|
Programs for Incumbent Worker Training |
|
 The Industrial Maintenance Training Center (IMTC) of PA provides training in the skills necessary to perform industrial maintenance tasks in today’s world class manufacturing operations. The IMTC is a program of the Mid-Atlantic Mechatronics Partnership and is funded through fees paid by employers and state and federal grants obtained through the Workforce Investment Boards of Lancaster and Berks counties.
Training: Anytime... Anywhere
Training is provided by a combination of on-line e-learning and hands-on labs using real industrial equipment. New students are enrolled each week and students proceed at a pace agreed to by themselves and their employer. Course work, that is available via e-learning, may be completed at any time and from any place where a high speed internet connection is available to the student. Laboratory time may be scheduled at the student’s convenience Monday through Saturday, morning, afternoon or evening. This method of scheduling and delivery provides the ultimate in flexibility for working maintenance technicians who often find it difficult to schedule themselves for conventional training classes.
Students may enroll in one of two complete multi-disciplinary certificate programs (AM/IST-1 or AM/IST-2), discipline-specific courses, or short topical classes that have been designed by adult education experts based upon requirements established by leading manufacturers. All completed coursework may be applied toward college credit. Students may also obtain credit for existing skills and knowledge through a testing program that eliminates the need of repeating coursework in topics already mastered. Employers may also use this testing program as a yardstick to gauge the skills of employees who are entering the program. Finally, for employers with special needs, customized training programs may be developed. |
|
|
IMTC Is Technology Neutral |
|
Lancaster: Recently, in response to inquiries by technology vendors, IMTC organizer Scott Sheely reiterated the position of the Center with regard to instructional technology and curriculum.
"In our work in mechatronics, we have purposely concentrated on the skill standards that have been articulated by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers' Institute and avoided any preference for a technology provider. We ask schools to align their curriculum (through whatever technology provider they choose) to the skill standards. Our only concern is that people learn the skills using the curriculum. I believe that the burden of proof is on (the) technology provider to prove to its school customers that (their) curriculum meets the skill standards that have been put forward by PMMI.
Keith (Campbell) and I would enthusiastically work with (any technology provider and their) school customers as we have with other technology providers and schools to qualify their programs so that they can affiliate with the Industrial Maintenance Training Center of PA. Our review process costs $750 and requires the entity involved in the review to do a substantial self-study which is evaluated by Keith and further validated by the Mid-Atlantic Mechatronics Advisory Council. Programs can be approved partially or in their entirety."
Contact Scott Sheely at 717-735-0333 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
for further clarification if needed. |
|
Nine Schools Qualify as IMTC-Approved Providers |
|
State College: On Thursday, August 18, 2011, the Industrial Maintenance Training Center of Pennsylvania (IMTC) recognized nine training programs around the Commonwealth for their ability to provide current and prospective manufacturing workers with the skills needed to qualify for the Advanced Manufacturing-Integrated Systems Technology (AMIST) certificate. AMIST addresses the needs of manufacturers for industrial maintenance workers who are expert troubleshooters who can diagnose and fix problems with complex automated manufacturing systems. The technology involved is sometimes referred to as "mechatronics".
Schools around the Commonwealth who were recognized at various levels include Reading Area Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, North Montco Technical Center, Lancaster County Career and Technology Center, Community College of Allegheny County, Precision Manufacturing Institute, Bucks County Community College, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, and Bucks County Technical High School.
To qualify, programs completed an extensive self-assessment, which was followed by a site visit to assure that the curriculum that is being offered by the institution addresses the skill sets that have been identified by the IMTC and affirmed by a Competency Model approved by the US Department of Labor. The Packaging Machine Manufacturers' Institute, a national trade organization, is working with the Center to eventually develop a national credential for industrial maintenance and mechatronics technicians.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
PMMI Education and Workforce Committee Meets at RACC |
|
Reading: On November 10, the Education and Workforce Committee of the Packaging Machine Manufacturers' Institute gather at Reading Area Community College for its regular meeting. PMMI is a trade association with more than 500 companies that manufacture packaging and packaging-related converting machinery, commercially-available packaging machinery components, containers and materials in the US and Canada.
PMMI has worked with RACC, the Berks and Lancaster County Workforce Investment Boards, and the Industrial Maintenance Training Center of PA to develop skill standards for mechatronics (the synergistic application of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, controls engineering, and computer science to create useful products) that have led to the Mechatronics Certificate Program to assess skills and knowledge in the area of packaging-related mechatronics.
During the meeting, the Committee discussed the implementation of the assessments and the overatures that have been made to the National Association of Manufacturers to ally with the NAM credentialing process. Members were briefed on the RACC operation and the effort to develop a system of eligible schools in Pennsylvania as well as taking a tour of the state-of-the-art facility. |
|
PA Faces Shortage of Precision Machinists, Industrial Maintenance Technicians |
|
Lancaster: PA Department of Labor and Industry Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Dr. Robert Garraty today introduced "Critical Shortages of Precision Machining and Industrial Maintenance Occupations in Pennsylvania's Manufacturing Sector," a new report detailing the need for a workforce with the skills and training manufacturers need. There are 72,000 individuals working in these two occupational groups in Pennsylvania. The PA Center for Advanced Manufacturing Careers estimates that employers will need between 15,000 and 17,000 more during the next decade. For a downloadable copy of the report, click here.
Joined by Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board Executive Director Scott Sheely, Garraty emphasized the need for private-public partnerships that encourage development and delivery of training opportunities tailored to manufacturers' workforce needs. "Modern manufacturing has come a long way from the oil-soaked machine shops of the past," Garraty said. "Today's employers need a workforce with the skills and specialized training necessary to operate and maintain increasingly complex, computer-controlled manufacturing systems."
Manufacturing contributes an annual economic output of $75.5 billion, accounting for approximately 14 percent of the state's gross product. The report released today provides wage and employment information for occupations critical to the continued strength of Pennsylvania manufacturing. "This report lays out some of the challenges that Pennsylvania manufacturers will face over the next 10 years," Garraty said. "It should be used to help policymakers and employers address those challenges, and to help the commonwealth avert an employment crisis in this crucial industry sector." |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 2 |
