In an effort to prepare local candidates for a career in industrial maintenance, Modesto Junior College’s Technical Education and Workforce Development Department and the Stanislaus Alliance Worknet will partner to offer their first six-month Manufacturing Academy.

“Industry employers consistently state that they need more qualified maintenance and repair personnel,” said Marla Uliana, MJC director of Workforce Training and Development. “This Academy format is designed to get students job ready in a short turn-around time while providing quality education. Our goal is to meet the demands of local employers, and this is one way we can do just that.”

The six-month academy, which is slated to begin in January, will take place between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday on the MJC West Campus, 2201 Blue Gum Avenue in Modesto. The Alliance Worknet is currently looking for 24 participants that are interested in working in industrial maintenance to fill the first academy.

“We’re looking for somebody who is interested in working in the manufacturing industry or in maintenance personnel,” said Uliana. “We’re not limiting it to people who have worked in manufacturing before. This is a training and educational program.”

Academy eligibility requires submission of an application and two years of employment history, qualifying into MJC’s English 50 and Math 70 levels (via assessment level or pre-requisite course completion), and scoring at level 4 on the ACT Work Keys Assessment.

Applicants should also have a high school diploma or equivalent, a valid driver’s license and ability to pass a drug test. Tuition assistance is available through the Alliance Worknet for those who qualify.

Academy courses will include Fundamentals of Electricity, Electrical Safety, Commercial and Industrial Welding, Machine Shop 1, Machine Shop 2, Arc Welding, MIG Welding, TIG Welding, Pneumatics and Hydraulics and Troubleshooting.

“We will set them up for success,” said Uliana. “We will provide study times and tutoring, because we know this is an intensive program. We want students to be successful—bottom line.”

Upon completion of the academy, students will receive a California Community College/Modesto Junior College Achievement Certificate in Manufacturing Technology.

For more information on the Manufacturing Academy or to being the application process, call the Alliance Worknet Hotline at 558-7751. The deadline to apply is 12 p.m. on Dec. 2, with participant decisions slated to be made mid-December.