K-State Olathe Offers Advanced Manufacturing Training as Industry Demand Surges

As demand for manufacturing training skyrockets in the Greater Kansas City area and nationwide, Kansas State University Olathe is stepping up to the challenge. Through its state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing and Bulk Solids Technology Center, the institution is equipping the next generation of skilled professionals with hands-on training that meets the evolving needs of today’s manufacturing sector.

U.S. manufacturing and related industries account for 24% of the GDP, and in Greater Kansas City, area manufacturing is growing at a rate of 7%, valued at $45 billion, as of 2024. From food to aircraft engines, Johnson County manufacturers alone are expected to add more than 1,500 new jobs in 2025. This doesn’t include the 4,000 jobs that will need to be filled at Panasonic’s $4 billion EV-battery plant in De Soto, Kansas.

With support from the Johnson County Education Research Triangle and donations from industry partners, K-State Olathe is rising to the challenge of meeting workforce demand by offering a lineup of advanced manufacturing short courses to further educate and upskill industry professionals. In 2024 alone, the campus welcomed 120 people from 68 companies in 16 states to participate in its noncredit courses.

This year, the school will offer six hands-on courses focused on pneumatic conveying systems. These courses will be hosted in K-State Olathe’s new Advanced Manufacturing and Bulk Solids Technology Center. The center, which is under construction and expected to be complete this summer, is conveniently located at the Olathe campus in the Kansas City area.

Workforce training for manufacturing professionals is often difficult to come by in North America, but with these applied courses, attendees receive training on a variety of manufacturing topics from a neutral and educational perspective on multiple processes and equipment options.

“K-State Olathe provides hands-on training delivered by professionals who know what it’s like to work directly in this industry,” said Jonathan McPherson, director of advanced manufacturing research and training at K-State Olathe. “This means we're able to provide attendees with the skills and practical knowledge they need to be immediately successful, regardless of their role in manufacturing.”

While the skills developed in each course will vary, potential learning opportunities include dust safety, handling difficult equipment and when to use dense conveying. Classes also cover troubleshooting for different types of equipment. Instructors are experts in the field of advanced manufacturing with years of industry experience, so they’re ready to not only showcase the skills attendees need to be successful but are able to provide detailed examples and deliver hands-on learning opportunities for professionals.

This year’s courses include options designed to provide guidance and support on topics such as dust collection and pneumatic conveying for industry professionals. Each course was carefully designed based on feedback from area companies and employees who are searching for advanced manufacturing training.

“We arranged a lineup built on the foundation of what has been well received, and we're building upward,” said Lauren Racki, professional development manager at K-State Olathe. “We're continuing to do what we do best, and we're serving the professionals we’ve always served, but we're meeting growing needs in new ways.”

Each of the courses offered this year is designed to tackle a different aspect of the advanced manufacturing industry.

“Manufacturing in itself is an interdisciplinary process, so K-State Olathe is particularly positioned to serve a variety of organizations and industries,” Racki said. In addition to offering ongoing training for advanced manufacturing professionals, K-State Olathe’s Advanced Manufacturing and Bulk Solids Technology Center offers consulting for area companies who need assistance leveling up their products and services.

Learn more – olathe.k-state.edu/bulksolids