In the months since our launch event last year, the Otsego Now Regional Workforce Training Center has been in a state of metamorphosis and evolution. Our second-year plan has called for a significant amount of business outreach, as well as meetings with prospective education partners, to forge the relationships we need to move forward.
Training programs at the Workforce Training Center will be demand-driven, so business outreach has been critical. An important aspect of the value we intend to offer to area employers is to first understand their workforce needs, then help them meet them.
Thanks to our recent outreach to local employers, we are creating an Industrial Employability training course that will include:
- Lean Six Sigma (yellow belt)
- OSHA-10
- Blueprint reading
- Basic soldering
- Basic computer skills, and
- Industrial measuring
Additional training in the soft skills – punctuality, attendance, business etiquette, time management, organizational skills, communication, etc. – will be folded into the course within the context of industrial training. These skills should prepare trainees for entry-level jobs in modern manufacturing.
We are also reaching out to potential educational partners that can help us to create curricula for more advanced training. Some of the certificate programs we will be considering include mechatronics, advanced manufacturing technology, and machine tooling. Otsego County itself does not have a community college, but Otsego Now has been fortunate to find willing partners in neighboring counties.
The Otsego Now Regional Workforce Training Center uses a rolling admissions policy. Prospective trainees can register at any time and, when enough trainees that have gone through the intake process successfully, we will schedule a class. Current course offerings are Industrial Employability Training, Clerical & Administrative Employability Training, and Direct Support Professional Training.
We expect to schedule our next Industrial Employability Training in the near future. You can get exact dates and times by watching the Workforce section of the Otsego Now web site (www.otsegonow.com).