While technology has changed through the decades, manufacturing remains the Southern Tier’s economic powerhouse – and employers need a skilled workforce to meet their production needs. The Opportunity Impact Training Program (OITP) in Manufacturing fills that gap while providing needed jobs to the long-term unemployed.
Resulting from a partnership between SUNY Broome, Broome-Tioga Workforce, the New York State Department of Labor, community partners and area employers, the program guarantees full-time jobs for everyone who completed the three-week training program.
A class of 13 participants graduated from the program on July 29 with a brief ceremony at SUNY Broome.
“This is the second manufacturing opportunity program that we’ve done, which shows you the need in this area,” said SUNY Broome President Kevin E. Drumm. “SUNY Broome is proud to be a workforce development leader since we first opened our doors more than 70 years ago.”
About the program
The impetus for the program came from Broome-Tioga Workforce. Often, people from disadvantaged backgrounds would head to regional job fairs but return empty-handed because they didn’t have the job-readiness skills employers sought, explained Executive Director Sara Liu. OITP seeks to reinvent the job fair model, creating a direct connection between jobseekers and employers.
“When you graduate from these three weeks of classes, you’re guaranteed a full-time job with one of our participating employers,” she said during the graduation ceremony. “I’m hoping that each of you will consider this a first step to a long and fruitful career with these companies.”
Participating employers include Samscreen, Inc., Engineering Manufacturing Technologies (EMT) Metals and Triple Cities Metal Finishing. Community partners include Visions Federal Credit Union, GetThere, the Rural Health Network and the Broome County Department of Social Services.
More than 50 people applied and underwent a screening process that included an orientation as well as a background check. A panel of staff members reviewed applications and the participating employers made the final selection.
“This highlights workforce development at its best. It takes unemployed people, gives them skills, and provides companies seeking employees with people who have some training prior to starting their jobs,” said Janet Hertzog, SUNY Broome’s director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development.
The program covers a variety of topics, including shop-floor math, workplace safety, communications, time management, blueprint reading, principles of lean manufacturing and more. The courses were selected by Workforce and industry leaders to accommodate individuals without prior knowledge of the manufacturing environment, and are structured to resemble a common first-shift work day.
OITP also helps participants overcome barriers to employment, such as childcare, transportation and even equipment such as work boots.
Many jobseekers find themselves in a conundrum, reflected Dr. Penny Haynes, SUNY Broome’s Vice President for Academic Affairs: To get a job, they need experience – but they can’t get experience without a job. While college is one answer, not everyone has the resources to attend college – the financial support, the time, childcare and transportation. Unpaid internships are similarly out of reach to individuals who need to support themselves and their families.
Programs such as OITP break the cycle of unemployment by giving participants the skills they need both in the workforce and in acing an interview. Such programs also fulfill a basic principle behind the community college mission: to meet people at their need.
“When you meet people at their need, you will be amazed by what they can do – because this is an active process,” Dr. Haynes said. “You’re not doing the work for them; you’re giving them the tools they need to build better lives and a better community – and that’s something we all benefit from.”
Making an impact
Samscreen – which manufactures screens and crusher parts used in material processing industries — has experienced an ongoing problem with hiring qualified employees, explained owner Fintan Fleming. OITP imparts the basic skills that companies such as Samscreen require in new employees and has proved beneficial, he said.
In fact, this is the second OITP program the company has participated in. Samscreen hired two graduates of previous class and they’re doing well, said Roland Ryan, the director of manufacturing operations.
“We’re excited to be part of this. What you do helps all of us,” he told program participants during the graduation.
Keith Applewhite of Binghamton expects to use much of what he learned at Samscreen, his new employer.
“It was a great experience, especially the math. When you’re out of school for so long, you end up losing a lot of what you learned,” he said. “The instructors are so good that you can catch on to everything and really understand it.”
Classmate Tiffany Bolt of Kirkwood found out about the program through the SUNY Attain Lab and landed a job at Triple Cities Metal Finishing.
“I learned so much from this program that is going to be beneficial. It gives you life skills,” she said.
Interested in a future sessions of the Opportunity Impact Training Program? Visit Broome-Tioga Workforce to get started.
