May 27, 2009
LOGANSPORT, Ind.— Ivy Tech Community College awarded Career Development Certificates to eight graduates of Tyson Fresh Meats’ pilot 1+2 program at the college’s annual graduation ceremony earlier this month.
As part of the program, the students were hired as Tyson team members who worked for the company while receiving intensive training through Ivy Tech Community College. They received 20 hours of paid training each week for their first year of employment, and, when not training with Ivy Tech during that first year, spent the remainder of their time working and training at the Tyson facility in Logansport. The students in the 1 + 2 program agreed to complete one year of training as well as two addition years of regular employment.
In addition to the Career Development Certificate, each participant earned 36 college credit hours that can be applied toward degrees in Manufacturing and Industrial Technology. The courses covered a broad range of basic skills and core maintenance competencies, including algebra, print reading, electricity and wiring, machine maintenance/installation, welding, motors and controls, fluid power basics and systems, shaft coupling alignment, programmable controllers and troubleshooting. Upon completion of the training, participants earned a wage increase from $11 to $16.50 per hour, Tyson’s highest maintenance wage.
The training program has established a long-term relationship between the Logansport Tyson facility and Ivy Tech Community College’s Department of Workforce and Economic Development, with the primary goals of reducing maintenance turnover to single-digit levels and creating an on-going pipeline of skilled workers. Both Ivy Tech and Tyson made strong commitments to the success of this project—Ivy Tech purchased specialized equipment to deliver the training while Tyson has dedicated corporate resources to oversee its successful implementation.The partnership will continue, as Tyson has twelve new participants ready to begin training at Ivy Tech Logansport on June 1.
Ivy Tech Community College’s Department of Workforce and Economic Development provides high-quality, cost-effective, short-term, career-relevant training solutions aligned with the needs of today’s employers. Its academic programs and certifications improve its clients’ employability and earnings potential. To learn more about professional development programs available through Ivy Tech’s Department of Workforce and Economic Development, call (800) 459-0561, or visit www.ivytech.edu/actnow.
Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region serves Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Tipton and Wabash counties and includes campuses in the communities of Kokomo, Logansport, Peru and Wabash. To learn more about Ivy Tech, visit www.ivytech.edu.Media Contact
David Gray
media relations coordinator
(800) 459-0561,
ext. 701