Christie Administration Applauds 8th Graduating Class of the New Jersey Manufacturing Training Initiative

The Administration of Governor Chris Christie today visited Bergen Community College to congratulate graduates of a state CNC Machinist program, the eighth class to complete an advanced manufacturing training program that has an impressive track record of placing people into jobs.

The training program, launched two years ago as the New Jersey Manufacturing Training Initiative, is funded through a grant provided by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development in partnership with the New Jersey College Consortium (NJCC) for Workforce & Economic Development, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association and the state Advanced Manufacturing Talent Network.

The training has helped more than 100 candidates to date earn certification in the advanced manufacturing fields of Fabricated Metal Product or CNC, known as Computer Numerical Control machining. The certification and skills are highly valued within New Jersey’s lean and advanced manufacturing industry, and more than 90 percent of those candidates who have graduated from the program have landed jobs.

The Bergen County class graduated 17 trainees, which was 100 percent of the class.

“This important training initiative focuses on providing job seekers with skills that New Jersey’s manufacturing employers want, need and identify as essential to their businesses. Our partnership with the New Jersey College Consortium and the NJBIA is committed to giving people the opportunity to gain skills that are in demand among New Jersey’s leading industries and to increase their prospects for a sustainable career at home in the Garden State,” said Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths.

Graduates of the CNC machining program will operate computer-guided machinery programmed to produce, assemble or design components in the manufacturing process.

“The growing number of participating employers in our training-on-demand model has necessitated the largest training class so far,” said Sivaraman Anbarasan, Executive Director of NJCC. “As the economy improves, we expect this trend to continue with more manufacturers hiring newly trained unemployed workers through our program which is designed to train prospective employees in key competencies specifically required by the manufacturing companies addressing the skills gap and lead them to national certifications. We thank the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development for their foresight and leadership in continued support of the training at community colleges throughout the state.”

The manufacturing training program recruits industry employers and operates on the principle that employers in this key industry are best-suited to identify the skills that job seekers need to find employment in the industry.

Graduates receive a total of 300 hours of training, a College Certificate of Competency and each trainee took the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) Certification Exam for Measurement, Materials, and Safety Level I on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Bergen Community College reported that all the students passed to receive the certification.

Christie Administration Hosts New Jersey’s First Virtual Career Fair

Christie Administration Announces New Hazard Mitigation Initiative To Support Post-Sandy Energy Resilience

Christie Administration Unveils Partnership to Connect NJ Workers with Employment Services at Local Libraries