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16 | /INSIGHT ON MANUFACTURING • September 2015 w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m "ere are another 10 to 12 employers who are interested in the program and wanting to learn more about it," he says. LTC received a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Fast Forward Grant that pays for the majority of the program. Students pay $300 in tuition and companies contribute $850 towards the program if they hire a program graduate. "We realized we could help train workers quickly for these jobs that are in demand," says LTC Training Director Jill Hennessey. "Beyond the classroom instruction and hands-on work, we also worked with the students on resumé writing and interview skills. We took advantage of all the different resources offered by the Job Center. It's definitely been a collaborative effort." E D U C AT I O N & T R A I N I N G Manufacturing boot camp Manitowoc program provides students with skills for manufacturing jobs BY MARYBETH MATZEK IT WAS A COMMON CHALLENGE Peter Willis kept hearing over and over again: manufacturers had trouble filling their open jobs. Aer talking with local manufacturers, Willis, executive director of Progress Lakeshore, Manitowoc County's economic development corporation, estimated there were about 250 unfilled manufacturing positions. With an unemployment rate of more than 6 percent in the county, Willis says it was clear "there are jobs out there, but people don't have the training they need to get them." To help prospective employees get that training, Progress Lakeshore launched an intensive six-week training program, Manitowoc County Production Technician Boot Camp. e boot camp combines a traditional classroom experience and hands-on training in a mobile lab. Lakeshore Technical College faculty members and staff provide the training at its campus at the Manitowoc Job Center. Students attended class from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., four days a week for six weeks. When finished, they received a Certified Production Technician credential and six college credits. More importantly, they're qualified for jobs that typically pay between $10 and $14 an hour. When the first class finished in August, seven local employers lined up to interview the graduating students to see if they were a good fit for their open positions, Willis says. "We realized we could help train workers quickly for these jobs that are in demand. Beyond the classroom instruction and hands-on work, we also worked with the students on resume writing and interview skills. We took advantage of all the different resources offered by the Job Center. It's definitely been a collaborative effort." – Jill Hennessey, LTC training director Workers from Kaysun Company demonstrate the systems and controls of its manufacturing line. COURTESY KAYSUN COMPANY