12 — Business Indiana, Friday, January 31, 2020
Leaders redefine workforce training needs
and environmental training center. The technology center it- self, like scores of vocation- al-technical schools that opened across Pennsylvania in the 1960s and ’70s, has quietly and quickly re- sponded to the demonstrat- ed needs of Indiana County workplaces over the years. Twice in the past year alone, ICTC has added pro- grams to train workers for immediate openings. Keeping in mind the con- struction of the sprawling Urban Outfitters national distribution and customer fulfillment center at Windy “WE NEED schools being more proactive in Indiana County. ... They have students who may not want to go to college, or want to go to a two-year college and try to aim for the professions or careers where they really want to go.” Steve McPherson, chairman, Indiana County Manufacturing Consortium
and university degree pro- grams. What remains are students who, in varying views, are the ones that just didn’t make the cut for college and are on track to find work in other fields that don’t de- mand or, in theory, don’t compensate like the aca- demically demanding pro- fessions that await the col- lege graduate. What has changed, ac- cording to employers, is that different skills are now Continued from Page 11
needed and rewarded in oc- cupations that don’t have the glamour of rocket scien- tist. “There use to be a lot of unskilled labor positions but now, it’s not that you need a degree, but you do need certification in talents that students simply need not invest four years to ac- quire,” Salony explained. “We need schools being more proactive in Indiana County. From our perspec- tive as a manufacturer, they need to address these. They
have students who may not want to go to college, or want to go to a two-year col- lege and try to aim for the professions or careers where they really want to go,” said Steve McPherson, project administrator for MGK Technologies, and chairman of the Indiana County Manufacturers Con- sortium. THE TRAINING programs have stepped up to fill in some of the gap. Job fairs in recent years have had a growing presence of repre- sentatives of trade schools touting financial aid and high job placement rates, manning their booths alongside the recruiters for companies and armed forces. Westmoreland County Community College has worked to retain and grow its branch campus for stu- dents in Indiana County. The school is nearing a final agreement to build new classrooms on the grounds of the Indiana County Tech- nology Center in White Township. With an eye toward sus- taining agriculture, the Indi- ana County Conservation District, too, has focused on ICTC and begun construc- tion there of its new offices
Ridge Business and Tech- nology Park in White Town- ship, ICTC created a forklift operator training course and send its graduates to work in the URBN ware- house. Michael McDermott, executive director of ICTC, said the school added a class in blueprint reading to its curriculum for 2019-20, specifically at the request of Indiana County employers who found that skill lacking in its job applicants. “We work in conjunction with the Manufacturers Consortium and the Work- force Investment Board; we meet and participate with them monthly to hear their concerns and needs, what specific things they are looking for,” McDermott said. ICTC routinely channels its graduates in welding, machining and collision re- pair courses to local compa- nies. Its students in powder coat paint processes “are highly sought after by area manufacturers,” McDer- mott said. Last year, tech center in- structors Michael Rescente and Jon Krecota worked with the manufacturers group to develop a curricu- lum for blueprint reading. It’s not a new certificate pro-
gram by itself, but the class was opened in September to students in all the trade studies, McDermott said. “That was a direct result of the request of the manufac- turers. So more and more students are ready to step in, recognize plans,” Mc- Dermott said. “We’re more than willing to sit with any organization to listen to their needs and make adjustments to bene- fit our students. Then obvi- ously here in Indiana Coun- ty it always helps us if we can help parents to under- stand (that their child can work and stay here in Indi- ana County) we’ll take that any day of the week.” ASSOCIATE DEGREE col- lege programs get a boost in the new scenario but more so do trade schools that qualify students in two years, give or take, to earn necessary certification and get hired to jobs that are known to be waiting for them. Yet some pieces of the puzzle are missing. “Some problems we’re running into, in our busi- ness community, are wide- spread,” Hilliard said. There are a handful of workers who are unwilling or unable
Complete interior design services, space planning, kitchen & bath remodeling.
Interior & gifts
3KLODGHOSKLD6W'RZQWRZQ,QGLDQD
Continued on Page 13
fcbanking.com
ȱȱȱȱȱĴǯ
ȱ and operators who work hard day in and day out for their families, their employ ery strong community is a team of strong local businesses. Behind ev ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ
ees and their communities. That’s why w And at the helm of those businesses are the owners
ȱ ¢ Ĵ e ȱ ȱ
ȱ ard to more opportunities in 2020 to help make business happen in Indiana County. ook forw ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ
e l communities. W
Member FDIC
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online