Western Nevada College offering retraining for laid-off workers

Nevadans who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic can be retrained at no cost to work in high-demand manufacturing careers with a federal grant from Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

The Manufacturing Technician (MT1) Express Online Certification Prep is a new program offered through Western Nevada College, in partnership with Empower America; Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno; and Nevada Industry Excellence.

The MT1 Express online certification preparation will retrain people for a high-demand position with manufacturing companies throughout Nevada. Students 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. Problem-solving strategies are developed while learning about simple machines and industrial systems through practice with computer and web-based tools.

To be eligible for free training, people need to be Nevada residents with a high school diploma or equivalency.

In the second half of the training, students may have the opportunity to interview for hundreds of jobs with companies throughout Nevada that have job openings, including Panasonic Energy of North America and Sierra Nevada Corporation.

MT1 Express Online Certification Prep includes two self-paced, online college courses offered through the Automation and Industrial Technology Center at WNC.

Students successfully completing the coursework will have the opportunity to earn their nationally recognized Manufacturing Technician Level 1 (MT1) certification though three industry certification exams. The first course, AIT 101: Fundamentals of Applied Industrial Technology, is offered Oct. 12 through Dec. 18. The second course, AIT-200: Applied Industrial Technology Projects, is offered Oct. 26 through Dec. 18. The program requires basic computer skills and computer access with high-speed internet.

The Manufacturing Technician Certification is endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers.

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 at 775-786-6023, ext. 1021 or anelson@csareno.org.