Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society Receives ATI Foundation Grant to Advance CastYourFuture Workforce Initiative

Battle Creek, MI – The Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society (NFFS) has received a grant from the ATI Foundation to support the development and launch of CastYourFuture, a national digital workforce platform designed to strengthen awareness, access, and talent pipelines for the non-ferrous metalcasting industry.

CastYourFuture is a career-exploration and industry storytelling platform created to showcase modern metalcasting careers, highlight real people working in non-ferrous foundries, and clearly communicate pathways into the industry for students, educators, parents, veterans, and career-seekers. The initiative responds directly to the growing workforce challenges facing the industry by addressing the awareness gap that limits the flow of new talent into metalcasting careers.

In addition to the public-facing platform, the ATI Foundation grant supports the creation of a foundry-focused industry toolkit that will allow NFFS members to actively use CastYourFuture.org resources as they build and strengthen their local talent pipelines. The toolkit will provide practical, ready-to-use materials that help foundries engage schools, workforce partners, and community organizations, while aligning outreach efforts with real hiring and retention needs.

CastYourFuture is being developed in collaboration with a growing group of metal casting associations and industry partners who bring expertise in manufacturing education, talent systems, and employer-led workforce strategies. Current partners include Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society, Steel Founders’ Society of America, North American Die Casting Association, Foundry Education Foundation, IACMI – The Composites Institute, and Batesville Products. These partnerships ensure the platform reflects real workforce needs and connects awareness efforts to actionable career pathways. Marketing Metal, an agency that brings deep experience in manufacturing communications, has been contracted to build the website, digital content, industry toolkit, ensuring the platform reflects the realities of the industry while resonating with today’s audiences.

“The ATI Foundation’s support allows us to move beyond awareness and into intentional career awareness and recruitment,” said Bill Padnos, Director of Workforce Development at NFFS. “CastYourFuture is not just about telling the story of our industry, it is about giving foundries tools they can actually use. The industry toolkit will help our members turn interest into engagement and engagement into long-term employment.”

The CastYourFuture initiative is a core component of NFFS’s broader workforce strategy, which emphasizes helping foundries move from reactive hiring toward sustainable talent systems that prioritize fit, training, and long-term retention. The platform and toolkit will continue to expand as new partners, regional stories, and workforce resources are added.