HOUSTON – This week, Illinois-based Mitsubishi Electronic Automation brought a unique, free training opportunity to a select group in Acres Homes, hoping to fill a skills gap in the automation workforce.
What is the program about?
Mitsubishi Electronic Automation partnered with Acres Homes-based nonprofit BenCheri' Educational Center to offer a free one-week training class to 20 students from the Houston community. The company's workforce development outreach program is hoping to bridge the educational skills gap in the machine tool industry.
The training is taking place at the Acres Home Chamber of Commerce.
Who is the program for?
"We wanted to target nontraditional students and people who normally wouldn't have access or the resources to pay for this type of training," said Derrick Jordan, mechatronics engineering group manager at Mitsubishi Electric Automation.
Some students in this week's class have been through the juvenile justice program, while others are already in the workforce and looking for a career change.
Jordan said the three classes the students are participating in this week, would typically cost a total of $6,000 per person.
What do they learn?
The students are using simulators to learn how to program computer numerical control machines and robots used to cut metal.
At the end of the week, they will be officially certified by Mitsubishi as level 1 CNC specialists.
When is the next training?
The company said it will be back in March 2020 for a special program for teens currently in the juvenile justice system.
If you know a nonprofit group interested in offering the Mitsubishi Electronic Automation training, you can contact Derrick Jordan at derrick.jordan@meau.com or 847-478-2358.