Training program in dustribution industry
What: six-week class to obtain a manufacturing skills standards certificate
When: Beginning August 5
Where: Miami Valley Career Technology Center, 6800 Hoke Road, Clayton, OH
For more information: Call, 496-6711
The Miami Valley Career Technology Center has teamed with the Montgomery County Job Center to offer a six-week training program to prepare job seekers for work in the warehouse/distribution industry. The training begins August 5.
“The demand for labor in this industry is not going away,” Heath MacAlpine, assistant director of Montgomery County’s Workforce Development Division, said. “Logistics is a large and growing part of Montgomery County’s economic recovery.”
The effort complements a county economic development strategy to bring more logistics and distribution jobs to the area. More than 1,200 jobs have been created in recent years by Caterpillar Logistics, Payless Shoe Source, Syncreon and other big warehousing and distribution businesses, many of those in northern Montgomery County.
Several of the companies helped develop the curriculum for the training program.
“We are always looking for people. We know we will have openings based on past experience,” Andy Mott, director of operations for the Payless Eastern Distribution Center said. “Anyone can learn to do what we do here, but it helps if they have the skills when they start.”
Candidates for the program who income-qualify through the Workforce Investment Act or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families do not have to pay for $1,000 program. Under TANIF guidelines, a family of four (with a child younger than 18) may have gross income of $47,000 a year.
MacAlpine encouraged anyone interested in the program — unemployed, underemployed, or those with job skills no longer in demand — to call to see if they may be eligible.
“We’re going to use a variety of funding sources to pay for the class depending on individual circumstances and income,” MacAlpine said.
Students will get an overview of careers in the industry and employer expectations, Amy Leedy, director of adult education at the Miami Valley Career Technology said. Individual talents will be assessed such as everyday math and observation skills, and the ability to locate and interpret information such a reading a bus schedule.
“You do need to be reasonably physically fit, but it’s also a highly computerized environment,” MacAlpine said.
Online training in safety, quality maintenance and measurement are part of the coursework. Fork lift certification is included in the hands-on training.
Participants will meet with a student advocate to address life issues, such as babysitting needs, that could hinder them from being successful on the job. The job candidates also will develop a resume and cover letter, learn how to complete an online job application and hone their job interviewing skills.
Individuals who complete the program earn a Manufacturing Skills Standards Certificate and are guaranteed job interviews with companies in the Dayton area that have immediate openings.
For information about the program, call (937) 496-6711.
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