What does it actually take to move a new technology from the lab to the shop floor and make it stick?

In this episode of Inside IALR, host Caleb Ayers is joined by Jason Wells, John Ring, Josh Sims, and Jeremiah Williams for a deep dive into IALR's Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA).

Together, they highlight how CMA functions as a hands-on optimization arm focused on operationalizing existing technologies and helping manufacturers avoid the infamous “valley of death” between readiness levels and real production. It's not a research institute,

The conversation covers CMA’s full-stack approach to manufacturing advancement, from precision machining, additive post-processing, and metrology to automation, robotics integration and digital/AI enablement.

The team explains how the CMA serves as a non-biased third-party testbed where manufacturers can explore new technologies, validate processes and refine workflows without shutting down production or making massive capital bets. The CMA comes alongside companies as a partner—not a vendor—to help them get to “more, better, faster, cheaper” without just shifting bottlenecks somewhere else.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far reaching.

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What does it really take for families in Southern Virginia to make a living — no extras, just the basics? And are those jobs actually available?

In this data-rich episode, host Caleb Ayers talks with Jessie Vernon, Director of Employer Engagement and Experiential Learning at IALR, and economist Colin Emberland from Chmura Analytics. Together, they break down the Southern Virginia Living Wage and Job Availability Study, comparing today’s landscape to a similar 2016–2017 analysis.

They explore the region’s growing share of higher-wage jobs, a major and urgent gap in healthcare, the evolving role of manufacturing, and how many families can actually meet a living wage with the jobs currently posted. You’ll also hear why education and training pipelines matter, how job quality is just as important as job quantity, and what this all means for employers, educators and residents across GO Virginia Region 3.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far reaching.

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GO TEC — Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers — is transforming how middle schoolers explore potential futures. Today’s episode dives deep into how it works.

Host Caleb Ayers sits down with GO TEC teachers Laurie Cossaboon and Justin Adams, along with GO TEC Region 3 Training Coordinator Chris Griffith, to unpack the program’s statewide expansion and classroom impact.

The conversation explores the eleven GO TEC modules, which introduce students to everything from precision machining and robotics to cybersecurity, healthcare and virtual reality welding. The guests share how the program adapts to different school schedules, how teachers receive hands‑on training at regional training labs and why the “aha moments” are so frequent in these classes.

They also highlight how GO TEC helps students understand math and science concepts in practical, memorable ways, sometimes even changing how students view themselves and their abilities. With stories ranging from welding tournaments to coding breakthroughs, this episode shows how GO TEC connects curiosity with real opportunity.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far reaching.

Get updates from IALR on other channels:

• Facebook
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• Email Newsletter
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