SVHEC receives manufacturing grants

Published September 28, 2013 by Jessica Sabbath

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) has received two grants to help train Southern Virginia’s manufacturing work force.

The Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission awarded the higher education center a $163,750 grant to fund its Advanced Manufacturing Bootcamp and a second grant of $20,886 to fund the initial group of participants in SVHEC’s new welding lab.

The Advanced Manufacturing Bootcamp will prepare participants for skills needed in entry-level advanced manufacturing positions. Participants will also earn nationally recognized credentials, including National Career Readiness Certificate, OSHA 10, Lean Principles, Standard Work, and CPR & First Aid.

“Receiving funding for the Advanced Manufacturing Bootcamp provides another layer of support for the work we’re doing to create a pool of work-ready applicants in Southern Virginia,” Dr. Nettie Simon-Owens, SVHEC director of workforce services, said in a statement.

Because of Tobacco Commission grants, 80 students will have an opportunity to complete the Advanced Manufacturing Bootcamp, helping to create a pool of applicants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities employers require.

The welding cohort will meet in SVHEC’s new welding lab, which is scheduled to be complete in summer 2014 and the first group of students will start classes in fall 2014.

The welding program, offered by Virginia Technical Institute (VTI) in Altavista, is accredited by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). Students completing the program will be eligible for NCCER certifications through the program.

For more information about the Advanced Manufacturing Bootcamp or the SVHEC welding lab contact Dr. Nettie Simon-Owens, SVHEC director of workforce services, at 434-572-5477, toll free 1-800-283-0098 or via email at [email protected]