MTI’s Jobs of Tomorrow Docuseries and MTI Online Academy are Solving the Heat-Treating Labor Shortag

Like most every other industry, the heat-treating industry is experiencing the tightest labor market in its modern history. Retirements are accelerating, skilled candidates are scarce, and shops are being asked to do more with leaner teams. Against this backdrop, the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) has leaned into a practical, two-track strategy: (1) inspire new entrants and current employees with their Jobs of Tomorrow docuseries, and (2) rapidly upskill and retain current teams with training through the MTI Online Academy. Together, these initiatives form a pipeline—from awareness to onboarding to advancement—that helps members protect capacity, enhance efficiencies, improve quality, and expand growth.

Attracting Talent with the Jobs of Tomorrow Docuseries

What it is:
Jobs of Tomorrow is MTI’s cinematic, story-driven look at real people, real plants, and real career paths in heat treating. Instead of leading with job postings or technical jargon, the series spotlights purpose, pay, progression, and pride—why the work matters to aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, and beyond.

Why it works in a tight labor market:

• Powerful Story: In a world of generic hiring ads, documentary-style storytelling cuts through. Prospects don’t just see a job; they see themselves in a career with mentors, milestones, and meaning.
• Social-first distribution: Short, high-impact segments power employer branding on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube—meeting candidates where they already spend time.
• Community credibility: Featuring multiple member companies and diverse roles (operators, maintenance techs, quality, safety, logistics, and supervisors) shows breadth and stability across the industry, not just one employer’s hype.
• Early-career friendly: Counselors, parents, and career-switchers want clarity. The docuseries demystifies heat treating and highlights on-ramps that don’t require a four-year degree to get started.

How Members put it to work:

• Embed clips on careers pages and QR codes on booth banners, postcards, and job-fair handouts
• Use targeted social ads to drive traffic to local openings. Template postings are available on MTI’s website www.heattreat.net. 
• Show the series during plant tours, high-school visits, and Chamber events
• Equip hiring managers with a “watch list” of short segments to send before or after screenings and interviews
• Have every current employee watch the docuseries to renew their purpose and understanding of the industry they work in.

Closing Skill Gaps with MTI Online Academy

MTI Online Academy is a role-based learning platform for heat-treat teams—operators, furnace techs, maintenance, quality, safety, and first-line supervisors. Courses are built “for heat treaters, by heat treaters,” blending fundamentals with practical, shop-floor application.

Why it’s essential right now:

• Automates New Employee Onboarding Training:  MTI’s New Employee Onboarding Certificate Program provides the introductory knowledge they need on “what is heat treating”, its impact on society, importance of human factors, and sexual harassment prevention.
• Faster time-to-competency: Structured online learning turns new hires into productive team members sooner, freeing senior techs from perpetual re-teaching.
• Standardized training at scale: Consistent content means less tribal knowledge risk when veterans retire or transfer.
• Quality, compliance, and safety: Courses reinforce process control, documentation discipline, and audit readiness—reducing rework and non-conformances.
• Career ladders that retain people: Learning paths give employees visible progress and a reason to stay. People don’t quit when they can see their next step.

Built for busy plants:

• Manager dashboards that track progress, quiz scores, and completion
• Alignment with common customer expectations and standards language

One Pipeline, Two Levers: How They Work Together

Most workforce programs focus on either attraction or training. MTI’s combination does both—and that’s the point.

• Top-of-funnel attraction: Jobs of Tomorrow amplifies awareness and interest among students, parents, veterans, and career-switchers.
• Onboarding & ramp: MTI Online Academy accelerates the first 60–120 days, standardizing what “good” looks like.
• Advancement & retention: Structured learning paths move people from operator → lead → supervisor, turning jobs into careers.
• Brand flywheel: As graduates share their progress, they become ambassadors who fuel the next hiring wave.

Practical Outcomes for Member Companies

• Higher applicant quality: Candidates arrive informed, curious, and aligned with shift realities.
• Reduced training burden: Supervisors spend less time repeating basics; production recovers hours.
• Quality you can measure: Fewer mistakes rooted in process misunderstanding; better audit performance.
• Lower turnover: Employees who see a skills roadmap are more likely to stay past the 6–12 month mark.
• Stronger bidding posture: Demonstrable training programs build customer confidence and help win work.

The Bottom Line

Labor shortages aren’t going away, but they are manageable for companies that market the opportunity and systemize the learning. MTI’s Jobs of Tomorrow docuseries fills the top of the funnel with motivated, informed candidates. The MTI Online Academy turns those candidates into confident contributors—and then into committed, promotable team members. That’s how you protect throughput…keep quality high, and build a workforce that grows with you!

For full details on how to engage in MTI’s Jobs of Tomorrow or the MTI Online Academyfor your company’s hiring and training process, contact us at training@heattreat.net.