The message to high school students: there’s a bright future in manufacturing.
As Jamestown Community College continues work on a new Manufacturing Technology Institute in Cattaraugus County, officials are trying to spread the message that there’s a demand for trained workers.
When the 20,000-square-foot facility in Olean opens this fall, officials plan to offer courses in welding technology, machining technology, computer-aided design and other skills.
John Sayegh, the college’s vice president of continuing education, told WBFO efforts are underway to recruit high school students and other prospective enrollees.
“JCC feels that we have an obligation to not only the students, but also to the manufacturers in our area, to prepare a globally competent workforce,” he said. “And we’re going to do it through high quality career pathways and technical education.”
Local manufacturers have been key players in the new initiative, Sayegh said. During focus groups sponsored by the college, business leaders underscored the need for job training in the manufacturing sector. Sayegh said manufacturers will also have a strong presence at the new institute.
“They actively participate in lecturing in our classes and they raise the level of awareness of what is needed.”
The need for trained workers in manufacturing will only intensify over the next several years as a growing of number Baby Boomers retire, Sayegh said.
“The big concern is that we do not have the workforce that is prepared to replace those numbers.”
The college hopes to enroll up to 30 students in the early phases. Enrollment could hit 50 by the second year.
