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The University of Tennessee’s Reliability & Maintainability Center (RMC), a research center in the College of Engineering, is partnering with Renaissance Reliability, to offer a
program called UNTURNING STEEL. The goal of this program is to assist separating service members with their transition from active duty to civilian life by training & certifying them in Reliability and Maintenance Implementation while they gain hands
on experience in an industrial setting. This experience and certification will create an outcome that’s a multi-pronged benefit – they have the training and hands-on experience to succeed in a manufacturing/industrial environment, they receive support during
their transition from active duty, and the employers receive highly skilled, empowered, and motivated veterans as employees.
I would like to cordially invite you to join us on Thursday, March 7th
at 6:00 pm at Alumni Memorial Building on the UT Campus. We will introduce a program and premier a teaser/preview of the film (22 minutes representing the average number of veterans that take their life daily. We will follow the film clip with
a panel discussion that will include participants of the program, and we will have a short reception afterwards to offer opportunity for further discussion. We are hoping to fill the auditorium with industry representatives, government leaders, military and
veteran organizations, and military supporters from the community.
I have attached an invitation with the details. Please RSVP if you plan to attend, so that we can prepare for you. I would also humbly ask that you share this with anyone who
might be interested in learning about this program. You can get additional information and watch a trailer of the documentary at
https://www.unturningsteel.com/.
The program is already Department of Defense SkillBridge approved (https://skillbridge.osd.mil/) and we’ve had our first
wave of participants graduate the program and begin working. This program is intended to fill a gap in the military’s current Transition Assistance Programs
and in the manufacturing industry in the US, which has been declining due to workforce deficiencies in recent years.
Never Forgotten Media is currently filming a documentary about the program, by the same name,
Unturning Steel.
The film & the program are inspired by our partner & the program creator, Bill Leahy, whose brother sadly committed suicide last December, after transitioning out of the military & experiencing the hardships of adjusting to civilian life. Bill is a veteran
as well and hopes this program will provide support and purpose to as many veterans as possible.
My husband, Rick and I are both Air Force veterans, so I know first-hand the difference a program like this can make to those transitioning to the workforce – both from a career
aspect and a mental/emotional health perspective. As the assistant director of an industry-focused research center I see a desperate need in manufacturing for the skill set that veterans bring to the table. Our goal for both viewing sessions is to get the
word out about the UNTURNING STEEL program as broadly as possible to gain the support needed to maximize its impact for both veterans and industry.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope you or someone from your staff will join us to learn more about this important program and find out how you can get involved.
I would be happy to set up a call to discuss the program further if you would like.
All the best,
Kim
Kim Kallstrom
Assistant Director
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Reliability & Maintainability Center (RMC)
UT Conference Center, Room B067T
600 Henley Street
Knoxville, TN 37996-4102
[log in to unmask]
865-974-9627
https://rmc.utk.edu/
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