Kishwaukee College was awarded scholarship dollars as part of a new partnership with the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) and the Gene Haas Foundation (GHF). The partnership will help prepare more students for success in precision machining careers in the manufacturing industry.
“This partnership will ensure that our new program is of the highest quality and meets industry standards,” said Matt Feuerborn, Associate Dean of Career Technologies at Kishwaukee College. “We will be aligning our curriculum to NIMS standards and providing our students with NIMS to affirm that our students are gaining the technical skills necessary for workplace success.”
“With this program, we hope to support more high schools and community colleges as they build high-quality programs that use NIMS standards and credentials in order to deliver the most relevant and innovative training,” said a spokesperson for the Gene Haas Foundation Board. “This provides our country’s manufacturers an excellent workforce.”
As part of the program, Kishwaukee College is receiving a $2,500 contribution toward implementing industry-recognized NIMS standards and credentials into their machine training programs and seeking national recognition through NIMS accreditation. The program will also cover costs for an unlimited number of students to gain NIMS credentials that certify skills across multiple levels and job functions.
“There are an estimated 99,500 projected job openings for machinists and 117,100 projected job openings for industrial maintenance technicians nationally through 2020,” said Jim Wall, Executive Director, NIMS. “We are proud to be working with the Gene Haas Foundation to help schools prepare more young people with the in-demand skills and credentials they need to succeed in these growing jobs.”
The Gene Haas Foundation was formed in 1999 to fund the needs of a variety of non-for-profit organizations and programs, including supporting manufacturing education. The Scholarship Program launched with a $100,000 contribution from the GHF at the SkillsUSA 2014 National Leadership and Skills Conference.
The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) was formed in 1995 by the metalworking trade associations to develop and maintain a globally competitive American workforce. NIMS sets skills standards for the industry, certifies individual skills against the standards, and accredits training programs that meet NIMS quality requirements.
For more information on the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, visit www.nims-skills.org. For more information on certificate and degree programs in manufacturing fields available at Kishwaukee College, contact Matt Feuerborn, Associate Dean of Career Technologies, at 815-825-2086, ext. 2840 or visit www.kishwaukeecollege.edu.
Registration for Fall 2014 is currently in progress; for information on enrolling at Kishwaukee College, contact New Student Connections at 815-825-2086, ext. 6099 or email welcome@kishwaukeecollege.edu. Classes begin August 25.
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