Daytona State’s TRADE program a fast track to manufacturing career

Next TRADE sessions start April 27; info sessions, tours March 2 and 5
Plus self-paced OSHA course, anytime, online 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2015) – Mark Jones is all about setting goals. After dabbling in construction and landscaping, working in an office-supply store and a call center, the 26-year-old Port Orange native decided it was time to choose a career.

He was unemployed in the fall of 2013 when he came across a local newspaper ad on the Florida TRADE Program at Daytona State College and decided to explore the possibilities for a career that offered him credentials and advancement opportunity.
 
“I knew that the demand for skilled labor in our area was real,” he said, “but I had no manufacturing experience at all and saw this program as a way to get started.”

The 12-week program taught at Daytona State’s Advanced Technology College (ATC) offers a series of accelerated courses that help students build a foundation of technical skills needed to gain employment with a local manufacturing company. Students also may have the opportunity to participate in a two-week paid internship with a partnering manufacturer.

“Florida TRADE gives people an opportunity to get entry-level credentials and then, through the internship, allows the employer to assess their potential for hiring,” said Dean Howe, the program’s coordinator at Daytona State. “It’s the kind of training that allows you to get in the door to prove yourself.”

As part of the Florida TRADE Consortium, Daytona State is one of 12 state and community colleges involved with the U.S. Department of Labor’s grant-funded program. Its aim is to develop and deliver technical training programs that can be completed in 3-6 months (depending on the program) and lead to internships and jobs in manufacturing. The program is designed primarily for displaced, underemployed and unemployed workers, students and returning veterans seeking to land careers in Florida’s growing manufacturing sector.

Daytona State’s TRADE program prepares students to successfully complete the following industry-recognized certifications:
• Certified Production Technician (CPT)
• National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) Milling Certification
• Computer Aided Drafting AutoCAD Certifications (Autodesk)
• SolidWorks Certifications (SolidWorks)

Howe said many students, like Jones, can qualify for tuition assistance through Career Source Volusia Flagler to help with tuition cost. Since the program began in June 2013, nearly 50 students have or are enrolled.

Jones is among more than 30 local program participants who have already landed jobs in manufacturing. He started at Hudson Technologies as an operator and after two or three months was promoted to die setter. He’s currently also pursuing a machining certificate at the ATC and hopes to one day be accepted into a master toolmaker apprenticeship with his current employer.

“I love what I’m doing now, but I don’t want to become complacent,” he said. “I want to keep pushing to be better, to take the next step. It’s one of the things that I like about manufacturing. Once you’re in, there are opportunities to build a future.”

Registration is underway now for the next Florida TRADE cohort, which begins April 27. A schedule for the entire year is available online. Information sessions about the program and tours of the ATC, located at 1770 Technology Blvd. in Daytona Beach, are scheduled March 2 and 5 beginning at 5 p.m.

The TRADE program also has launched a self-paced online OSHA General Industry Certification course costing $99 for TRADE program participants.

For more information, contact Howe at (386) 506-3379 or HoweD@DaytonaState.edu.

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