Online Workshop Raises Job-Readiness in Manufacturing

The Piedmont Technical College (PTC) Economic Development and Continuing Education (ConEd) Division is prepared to help anyone experiencing a gap in employment or thinking about trying something new. The Manufacturing Job Readiness Pre-Employment Workshop — a multi-session clinic — is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 18. The workshop, an $800 value, is offered at no cost to those who qualify for a workforce scholarship. Successful participants will emerge ready to apply for a manufacturing job or to pursue additional job-ready certifications.

“This workshop will be offered in a virtual environment using the college’s D2L platform,” said Trish Buis, PTC ConEd manager of industrial programs. “Students can work through the individual modules at their own pace, and it will include two or three virtual meetings with an instructor live online to answer any questions. The college is working with its business partners to possibly supply temporary internet access and/or computers to those who may not have them. Those efforts are ongoing.”

The workshop prepares participants for employment in fundamental manufacturing jobs that are currently available and provides a pathway to PTC’s Manufacturing Production Technician Certificate course or ConEd’s South Carolina Manufacturing Certificate (SCMC) for those wishing to continue their education.

The workshop will teach job-readiness skills such as teamwork, communication, ethics, resume-writing and interviewing. Also included are forklift, Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and OSHA 10 certifications. (OSHA 10 will be offered by a third-party online vendor. Upon the reopening of PTC’s main campus in Greenwood, workshop participants will receive their forklift training.) Buis noted that today’s manufacturing plant is far different from what it was 20 or even 10 years ago.

“As automation has expanded in manufacturing, many industries now resemble high-tech laboratories,” she said. “This workshop is a short-term training program that teaches basic production, quality and job-readiness soft skills. Those who complete it will immediately be ready for entry-level employment in manufacturing.”

For details, contact Buis at buis.p@ptc.edu or visit www.ptc.edu/job-readiness-workshop.