Three Southwest Michigan companies to retrain employees

Hydro-Aluminum of Kalamazoo is one of three companies that are working with current employees to upgrade their skills as part of an upcoming program to keep people employed.
 

Ben Damerow, director of the Kalamazoo-St. Joseph area Michigan Works! says the Incumbent Worker Program "helps companies build a well-trained workforce, retain talent locally and maintain a competitive edge in the global economy."

 

Hydro-Aluminum has received $40,716 for training in Six Sigma Green Belt, industrial electricity, and programmable controls funded through the the Kalamazoo-St. Joseph Workforce Development Board. Training for Hydro Aluminum employees will come from Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

 

Other companies to receive the workforce training grants are Sturgis Molded Products and Vaupell Midwest Molding & Tooling Inc. of Constantine. Sturgis Molded Products was awarded $36,683 for training in systematic molding and two levels of master molder training.

Vaupell was awarded $49,500 for training in Scientific Molding and two stages of Advanced Scientific Molding. Of the 136 Vaupell employees, 36 will be participating in the training which began on Feb. 11 and will be completed by the end of March. 

Employees from Sturgis Molded Products and Vaupell will receive training through Glen Oaks Community College.

 

"When companies are able to keep the skills of their workforce on pace or ahead of market trends through technical training, it is a win-win situation for both the company and employee," says Ron Kitchens, chief executive officer of Southwest Michigan First. "Here in Southwest Michigan, companies who are committed to positively impacting the productivity of their employees are realizing tremendous results."

 

Michigan WORKS! helps employers and job seekers to ensure that employers are provided with a supply of skilled workers and individuals are provided with an opportunity to advance knowledge and skills to achieve economic self-sufficiency.