PCC: Building Tomorrow’s Technically Skilled Workforce
From http://www.chieftain.com/opinion/3056167-120/manufacturing-students-skills-pueblo
Jamie Gage Guest columnist
Published: November 15, 2014
At Pueblo Community College, we have been providing quality education in manufacturing for decades. We develop our certificate and degree programs to meet the needs of the industries in our community, and we encourage feedback from key stakeholders in order to remain relevant and aligned with business needs. This allows our Advanced Manufacturing programming to meet the requirements of and for a skilled workforce.
An advantage we have is that several of our part-time instructors are still actively employed in the companies that are hiring our students. This is a huge benefit for PCC because our students learn directly from industry both the technical skills they need and the workplace skills that will keep them employed.
We are proud to say that our industry partners have been instrumental in the success of our programs. It is through this collaboration that we have been able to develop in a timely manner a relevant curriculum that is responsive to current trends.
One of the opportunities we have is to train students to meet the diverse needs of Pueblo employers in the manufacturing landscape. A strong relationship with the Pueblo Workforce Center has kept the communication channels open and prepared us to listen to real-time feedback on programming.
Our priority is to develop well-rounded and highly skilled graduates in welding, machining, electromechanical technology and engineering. Our curriculum provides many on- and off-ramps to suit the individual needs of our students in a way that aligns with local, regional and national employers.
Last year, the state legislature passed House Bill 13-1165, which requires different higher education institutions to design a manufacturing career pathway to provide students with the skills needed for employment in Colorado’s manufacturing sector. This bill intends to improve the transitions from secondary to post-secondary to adult-education to employment. The ultimate goal is to provide an awareness and pathway into manufacturing jobs starting in middle school and continuing into college.
Extensive research showed the necessity of ensuring that Colorado students are aware of the jobs and skills needed in manufacturing.
PCC is priming the pipeline by reaching youths in our community as early as the eighth grade in the hope that they will matriculate into college-level classes in welding and machining while still in high school. Many of our students start as juniors in high school and finish on our campus with a degree. They then find jobs that pay competitively, allow for great careers in high-demand areas and provide opportunities for advancement.
In addition to youth, PCC also serves nontraditional students who work during the day and come to our campus at night to learn new skills that help them to either advance in their current jobs or gain a new job with better pay and opportunities. We offer fast-track certificates and full associate degrees, plus the option for advanced programming for incumbent workers who would like to upgrade their skills.
Recently, we added a new state-of-the-art machining testing center that enables machinists to measure, examine or test completed units. Pueblo Community College also recently purchased the metrology equipment to establish a dimensional inspection classroom, further reinforcing our goal to provide many opportunities to join the workforce in advanced manufacturing.
As manufacturing has and will continue to rebound in the United States, we are positioned to address the critical skills gap. It’s a responsibility that we take seriously, and we are privileged to be a provider of quality employees for the future of Pueblo.
Jamie Gage is Department Chair of Advanced Manufacturing Technology at Pueblo Community College.