PR 2008 JUN 4

Shelton State Community College Leads in the Development of Skilled Workers

6/4/2008

Tuscaloosa - With a late 1990s boom in industry in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., area employers were struggling to fill open positions in their growing manufacturing plants.  Shelton State Community College stepped in to help fill the gap between rapidly expanding employment opportunities and qualified employees.

“There was a gap in workforce development at the Human Resource,” said Russell DuBose, employment manager at Phifer Wire Products Inc. “At the interviewing and the hiring level, that’s where the need became obvious.”

Employers were noticing that new hires didn’t know how to behave properly in the workplace, and they lacked the manufacturing and technical skills needed in the positions they were applying for.

A group of employer representatives, the workforce development director at Shelton State Community College, and a manager of the local career center decided to launch a series of classes. The employers gave input to design the program content, Shelton State volunteered space to hold the classes, and part-time, retired teachers led the classes.

“One of the things that we are proudest of is the partnership we have developed with Phifer Wire through our Ready to Work program (RTW),” said George Pratt, SSCC Director of the Ready to Work program. “Phifer uses our RTW program as a requirement for all entry level positions within the plant.  35 RTW students have gone to work as a result of this at wages ranging from $13 to $17 per hour.” 

By partnering with Ready to Work, Phifer Wire has drastically reduced the attrition rate of entry level workers.  Also, the training time spent on new employees has decreased, saving the company money while increasing productivity.

Pre-employment training classes are offered four hours a day for six weeks and supply entry level workers with the Alabama Certified Worker Certificate and Alabama Career Readiness Certificate.

Pratt said, “Employers can refer applicants to the class—though anyone can apply to take the class, and then those students are “earmarked” back to the original employer for an interview.” Class subjects include computer skills, problem solving techniques, workplace behavior, manufacturing skills, precision measurement, targeted instruction for WorkKeys and job acquisition skills.

Grants from the Alabama Office of Workforce Development and the US Department of Labor pay the instructor fees. Graduates can receive their Career Readiness Certification from the course, and the classes have been validated by Alabama Industrial Development Training.

“Our goal is to make people well qualified to enter the workforce,” said Pratt.  “By raising the skill level of the applicants in our area, we benefit not just employers but the entire West Alabama community.