RVBusiness, March-April 2015
NEWS inFOCUS P H O T O S BY S H AWN S P E N C E The short program teaching fundamental manufacturing skills is an initial foray by Ivy Tech Community Colleges Elkhart campus into what officials ultimately envision as a stand alone training facility for the manufacturing sector in general and the RV industry in particular A task as simple as driving a screw into a 2 by 4 inch length of lumber correctly with a cordless drill is a key lesson to be learned during a new one week training program introduced recently at Elkhart Countys Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana campus The instruction is designed specifically for entry level people and others seeking employment in Northern Indianas RV manufacturing arena The RV Production Associate Training Program is part of a rather unusual eight week trial program running through February and March sponsored by RV suppliers Patrick Industries Inc and Lippert Components Inc as well as manufacturer Thor Industries Inc Manufacturing is the largest segment of employment in Elkhart County said Julie Foster president of Ivy Techs Elkhart County Campus We did not have any technology or manufacturing courses at our Elkhart campus So meeting with local businesses about what their needs were we came up with this one week course Students pay just 50 to learn how to use power tools and hone their framing and measurement skills working in teams like they would encounter on a typical factory floor We took a lot of different aspects of jobs at manufacturers explained Mark Hoeflinger the programs instructor adding that the week long exercise ends with students creating a floorplan and constructing a wall while installing cabinets and bathroom fixtures Those obtaining training certificates from this short course in classes limited to 20 students due to limited space at the southeast side Ivy Tech campus become eligible for job interviews with the sponsoring companies a novel incentive that reportedly was opening doors for some students Indeed training has become a priority in Elkhart County as busy manufacturers in an upbeat market look to increase the pool of skilled workers available to industry companies at a time when those firms are experiencing difficulty attracting adequate 32 RVBusiness M A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 5 Mark Hoeflinger an instructor at Ivy Tech since 2001 center watches as students employ skills learned during the colleges new introductory program for RV production workers Ivy Tech Develops One Week Course for Entry Level Production Workers While Promoting a New Facility Thomas Coley Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community Colleges North Central and Northwest regions left with Julie Foster president of the Elkhart County campus and Dicor Corp President Gregg Fore
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