6/30/2015
NEWS BRIEFS
FMA Funds College Metal Fabrication Lab
The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association partnered with Harper College to construct a $1.5 million facility to train skilled workers for manufacturers and related businesses northwest of Chicago. The new 6,000 sq ft FMA Metal Fabrication Lab, funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the FMA, will double the size of Harper’s current lab.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in June and the lab will open this autumn.
The lab supports Harper’s Advanced Manufacturing Program which trains students for high tech manufacturing careers in mechatronics/automation, precision machining, metal fabrication and supply chain management/logistics. The program provides skills certificates and paid internships with 75 manufacturers. The program received a $13 million federal grant to expand statewide.
The expanded facility will train up to 600 students annually on equipment such as lasers, turrets, press brakes and robotic welders.
Some of the equipment will be donated by FMA members.
According to research from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, the U.S. faces a shortage of nearly 2 million manufacturing workers over the next decade.
CEO Ed Youdell said the FMA chairman challenged its board to develop a way to create a workforce solution that would have a positive impact for a large number of member companies.
“Establishing a stand-alone FMA University would have been cost prohibitive,” Youdell said. “Through discussions with Harper College, we found that partnering with an established program would be both cost-efficient and give us a speed-to-market advantage.”
Harper College has 35,000 students in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.
Based in Rockford, FMA has 2,300 members in the metal fabricating and forming industry. Founded in 1970, FMA brings metal fabricators and fabricating equipment manufacturers together through technology councils, educational programs, networking events, and the Fabtech trade show. Membership spans North America and 30 other countries. Web: fmanet.org
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