By Staff
Michigan Works! is accepting applications for a new, five week Manufacturing Fundamentals class.
The class is designed to prepare jobseekers for a variety of careers in the manufacturing industry. The class will teach blueprint reading, machine maintenance, manufacturing math, workplace safety and other related skills.
The class is in response to a shortage of skilled applicants entering local manufacturing jobs.
Higher productivity and increasingly sophisticated technology have required even entry-level workers to have a more advanced skill set.
"Even with the current high unemployment rates, local employers are still having difficulty filling positions, stated Michigan Works! Executive Director Todd Gustafson. "It's important we stay focused on long-term workforce development solutions even when the economy is at a low point, and our tri-county labor market data indicate that there will be a need in this area for quite some time".
Michigan Works! statistics project that while manufacturing employment is projected to decline 8 percent by 2016, with normal churn, and an aging workforce, the need for new workers is equivalent to a 15 percent growth.
"We will have to replace 11,326 workers each year through 2016 to keep up with the demand. And the work is becoming more and more high-tech," added Gustafson.
People interested in applying for the program must visit any tri-county Michigan Works! office, including Dowagiac, before Dec. 12 and complete an application. Applicants do not need a high school diploma to be considered eligible for the program, but adult education courses are available and encouraged for students who do not already have the credential. Training will be offered in two locations, the SMC M-Tech facility in Niles, starting Jan. 6, and at Lake Michigan College M-Tech in Benton Harbor, starting Jan. 5. For more information, contact Jeremy at 1-800-533-5800, ext. 1140. Michigan Works! is a non-profit, workforce development organization providing the skilled workforce necessary to meet the needs of employers.