Auburn Career Center, which feeds into the registered apprenticeship program (Tool & Die, Mold Making, Precision Machining, Tool Programming/CNC, and Quality/Inspection tracks), which feeds into direct placement with member manufacturers such as Swagelok, Fredon, Lincoln Electric, Eaton, BWXT, STERIS, and Habco. Signature events — the annual RoboBots/JuniorBots competition, the Think Manufacturing Career Expo, and Summer STEM Camps — function as both programming and demand generation touchpoints.

AWT's revenue model blends membership dues from 500+ member organizations, paid training program fees (e.g., $1,100 for Intro to Milling/Turning, $2,800 per employee per year for apprenticeships, $450 per STEM camper), free-to-learner programming funded by grants (WorkAdvance), and substantial public and philanthropic grant funding (US EDA, State of Ohio, Ohio Department of Development, Lake County, Swagelok Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, Parker Hannifin Foundation, KeyBank Foundation). The organization is governed by a 16-member board of manufacturing executives and operated by a four-person staff led by Executive Director Teresa Simons.

Name

Alliance for Working Together Foundation

Legal name

Alliance for Working Together Foundation

Website

https://thinkmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Alliance for Working Together Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Northeast Ohio that runs the regional manufacturing talent pipeline, delivering K-12 STEM programs, a DOL-registered apprenticeship, adult skills training, and employer networking through its Transformation Training Center in Mentor for 500+ member manufacturers, schools, and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Manufacturing Workforce Development

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Production & Manufacturing Operations (TPM, OEE, SMED) (EDABAKAK), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Manufacturing workforce development
• Registered apprenticeship programs
• STEM education programs
• Manufacturing career training
• Industry-education partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Mentor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: AWT operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 500+ member companies, educational institutions, and community organizations paying membership dues. Corporate sponsorships for events and programs such as RoboBots and STEM camps provide additional revenue.
2. Training Program Fees: Revenue from paid training programs including Intro to Milling ($1,100), Intro to Turning ($1,100), Intro to GD&T ($50), and Apprenticeship programs ($2,800 per employee per year). WorkAdvance is offered free of charge to job seekers.
3. Government Grants and Capital Funds: AWT receives state capital funds ($500,000 in 2022), Ohio Industry Sector Partnership Grants ($250,000), and foundation grants (e.g., $20,000 from Swagelok Foundation) to support workforce development operations and capital investments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AWT Foundation delivers manufacturing workforce development programs spanning K-12 STEM exposure (RoboBots, JuniorBots, STEM camps, facility tours) and adult skills training (free WorkAdvance entry-level program, four-year registered apprenticeships in five skilled trades, and short courses on milling, turning, and GD&T). The organization operates a dedicated Transformation Training Center in Mentor, Ohio, and convenes an annual Think Manufacturing Career Expo to connect learners with regional manufacturers.

Product overview

The Alliance for Working Together (AWT) Foundation operates as a workforce development organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs spanning K-12 youth education through adult workforce training. The core portfolio includes RoboBots and JuniorBots (combat robotics competition programs for high school and middle school students), Summer STEM Camps (including AeroMFG Camp), and STEM Days for youth. For adult learners, AWT provides WorkAdvance (free entry-level manufacturing training), a four-year Registered Apprenticeship Program with five pathways (Tool & Die Maker, Mold Maker, Precision Machinist, Tool Programmer/Numerical Control, Quality Control Inspection), and short courses including Intro to Milling, Intro to Turning, and Intro to GD&T. The flagship facility is the AWT Transformation Training Center, a world-class manufacturing training hub opened in 2022. The organization also hosts the annual Think Manufacturing Career Expo connecting students with manufacturers. All programs aim to promote rewarding careers in manufacturing for Northeast Ohio's manufacturing community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WorkAdvance: A one-week training program that introduces job seekers to entry-level positions in manufacturing through training at the AWT facility.
• RoboBots
• JuniorBots
• Think Manufacturing Career Expo
• Summer Manufacturing Institute (SMI)

Products and services

• RoboBots A high school combat robotics competition where students partner with industry mentors to build 15-pound combat robots over a 6-7 month period, culminating in competition events.
• JuniorBots Middle school combat robotics program where students in grades 6-8 build 3-pound combat robots, serving as a precursor to the RoboBots high school program.
• AWT Summer STEM Camps Two-week day camps for students in grades 5-8 that connect STEM concepts to local manufacturing careers through hands-on projects and manufacturer site visits. Includes AWT STEM Camp and AeroMFG Camp focused on aerospace.
• STEM Days Day camps connecting STEM concepts to local careers in Lake County, featuring hands-on projects for students ages 9-14, held at the AWT Transformation Training Center.
• WorkAdvance A free one-week training program introducing job seekers to entry-level manufacturing positions, covering blueprint reading, measurement, shop math, machining basics, financial literacy, resume writing, and interview skills with connections to local manufacturers.
• AWT Apprenticeship Program Four-year registered apprenticeship training developing skilled journeyman machinists in Northeast Ohio, with pathways in Tool & Die Making, Mold Making, Precision Machining, Tool Programming/Numerical Control, and Quality/Inspection. Recognized by the Department of Labor and ApprenticeOhio.
• Intro to Milling A 6-week session of 3-hour classes designed to equip participants with fundamental milling skills for career advancement in manufacturing.
• Intro to Turning A 6-week session of 3-hour classes teaching participants fundamental lathe and turning operations for career advancement in manufacturing.
• Intro to GD&T A 3-hour focused class covering Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing symbols, datums, and interpretation of common callouts on manufacturing blueprints.
• Manufacturing for Administrators Training program designed for HR professionals, front office staff, supply chain and logistics personnel to gain foundational manufacturing knowledge and industry terminology.
• AWT Transformation Training Center A world-class workforce development, industry, and manufacturing training facility opened in October 2022, serving as a regional center for education and industry sector collaboration, addressing K-12 and adult workforce training needs.
• Think Manufacturing Career Expo Annual career expo connecting students with local manufacturers, featuring booth displays and interactions with industry professionals to explore manufacturing career pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,087 students engaged across 170 schools in 10 counties; 149 events hosted in 2025; 2,500+ facility tours facilitated
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Auburn Career CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuburn Career Center is a key educational partner providing pre-apprenticeship pathways. Students with pre-apprentice transcripts from Auburn receive one year of credit toward AWT's registered apprenticeship program.
• Lakeland Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLakeland Community College serves as the venue for the annual RoboBots and JuniorBots competition and is an educational partner for workforce development initiatives.
• SwagelokcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwagelok is a major sponsor of RoboBots and Guardians STEM Day, provides grants through the Swagelok Foundation ($20,000 in 2023), and contributes board representation.
• National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNTMA Foundation collaborates with AWT on workforce development initiatives, sharing resources and expertise in precision machining and manufacturing training.
• OkumasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOkuma provides equipment and technical support for the Transformation Training Center, specializing in CNC machine tools for manufacturing training.
• Fredon CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFredon Corporation is a Platinum sponsor of RoboBots and provides board leadership (Alyson Scott serves as AWT Board President).
• Lincoln ElectricsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLincoln Electric provides board representation and supports AWT's welding and manufacturing training programs.
• The City of MentorsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Mentor supports AWT as a partner in the Transformation Training Center initiative and regional workforce development.
• Lake County Ohio Port & Economic Development AuthoritysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Port Authority supports AWT in workforce and economic development initiatives, including transit and infrastructure planning for the Tyler Boulevard industrial corridor.
• Eastern Lake County Chamber of CommercesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with AWT on the annual Think Manufacturing Career Expo and other workforce development events.
• Mentor Area Chamber of CommercesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with AWT on the Think Manufacturing Career Expo and manufacturing career awareness initiatives.
• Willoughby Western Lake County Chamber of CommercesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts the Think Manufacturing Career Expo with AWT to connect students with regional manufacturers.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WIRE-Net: Westside Industrial Retention and Expansion Network, a Cleveland-based economic development nonprofit supporting manufacturers in Northeast Ohio. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit providing workforce, supplier development, and technical assistance to manufacturers in the same geography.
• MAGNET: The Cleveland Manufacturing Association: Cleveland-based manufacturing consulting and workforce development nonprofit serving Northeast Ohio. Operates in the same geography as AWT with overlapping manufacturing workforce development programs, including consulting services for manufacturers and STEM-to-career student programs.

Emerging players

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing training and job placement for young adults, with growing focus on tech and trades. Comparable in serving young adults with employer-driven training-to-placement pathways, but operates at national scale and across multiple industries beyond manufacturing.
• Tooling U-SME: Online manufacturing training provider offering skills development courses used by manufacturers and schools. Comparable in delivering manufacturing technical training content, though via a paid online subscription model rather than AWT's in-person apprenticeship and free programs.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing free tuition technology and skilled trades training with employer partnerships and job placement. Comparable in the tuition-free training model supported by employer partnerships (analogous to WorkAdvance) and clear placement outcomes, though primarily focused on IT rather than manufacturing.

Regional players

• Ohio Manufacturers' Association: State-level trade association representing Ohio manufacturers on policy and workforce issues. Operates in the same state as AWT with overlapping manufacturing workforce development advocacy, but at a state policy and lobbying level rather than direct training delivery.

Broad incumbents

• SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers): National professional association for manufacturing engineers and technologists offering workforce development, certification programs, and Tooling U online training. Comparable in mission to develop manufacturing talent, but operates at national scale with a much broader portfolio.
• National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA): National industry association for the precision machining and tooling sector. NTMA is listed as a core strategic partner of AWT and shares the mission of supporting precision machining workforce development, making it a close thematic peer operating at national scope.
• Dream It Do It (Manufacturing Institute): NAM-affiliated workforce initiative promoting manufacturing careers to students and changing public perception of the industry. Directly comparable mission to AWT's K-12 STEAM-to-career programming and Think Manufacturing Career Expo, though at national scope and as a marketing/campaign effort rather than direct training delivery.
• NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP): Federally funded national network of manufacturing extension centers providing workforce, technology, and growth services to U.S. manufacturers. Highly comparable as a workforce-focused nonprofit serving manufacturers, with Ohio MEP (ATP) being a direct regional counterpart to AWT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/awtthinkmfg
• Facebookfacebook.com/AWTThinkMFG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-for-working-together-awt-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/awtthinkmfg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alliance for Working Together Foundation