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JCC Participates In Manufacturing Month

Vendors provided a special program that showcased computer numerical control, machining, controls, automation and robotic equipment. P-J photo by Jordan W. Patterson

In a month dedicated to manufacturing, Jamestown Community College officials doubled down on workforce readiness as an important institutional offering.

Holger Ekanger, JCC’S vice president of workforce readiness, told The Post-Journal that Tuesday’s event allowed employers to see what the college has to offer and also enable them to provide feedback for improvement.

“Workforce readiness is really charged with how do we work with employers to develop the courses and programs that are meeting their needs,” Ekanger said. “In addition to that, it’s really developing programs that are targeting unemployed, under employed and those that have an interest in maybe a new career in manufacturing.”

October is recognized as Manufacturing Month, and JCC has manufacturing-related events scheduled into November. On Tuesday, local manufacturers and even some from the Buffalo area were invited to observe demonstrations inside the JCC Manufacturing Technology Institute.

In three sessions, one at the Olean campus Monday and two at the MTI Tuesday, vendors provided a special program that showcased computer numerical control, machining, controls, automation and robotic equipment.

“We really want to bring you in and talk to you about these programs, what they look like and showcase some of that technology that is supporting the automation,” he said.

The events were sponsored by the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier, and Dream It Do It Western New York.

Recently, joined by employers and elected officials, JCC kicked off Manufacturing Month with a designated ceremony in the MTI.

At the afternoon session Tuesday, employers and educators gathered around two robotic arms as one presenter demonstrated how the two can be programmed to work in unison.

One smaller robotic arm and a much larger one moved in accordance to specific programming.

Ekanger discussed specific certificate programs that are designed for those who need accreditation in certain fields now. JCC recently began offering a supervisor training certificate program as well developing more certificate programs for various job positions.

The focus of the new certificates, while still connected to manufacturing and workforce readiness, is not focused on paths to earning degrees — at least initially — like the recently implemented Workforce Readiness Scholarship. Additionally, JCC offers certification in industrial equipment technology, machine tool technology, welding technology, and CAD/CNC and the welding technology and mechanical technology degree programs at its MTI facilities.

The scholarship allows JCC students to attend programs offered at the MTI at no cost to the student’s bank account. The scholarship will provide funding for in-state tuition, additional collegiate fees, book expenses and program supplies. An emphasis of the scholarship at the time of announcement earlier this year was that its funding went beyond the cost of tuition, covering additional expenses incurred from the student experience. The first crop of students within this program began this fall.

The new certificate programs that Ekanger spoke of, most of which are still being developed, had a slightly different focus than the scholarship program.

“We don’t target one particular job classification. It’s really the skillsets that might fit within 50, 60, 70 different jobs,” he said.

As an example, Ekanger referred to a hypothetical student who needs a job now a rather than in two or four years after completing a degree program. Those potential students could undergo the certificate programs to become certified quicker in a certain field.

As for the open house Tuesday, Ekanger said the employer feedback was key moving forward.

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