RENO — Federal funding is helping Nevadans who’ve been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic retrain for a new career in manufacturing, the University of Nevada, Reno reported this week.
A grant from Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act supports the program, which provides no-cost training for the Manufacturing Technician (MT1) Express Online Certification Prep offered at Western Nevada College. WNC is teaming with Empower America, Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Nevada Industry Excellence to offer the program.
Program materials note that participants will gain “foundational knowledge of the fundamental skills needed in advanced manufacturing, including math and measurement, quality and Lean concepts, and an introduction to manufacturing processes.” Instruction is provided in two self-paced online courses, and certification can be earned through three industry certification exams.
The first course, AIT 101: Fundamentals of Applied Industrial Technology, is offered Oct. 12-Dec. 18. The second course, AIT-200: Applied Industrial Technology Projects, is offered Oct. 26-Dec. 18. The program requires basic computer skills and computer access with high-speed internet.
The second half of the training provides interview opportunities with manufacturing companies from across the state that have job openings, such as Panasonic Energy of North America and Sierra Nevada Corporation.
The Manufacturing Technician Certification is endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers.
To be eligible for free training, people need to be Nevada residents with a high school diploma or equivalency.
In northern Nevada, interested people can get more information and learn if they qualify for the retraining grant by contacting Aubrey Nelson of Community Services Agency, (775) 786-6023, ext. 1021 or anelson@csareno.org.
In southern Nevada, interested people can get more information and learn if they qualify for the retraining grant by contacting Nevada Career Center.
- For Laughlin, Henderson, Boulder City and south Las Vegas, contact Pamela Acevedo,
(702) 971-1365 or pacevedo@nvcareercenter.org. - For Mesquite, and north and east Las Vegas, contact Michael Wilson, (702) 971-1411 or mwilson@nvcareercenter.org.
- For southwest Las Vegas, contact Aura Ortiz, (702) 902-0481 or aortiz@nvcareercenter.org.
