Above Photo: Manufacturers and educator tour two state-of-the-art labs: The Automation Lab and The Manufacturing Lab at Norco College.
Norco, CA – Southern California manufacturers gathered today to learn about the training opportunities at Norco College. The Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire (MCIE) arranged the event to help local manufacturers discover new methods of training, and to bridge the gap between manufacturers’ needs for skilled laborers and students’ needs for jobs.
Dr. Bryan Reece, President of Norco College, welcomed the MCIE guests to the campus. Jesse Lopez, Director of CTE at Norco College, discussed the different programs available to students that are helping to develop skilled workers for employment.
Rod Hoover, Human Resource Manager for California Steel Industries, and Interim Chair of the MCIE, invited manufacturers to attend the annual Manufacturers Summit which will be held on February 15, 2018, at the Ontario Convention Center. He said that there would be opportunities for manufacturers to display the things that are made locally in the “Made in the I.E.” Exhibit, and invited manufacturers and students to enter the Innovation Awards competition.
Norco College offers new and emerging curriculum and a multitude of opportunities for its students. There are forty-one various programs offered through the college’s Career and Technology Education (CTE) department. Twelve of those are geared specifically for students pursuing careers in manufacturing. Additionally, the school offers an Accelerated, Certificate, and Employment (ACE) program, which trains students in a skill and grants them the certification required to join a skilled field.
The manufacturers toured two state-of-the-art labs: The Automation Lab and The Manufacturing Lab, reviewed the equipment used for training, and learned about the speed at which students enter into hands-on training that better prepares them for manufacturing careers.
The Manufacturers Council hopes to partner with Norco College in the future, as both parties work to garner awareness about job opportunities in the regional manufacturing industry, and community awareness of advanced and automated manufacturing skills training that is available.
The Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire (MCIE) supports and provides education on manufacturing topics to manufacturers, employees, students, and the community. The Council provides a strong, unified voice when communicating with regional, state and national entities on issues impacting the region. Programming is designed to help manufacturers find solutions for issues including: employment and training, research, regulatory compliance, import and export, and funding.
