H. J. High converted the former Colt Manufacturing building officially into the college’s new manufacturing training facility. Instead of the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony, a college trustee and two students pushed a “power on” button to signal the opening of the center.
Students will have short-term training opportunities in various trades, including welding, robotics technician, electronics technician, electromechanical technician and manufacturing fundamentals, among others. These programs range from 12 weeks to six months, and will help fill the estimated 5,000 open manufacturing jobs in the state.
Lockheed Martin has a vested interest in the success of the center, as the company already is looking to hire its graduates. Meanwhile, Siemens also has a vested interest in the success of the training center, and granted Valencia College a $63 million software called PLM to use for training its students. Siemens’ PLM software allows companies to manage the entire lifecycle of a product efficiently and cost-effectively, from the idea stage, to design, manufacturing, and through service and disposal.