CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new program in the Kanawha Valley is setting up aspiring skilled maintenance employees with the opportunity to earn a degree while simultaneously gaining real-world, paid work experience.
The Putnam County Development Authority has collaborated with BridgeValley Community and Technical College to launch Kanawha Valley FAME, or Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, a workforce development program designed to train students for jobs at a network of major employers throughout the region.
PCDA Executive Director Morganne Tenney came on The Dave Allen Show Monday morning to discuss the program. She said it’s a post-secondary apprenticeship model for students to earn an Associate Degree in Advanced Manufacturing Technology by attending classes at BridgeValley for two days out of the week, while also earning a real wage working for one of the partnering employers for three days out of the week.
“You can go to school at BridgeValley and earn a degree in Advanced Manufacturing Technology, but you actually get hands-on training with a local employer while you’re going to school,” Tenney said.
Tenney said the apprenticeship program was developed by the Toyota Company a little over a decade ago after they recognized that they were seeing a retirement wave of skilled maintenance technicians in the industry. She said the company first brought the program to its Kentucky-based plant before bringing it to Toyota in Charleston and BridgeValley.
She said there had already been an Advanced Manufacturing Technology degree at BridgeValley for about a decade, but Toyota was the only employer taking advantage of the apprenticeship program.
Within the last year, however, Tenney said Toyota has been collaborating with PCDA and BridgeValley to help bring in more employers to recruit future skilled workers of their own.
“They approached us and said, ‘hey, we already have to curriculum set up at BridgeValley and BridgeValley has been a great partner in this, and we would love to have other employers join us, we recognize that not many people have gone into skilled maintenance over the last decade,” she said.
Tenney said PCDA’s involvement with the effort started when the organization became the non-profit supporter of a Kanawha Valley chapter with the focus on serving not only Putnam County, but Kanawha, Cabell and Mason counties, as well.
PCDA got involved, because, Tenney said their whole mission is based around helping to grow and retain the workforce in the region and the state.
“We want to retain the existing employers that we have here in West Virginia that have chose to me this their permanent home, and one of the best ways we can do that is to cultivate the next generation of workers for them, because they need workers that are skilled,” she said.
She said they took Toyota up on the offer and started approaching other employers, as well as having employers reach out to them about the program.
Tenney said along with Toyota looking for skilled maintenance workers to join their production line, they have Nucor Steel of West Virginia, Kanawha Scales and Systems, Service Wire, Niterra, among other companies who have now joined the initiative, as well, and who are also looking for skilled workers to join their ranks.
“Now we have a cohort of six companies to have joined the Kanawha Valley chapter of FAME, and again, PCDA is tied to that chapter with BridgeValley,” Tenney said. “So, now we are out recruiting and we are looking for people who are interested working at one of those facilities while getting their Associates Degree at BridgeValley.”
Tenney said interested students will have to complete an interview and application process with all of the companies involved. She said they will receive an offer and will be able to select which employer they want to work for.
Tenney said through programs such WV Invests, students will be able to earn the two-year degree with the accumulation of paid work experience all for free. In addition, she said BridgeValley’s ASCEND pays even beyond that, by covering the cost of books, gas cards and other fees and expenses students in the program may have.
Tenney said it’s a chance for free education while learning useful skills for a future career that students should not want to pass up.
“A student could get an Associates Degree for free and still get paid three days a week and get part-time experience,” she said. “I mean, it’s such an incredible opportunity for students.”
Tenney said FAME is looking for any student over the age of 18 who is drug free and college ready to apply for the program. She said they don’t have to be straight out of high school, but anyone can enter at any point, but they must be ready to commit to the program and to one of the sponsored employers for two years.
She said it’s an opportunity that can take students far.
“When you graduate with this degree, this skill set is not only needed here in the Kanawha Valley, but literally around the world, and just here in the region, if you were to graduate with this degree and this skill set, you’re looking at making between $60,000 to $80,000 dollars right out of the gate,” said Tenney.
Interested students can learn more about the new program and apply at Putnam County Development Authority.