When Air Force veteran Michael Trigger began looking for a new career in 2022, he became fascinated by artificial intelligence (AI). Trigger, who left the military in 1989 and then worked in telecommunications, corrections, and professional trucking, learned about an AI-enhanced robotics manufacturing program at the VECTR Center supported by Georgia AIM. This training facility in Warner Robins, Georgia, helps veterans transition into new careers. In 2024, he enrolled and learned how to program and operate robots.
As part of the class, Trigger made several trips to the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI). When faculty there asked if anyone wanted an internship, Trigger raised his hand.
“Coming to Georgia Tech allowed me to clarify what I wanted to do,” he said. “I’ve always been in service-based jobs, but I was interested in additive manufacturing,” or 3D printing.
Every weekday for five months, Trigger drove from his home in Macon to Georgia Tech’s campus for his internship. The paid internship took place at Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF). This 20,000-square-foot, reconfigurable facility is part of the Georgia AIM project and serves as the research and development arm of GTMI, functioning as a teaching laboratory, technology test bed, and workforce development space for manufacturing innovations.
During his time there, Trigger focused on computer-aided manufacturing and met with faculty and students to learn about their research. The internship wasn’t convenient, but it was worth it.
“From our campus visits, I understood the mission of AMPF, so the fact they offered me this opportunity was huge for me,” he said. “The internship had a big impact on my life in terms of the technical and soft skills I gained.”
Launching new careers is just one of AMPF’s goals in testing new manufacturing and growing the future U.S. workforce. Since 2022, AMPF has improved the manufacturing process at all parts of the talent pipeline — from giving corporate researchers space to test and adopt AI automation technologies to training and upskilling their employees. Collectively, GTMI and AMPF’s efforts have led to a stronger, bigger network of manufacturers that other companies and the U.S. government can rely on.