Manufacturing Certifications Provide Career Opportunities

As part of a continuing commitment to providing essential job training skills, Quinsigamond Community College is proud to announce more students are taking advantage of manufacturing certification training programs offered at the college.

In 2015-2016, QCC has helped 42 students attain national and regional certifications as part of their studies in Advanced Manufacturing.

Kathy Rentsch, Dean of the School for Business, Engineering and Technology, said this is part of an initiative encouraging graduates to not only earn degrees or certificates, but also recognizable, portable industry certifications that demonstrate competency for certain skill sets that are important to employers.

In the past year, 17 students earned OSHA 30 safety certification, five students earned Fanuc robotics certification, four students earned Society of Manufacturing Engineers Lean Bronze certification, seven students earned Solidworks certification, three students earned MACWIC level 1 - basic machine operations and six students earned MACWIC level 2 - CNC programming certification.

Assistant Professor Lee Deurden, who is the program coordinator for Manufacturing Technology at QCC, said some of his students have gone onto work for industry leaders, such as Emuge Corporation and Hutchinson Aerospace, while others are continuing their studies at four-year institutions, such as Fitchburg State University.

He said the number of students completing certification has almost doubled over the last academic year.

This commitment to workforce training is part of grant program that reinvested in college and career training around the country.

In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act amended the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program. On March 30, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which included $2 billion over four years to fund the TAACCCT program.

The career training program provides community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education with funds to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that can be completed in two years or less, are suited for workers who are eligible for training under the TAA for Workers program, and prepare program participants for employment in high-wage, high-skill occupations. The Department of Labor is implementing the program in partnership with the Department of Education.

In the fall of 2014, $450 million in job-driven training grants going to nearly 270 community colleges across the country were announced.

Dean Rentsch said QCC led the first $20 million award to Massachusetts and is a participant in the second $20 million award that is currently in progress from the career training grant program.

As part of those grants, QCC was awarded $525,000 as a member of a group of community colleges, with an industry focus on STEM industries including: Biotechnology, Information Technology, Private/Cyber Security, Advanced Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Health Care, Engineering, Green Energy, Veterinary Science, Architecture and Green Building and Telecommunications. QCC is part of GPSTEM, Guided Pathways to Success in STEM for the final round of funding. The model focuses on reducing the time to completion of certificates and degree programs, resulting in more students entering employment in the Commonwealth and/or transferring to baccalaureate education to add to their credentials.