Manufacturers Coalition to Host Readiness Program
WARREN, Ohio – The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition will host a seven-week program designed to help individuals interested in the manufacturing trades earn credentials and secure employment in the industrial sector.
Fifteen spots are open for the Manufacturing Readiness Program, which begins March 8 at Trumbull Career and Technical Center.
The program is funded through part of a $6 million U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Innovation Fund grant, secured by the OH-Penn Manufacturing Collaborative, of which the Manufacturers Coalition is a component.
“The Manufacturing Readiness Program has become an important part of the process of preparing individuals for the manufacturing industry because it lays the very basic foundation necessary for every individual entering into the workplace,” said Jessica Borza, executive director of the MVMC.
Graduates of the program earn seven nationally recognized credentials such as the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council certified production technician, which certifies individuals in work functions such as safety, quality practices and measurement, manufacturing processes and production, and maintenance awareness.
The Mahoning Valley Manufacturer’s Coalition was formed in 2011 to address the concerns of small and medium-sized manufacturers in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
The organization’s priority is to develop educational pathways to train a new generation of skilled workers in the industrial trades. The coalition includes academic institutions such as Youngstown State University, Eastern Gateway Community College, the Kent State University regional campuses and the area’s four career and technical centers.
Jera Daye, human resource services at Pennex Aluminum’s Leetonia Extrusion plant, said her company recently hired two alumni from the program. “After completing the program, they show an outstanding level of skill, motivation, and enthusiasm about all areas of manufacturing,” she said. “If this is the type of employee that the program produces, I’d recommend anyone hire these graduates – if I don’t get to them first.”
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