Reality Show Cast in Steel Aims to Attract Next Generation of Metal Casters

## Metal Casting Competition Aims to Attract Next Generation of Workers A Department of Defense contract has brought a metal casting competition to the worldwide stage, aiming to spread awareness of the skill trade and inspire a new workforce. The reality show competition, Cast in Steel, has been running for several years, but its first season on YouTube is about to come to an end. Six teams from schools across the United States will be competing for a $25,000 cash prize on the season one finale of the metal casting reality show, Cast in Steel, airing on YouTube. The competition challenges teams to design, cast, and test a metal tool or weapon that they crafted. For the first season, students had to craft a replica of or inspired by a sword President George Washington might have carried. Judges then evaluated the crafting and design, while also putting the sword to the test, such as by cutting a coconut. ## The Importance of Metal Casting The Steel Founders' Society of America (SFSA) is behind the competition, and its executive vice president, Raymond Monroe, said that the key problem is getting people interested in and joining the metal casting workforce. The trade group has been active for over 124 years and has witnessed many industry changes, including companies moving their operations overseas. Metal casting is a critical trade, as advanced metal castings are used to make 90% of manufactured durable goods and most manufacturing machinery. The U.S.' casting and forging sectors are facing a pressing workforce shortage that could destabilize various industries' supply chains. According to the American Foundry Society, all major metals can be cast, and the most common are iron, steel, aluminum, magnesium, zinc, titanium, and copper-based alloys. ## Bringing Awareness to the Industry The competition has been successful in attracting college engineering students, but only at the metal casting industry level. Robert Monroe, owner of social media consulting firm Social Experiment, said that the competition had "almost zero visibility" outside of the industry. However, in 2023, Monroe began taking steps to bring the competition to a wider audience by adapting the message to different platforms and editing the footage into 10- to 15-second clips. The clips have done well, garnering about 76 million views on all platforms. The DOD awarded SFSA a $16.3 million contract in 2024 to continue the competition and bring it to a wider audience. The competition is not only about spreading awareness of the skill trade but also about inspiring a new workforce. As Mike Kubacki, program director at Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeships and Learning (METAL), said, "Cast in Steel gives college engineering students an opportunity to compete and really understand what the whole casting process looks like." ## The Future of Metal Casting The future of metal casting looks promising, with the expansion of the METAL program and the deployment of two METAL mobile training units. The Manufacturing USA institute will also deploy two METAL mobile training units, with one focused on K-12 and the other bringing the METAL bootcamp and learning opportunities to rural areas. The competition is an important step in bringing awareness to the industry and inspiring a new workforce. The competition has also given students the opportunity to learn about the casting process and understand the importance of metal casting in various industries. As Ashley Lacy, a recent graduate from Virginia Tech, said, "Designing a cast tool for a product that's customarily forged was a major engineering hurdle." However, with the help of her engineering professor, Alan Druschitz, and the METAL program, she was able to overcome the challenge and gain a strong foundation in physical metallurgy, gating designs, and metals and alloys. The future of metal casting looks bright, and the competition is an important step in bringing awareness to the industry and inspiring a new workforce.