KVCC Offers Free Training To Prepare For Careers In Advanced Manufacturing

OSHTEMO -- The Monroe Brown Foundation has contributed $12,800 to the Production Technician Academy scholarship fund at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, bringing the total of funds donated by area manufacturers and others to $56,800.

The first Production Technician Academy is scheduled to begin on May 29. An informational session about the new Academy is set for Wednesday, May 23 at 5:30 at Michigan Technical Education Center at the Groves Campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 7107 Elm Valley Drive, Kalamazoo.

The Academy was designed by local employers who are looking for a way to meet the growing demand for qualified production workers and fill local manufacturing jobs. Cutting edge advanced technologies have fostered a new manufacturing environment with automated machines, computer-driven processes and integrated electronic systems. The Production Technician Academy is a competency-based, fast-track, industry designed training program to prepare production workers for an advanced manufacturing environment.

In addition to the Monroe Brown Foundation, local donors to the scholarship fund include American Axle, Landscape Forms, Schupan and Sons, Southwest Michigan Tooling Collaborative, Parker Hannifin, Stryker, LKF Marketing, Richard and Thelma Hall Foundation, Flowserve, Accroseal, Humphrey Products and Southwest Michigan First.

The first Production Technician Academy will provide training for 16 students and will begin on May 29. Each Academy is four-and-a-half weeks long. Manufacturers will interview graduates of these programs for local jobs.

For more information go to www.kvcc.edu/training, call 269-353-1286 or email careeracademies@kvcc.edu.