ISA Insights

April 2008

Automation Federation Spotlight: Automation Federation Visits Job Corps Facility in NC

A delegation of staff members from the Automation Federation recently visited the Job Corps facility at Kittrell, NC, at the invitation of Tom White, Director of Employment and Training for the NC Department of Commerce.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Automation Federation are exploring ways to create a partnership in the areas of workforce development and Job Corps to strengthen the future development of the next generation of automaton professionals. Officials from the Kittrell Center led the delegation on a tour of the facility, and Center Director Kennis Harris spoke with the group about the goals of the center and the other Job Corps training sites around the country.

An impressive tour of the classes gave a look at the building trades classes in progress and introduced a few of the students, who told the visitors about their work. The students in these programs revamp the buildings at the Kittrell site and do routine maintenance tasks when needed. The Kittrell Center is part of the larger US Department of Labor Job Corps program which is a no-cost education and vocational training program designed to help young people aged 16-24 train for good jobs and successful careers. Once the student is trained, he/she receives help with job placement. They are tracked after graduation to better assess outcomes of the program.

The Kittrell Center, one of four centers in the state of North Carolina, has two residence halls on campus and can accommodate 350 students. It offers training in occupations such as business technology, carpentry, bricklaying, and health occupations. Off-campus training in Industrial Mechanics, Auto Mechanics, and Electrical Studies is also offered.

The Job Corps can be a source of labor nationally that has had the benefit of focused, hands-on training, which can be tailored to a company's needs. Establishing a training partnership can allow Job Corps to teach the specific skills that a company requires of its employees. Job Corps can also screen eligible students to better match the employer’s requirements and the student’s qualifications. Some employers can receive a tax credit for hiring through Job Corps.

The Automation Federation and NC Department of Commerce will be continuing discussions on how they will partner in areas of workforce development for automation. For more information about Job Corps, visit http://jobcorps.dol.gov/. For more information about the Automation Federation, visit www.automationfederation.org.