Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Industry Talent Association

Polymechanic is an Apprenticeship Program beginning in 11th grade that combines school and lab instruction with paid workplace experience. The program develops cross-functional technicians who can work across the interconnected systems found in modern manufacturing operations.

There are two versions of the program: Polymechanic 1, a two-year Apprenticeship Program completed during high school, and Polymechanic 2, a three-year Apprenticeship Program that continues for a full-time year after high school graduation, allowing apprentices to specialize in an area of Polymechanics.

The Workforce Need

Modern manufacturing environments combine machining, automation and robotics, electrical controls, digital monitoring, quality, maintenance, and continuous improvement. Yet traditional training often prepares people for one specialized trade at a time.

Employers have responded by developing their own internal training, but that can duplicate investments, create inconsistent skill standards across employers, and leave smaller and mid-size manufacturers without the resources to develop comprehensive programs on their own. At the same time, experienced technicians are retiring faster than new ones are being developed.

The Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics ITA has responded by defining a shared, cross-functional occupational standard for a foundational technician role that can serve manufacturers across Indiana.

The Solution

Both Polymechanic programs build breadth first, then depth. During the first two years, apprentices develop a common foundation across 14 competency areas, including safety, print reading and CAD, machining, manufacturing processes, electrical and fluid power systems, quality and inspection, CNC, robotics and automation, PLCs, lean manufacturing, troubleshooting, maintenance, and fabrication.

Polymechanic 1 allows apprentices to complete the program during high school. Polymechanic 2 adds a third, full-time year after high school graduation focused on specialization. During that year, apprentices complete at least two advanced modules and a Technical Experience Capstone in employer-defined areas such as Industrial Maintenance & Mechatronics, CNC & Precision Machining, Production Quality & Continuous Improvement, Design & Prototyping, or Automation & Robotics.

Apprentices apply their skills across departments through real production work, with competency demonstrated through supervisor sign-off, workplace demonstrations, and a portfolio of work.

The Career Pathway

Participants can earn industry-recognized credentials aligned with the program, including:

• OSHA 10
• MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT)
• NIMS machining credentials
• SACA Industry 4.0 credentials
• FANUC Certified Robot Operator

Coursework is aligned with Ivy Tech Community College. By the time apprentices graduate from high school, they will have met key requirements for the Employment Honors Plus diploma seal and earned an INCAP credential. Apprentices who continue through the Polymechanic 2 program complete an additional year of specialized training and workplace experience after high school, giving them more time to develop specialized skills within their employer’s workplace.

The programs build a foundation for continued development in areas including industrial maintenance and mechatronics, CNC and precision machining, production quality and continuous improvement, design and prototyping, and automation and robotics.

Logistics Technician is an Apprenticeship Program beginning in 11th grade that combines education and training with paid workplace experience in warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing logistics operations, and other supply chain environments.

There are two versions of the program: Logistics Technician 1, a two-year Apprenticeship Program completed during high school, and Logistics Technician 2, a three-year Apprenticeship Program that builds on the same foundational training and adds a year of specialized training after high school graduation.

The Workforce Need

Indiana’s logistics operations are becoming increasingly technology-driven. Warehouses, distribution centers, and plant logistics operations now rely on warehouse management and ERP systems, barcode and RFID scanning, autonomous mobile robots, and automated storage and picking systems.

As a result, frontline logistics positions increasingly require inventory accuracy, systems literacy, safety discipline, data use, and problem-solving, not simply physical material handling. Yet many entry-level employees still learn informally on the job, which can lead to inconsistent performance and unclear opportunities for advancement.

Employers identified a need for a more structured entry point into supply chain careers that develops people who understand the full flow of materials and can grow into inventory control, coordination, and supervisory positions.

The Solution

Both Logistics Technician programs prepare apprentices to support and improve the core operations of a modern warehouse, distribution center, or manufacturing logistics department.

During the first two years, apprentices develop foundational skills in receiving, storing, and moving materials; inventory management; picking, packing, and shipping; warehouse management and ERP systems; safety and quality procedures; and coordination across receiving, production, inventory, and shipping functions.

Apprentices in both Logistics Technician 1 and Logistics Technician 2 spend multiple full days a week at the employer site with hands-on instruction supported by education partners, including Vincennes University’s Logistics Training and Education Center in Plainfield and Ivy Tech Community College.

Logistics Technician 2 adds a third year of advanced training and specialization after students graduate high school. Employers and apprentices jointly select a specialization based on operational needs and individual interests. Apprentices develop deeper skills in logistics coordination, performance measurement, root cause analysis, continuous improvement, and operational problem-solving. They also complete a workplace improvement project with measurable results and may help coordinate teams and mentor newer employees.

The Career Pathway

By the time apprentices graduate from high school, they will have met key requirements for the Employment Honors Plus diploma seal and earned an INCAP credential. Apprentices who continue through the Logistics Technician 2 program complete an additional year of specialized training and workplace experience after high school, giving them more time to develop specialized skills within their employer’s workplace. 

Logistics Technician 1 prepares graduates for entry-level positions such as Warehouse Technician, Shipping Clerk, Receiving Clerk, Inventory Technician, Material Handler, and Production Logistics Associate. Graduates can enter the workforce or continue into the third year of Logistics Technician 2.

Logistics Technician 2 provides additional specialization and industry-recognized certifications, preparing graduates for positions such as Material Coordinator, Warehouse Team Lead, Freight Coordinator, Supply Chain Operations Technician, and Entry-Level Logistics Analyst, depending on their specialization and employer. The additional training also provides a foundation for advancement into supervisory and more specialized supply chain positions.

Automation and Robotics Technician is a four-year, year-round Apprenticeship Program. Beginning in 11th grade and continuing for two years after high school, the program combines technical education with paid workplace experience focused on the automated systems increasingly used in advanced manufacturing.

The Workforce Need

Indiana manufacturers are adopting automation in response to labor scarcity, reshoring, and continued investment in advanced production. But employers report a shortage of technicians who can work across the technologies that make those systems operate.

When a robotic cell, PLC-controlled line, or vision system goes down, employers need people who can program, integrate, and troubleshoot across robots, controls, sensors, and networks. Vendor-specific training can be costly and narrow, while many small and mid-size manufacturers lack the internal resources to develop automation technicians from scratch.

The Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics ITA is responding by developing a vendor-neutral Automation and Robotics Technician standard that builds on foundational advanced manufacturing skills.

The Solution

The Automation and Robotics Technician Apprenticeship Program develops the deeper technical skills needed to install, program, integrate, and maintain automated production systems.

Competencies include robot and automation safety; electrical systems; sensors and actuators; electrical and pneumatic schematics; robot programming and commissioning; PLC programming; pneumatics and hydraulics; HMI/SCADA systems; automated cell integration; industrial networks; machine vision; advanced troubleshooting; preventive and predictive maintenance; and collaborative robot deployment.

Apprentices progress from supervised equipment operation and preventive maintenance to program edits, changeovers, commissioning support, and system-level fault diagnosis. The program culminates in a capstone in which apprentices design, program, and demonstrate a working automated cell integrating multiple technologies.

Apprentices spend two days per week in the program during 11th grade and three days per week during 12th grade, with full-time participation during the summers. In years three and four, they spend four days per week with their employer and one day per week completing related coursework.

The Career Pathway

The vendor-neutral standard is designed to develop skills that can transfer across the robot and control platforms used by Indiana manufacturers. Related instruction is supported by education partners, including Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University.

Apprentices earn an INCAP credential and OSHA 10 certification while meeting key requirements for Indiana's Employment Honors Plus diploma seal. Additional technical certifications, college credit, and degree pathways may be available.

Depending on their specialization and employer, graduates may be prepared for occupations such as Automation and Robotics Technician, Mechatronics Technician, Controls Technician, Robot Programmer, or Automation Specialist, with opportunities to advance into engineering and supervisory positions.