The Pulaski County Community Development Commission is looking to take its workforce development efforts to the next level. Executive Director Nathan Origer gave an update on the county’s Repair and Maintenance Technology program located at West Central High School to the county commissioners last week. “Right now, the most that the students have done at West Central are the, sort of, two prerequisite years of classes, and now they’re ready to move on to the equipment that the grant we got paid for,” Origer explained. “And so we are working out the specifics, so they know what exact curriculum they are following next year, which state course they will be getting credit for, and which Ivy Tech courses they will be getting credit for.”
To help with the process, Origer said he recently met with Ivy Tech faculty and visited the SCILL Center in Knox, which has a similar program. He’s also taking input from local industry. “They’re getting 15 documents to have their maintenance people review, based on the curricula that come with all the equipment,” Origer said, “so that we’re making sure that as we move forward, we’re not just meeting Ivy Tech dual-credit requirements and state credit requirements but also, to the extent that we have flexibility in the classroom, crafting it to meet as many needs as possible of our local employers.”
Origer said the RAM-Tech program is expected to have 15 returning students next year, in addition to those entering the program. But he said that logistical issues have so far made it difficult for Winamac High School students to take part.
Additionally, Origer said he’s also working with Ivy Tech to offer soft skills classes for those already working in the manufacturing sector. “Ideally, taking people that maybe aren’t in management but have the potential to go from being a welder to being a welding supervisor, that sort of thing, and because of their welding skills or whatever, giving them the leadership training so that when they’re in that position, it’s not just, ‘I’m the best welder,’ but ‘I can actually help my guys to be better welders. I can handle disciplinary problems before they ever get to HR,’ that sort of thing.”
Origer said the program could also be opened up to the general public, or maybe even jail inmates taking part in a work release program.
