Oct. 5, 2018 – State Fair Community College’s The LearningForce and companies in the college’s 14-county service area were awarded $316,250 from the Department of Economic Development’s Division of Workforce Development to train workers for new and existing positions.
The money is part of the state’s Customized Training program that helps businesses grow by offering professional development opportunities to the workforce. The program allows companies the flexibility to choose their training provider, but Missouri’s community and technical colleges administer the program.
“This skills training is vital to a company’s competitiveness in their marketplace,” said Amy Jackson, executive director of The LearningForce. “Whether introducing new technology, retraining employees, or expanding operations, Customized Training can help offset costs for quality training tailored to fit a company’s needs.“
The grant will serve 16 companies within SFCC’s service area: Aviation Fabricators (Clinton), Champion Brands (Clinton), ConAgra Brands (Marshall), DeLong’s (Jefferson City), Duke Manufacturing Company (Sedalia), Gardner Denver (Sedalia), Inter-State Studio & Publishing Company (Sedalia), Kays Engineering Inc. (Marshall), Midwest Metalcraft (Windsor), Monty Electric (Warrensburg), Old World Spices & Seasonings (Concordia), Scholastic Book Clubs Inc. (Jefferson City), TC Transcontinental (Clinton), Sierra Bullets (Sedalia), ProEnergy (Sedalia), and WireCo (Sedalia).
“I am very proud of the excellent customized training SFCC provides companies in our service region,” said Dr. Joanna Anderson, college president. “I regularly hear compliments about the responsiveness of The LearningForce and executive director Amy Jackson in helping manufacturers train new and current workers.”
In all, the Department of Economic Development’s Division of Workforce Development awarded $5.1 million for training across the state.
“Our employees can participate in training classes that would not be possible without the funding we receive from Missouri Customized Training,” Matthew Kays with Kays Engineering, Inc. in Marshall said. “This not only improves our productivity and profitability, but it also makes our employees more educated, more productive, and more valuable. A more skilled and productive workforce is key to attracting manufacturers from all over the country and the world.”
For more information about SFCC’s The LearningForce, visit www.sfccmo.edu/the-learning-force.
