As Technique, Inc. expands its operations in Jackson, it is offering training opportunities with Jackson College to better support growth in the area.
A new partnership between Technique, Inc. of Jackson and Jackson College is providing another way for people in the area to prepare for the jobs that are becoming available.
As Technique further expands its Jackson operations, it needs more workers to support this expansion. A grant-funded partnership between Jackson College, the Martin Luther King Center, and Technique, with support from Michigan Works!, will provide a beneficial opportunity to the community and these employers. The partnership will offer an “earn as you learn” training program, which will hire workers to complete a five-week-long training program.The program will be taught by Jackson College instructors and take place between the MLK Center and Jackson College’s new STEAM Factory on its Central Campus.
In a press release on the school’s website, Jamie Vandenburgh, the assistant dean of instruction, talked about the partnership, saying, “We have been listening to our local companies and asking them what they need, what would help them, in job training and education. Hiring is a challenge right now. This is an opportunity for both Jackson College and Technique to meet an important need and provide valuable opportunities for the community.”
Laura Wright, human resources/people operations manager at Technique, echoed the sentiment: “Through strong collaborative efforts from Jackson College, MLK King Center and Technique, we are providing training to those that may have limited opportunity to learn a skilled trade. We consider this training the foundation for the student’s successful pathway to more advanced learning and development opportunities.”
Two different training opportunities will be offered. One is a general labor/assembly/production track, and the other is an introduction to robotic welding and automation. Workers will be compensated at $18 an hour during the training, and will be bumped up to $20 an hour after they complete the training and are hired. Jackson College students who take part can earn up to three different industry credentials that will also count as college credit.
Wright talked more about the drive behind the program, saying, “Our goal is to transform and change lives through our strategic developmental pathways, leading to continuous growth, development and increased earnings; in this high-tech, rewarding and challenging career in manufacturing.”
More information about Technique, Inc. of Jackson can be found on its website, and more information about Jackson College can be found on the school's website.