Home » National grant will provide more training for manufacturing jobs

National grant will provide more training for manufacturing jobs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Feb. 12, 2014) — More training will be available for individuals looking to land manufacturing jobs thanks to a $150,000 Social Innovation Fund Grant from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. The training classes, held at The Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center (KMCC) in Louisville, are free and help prepare men and women for entry-level jobs with local manufacturers.

“As the economy improves, manufacturers are expanding and there’s a growing need for qualified employees,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “This grant will help more Louisville-area job seekers gain the skills and training that manufacturers need.”

Since it opened last May, the career center has helped train nearly 400 people for manufacturing jobs. The new grant funding has the potential to provide training for an additional 140 individuals.

Louisville has fared better than other areas of Kentucky and the nation in growing manufacturing jobs since the recession. Louisville’s job growth was nearly 22 percent with a 31.5 percent wage and salary growth in manufacturing, for the period July 2009 to June 2013. Nationally, manufacturing jobs grew by just 3.6 percent and wage and salary growth was 14 percent for the same period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The national grant was awarded to WIRED 65 Regional Workforce Partners, which is administered by KentuckianaWorks, Greater Louisville’s Workforce Investment Board and a KMCC partner. WIRED 65 is one of 17 National Fund for Workforce Solutions sites to receive the grant.

The Certified Production Technician and Multi-Skilled Technician classes will be offered during the day and evening to fit job seekers’ schedules. All classes are held at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center, 160 Rochester Dr., in south Louisville. Persons interested can call (502) 276-9711.

The Certified Production Technician course is a short-term training that prepares students for entry-level manufacturing jobs and certifications in safety, quality practices and measurement, manufacturing processes and production, and maintenance awareness. Graduates also receive a nationally-recognized industry credential and nine hours of credit from Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC). Daytime classes (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) will be held March 17-April 11, April 21-May 23 and June 16 – July 19. Evening classes run for eight weeks (Monday-Friday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) will be held Feb. 17-April 11 and May 5-June 27.

The Multi-Skilled Technician course is a 60-hour certification program offered by JCTC that leads to a college credential. After completing the hands-on course, the Multi-Skilled Technician can function as a well-grounded machine operator in a complex system, with responsibility for efficient operation of the equipment with minimal down time. The daytime class will be Feb. 10-March 10, Monday – Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The evening class is April 14-April 29, Monday-Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

KMCC also provides courses and assessments in National Career Readiness Certification and English as a Second Language geared to manufacturing. Career counselors work closely with area manufacturers to place students in jobs. There are 29 actively engaged employers working with the center.

KMCC is a one-stop resource in the Metro Louisville region for manufacturers and for persons interested in working in manufacturing. The region served by the center includes Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties and other regions in Kentucky and Southern Indiana – the corridor along I-65 in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

To learn more about the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center, go to kentuckianaworks.org.

Partners in the KMCC are Jefferson Community and Technical College, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Adult Education, JCPS Career and Technical Education, JCPS Iroquois High School Magnet Career Academy and KentuckianaWorks. Local match funding for the National Fund for Workforce Solutions grant has been provided by the Louisville Redevelopment Authority, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, the James Graham Brown Foundation, the Gheens Foundation, the PNC Foundation and the Community Foundation of Louisville.

In addition to KentuckianaWorks, WIRED65 Regional Workforce partners include WorkOne (Southern Indiana Workforce Investment Board), Lincoln Trail Workforce Investment Board and Lake Cumberland Workforce Investment Board. Certified Production Technician classes will also be offered in those regions in spring and summer of 2014.