August 2011 WED Newsletter

15 ALCOA AUTOMOTIVE EMPLOYEES ACHIEVE NIMS CERTIFICATION
There are 15 happy employees in Auburn Indiana this month as the company gave participants a celebration for their accomplishments and achievements in obtaining their NIMS certification.

"All our employees enrolled in this program passed," said Judy Labiak, the company's HR manager. "We really appreciate the instructor and are proud of our employees and their success. It makes us a stronger company. We are so pleased with these results and want Ivy Tech to continue training our employees for NIMS certifications and also provide us with more advanced CNC training."

About the Company
Alcoa is the world's leading producer of primary aluminum and fabricated aluminum, as well as the world's largest miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets for more than 120 years.

Alcoa is currently scheduling meetings with Ivy Tech's Northeast staff and Alcoa's key managers for future planning in advanced manufacturing programs and courses.

For more information, contact:
Kathy Schrock
kschrock@ivytech.edu
260-480-2060

---

NEW GD & T BLUEPRINT READING PROGRAM HITS THE MARK WITH AREA INDUSTRIES
Ivy Tech's Northeast region has developed a new GD &T Blueprint Reading program that continues to be successful for area industries. This customized 12-16 hour program includes the updated information for the ASME Y14.5 – 2009 GD&T standard. Understanding the international symbolic language allows engineers and machinists to use engineering drawings to communicate from the design stage through manufacturing and inspection. The training is done in a "building-block approach with examples. Some dimensioned and tolerance in inches and some in millimeters to illustrate each concept. Company blueprints are used for the customization training. The focus of the program and its success has been the emphasis on how to interpret the GDT prints used in their workplace and industry.

Comments from participants:
"This is the second GD &T class I have taken and this program really helped me understand and apply what I was learning."

"Now I understand the prints I look at every day!"

"I gained a much better understanding of measuring and evaluating tolerances."

"I can better comprehend the blueprints to meet our customer's expectations."

"We want to run 3 more classes for our employees."

Companies Participating:
Metaldyne, Bluffton, IN
Rhinehart Development, Spencerville, IN
Stuart Manufacturing, Fort Wayne, IN
Warner Electric, Columbia City, IN
Micropulse, Columbia City, IN
WorkOne NE, Fort Wayne, IN;

For more information, contact:
Kathy Schrock
kschrock@ivytech.edu
260-480-2060

---

INDIANA KENTUCKY ELECTRIC CORPORATION EMPLOYEES COMPLETE SIX SIGMA INSTITUTE AT IVY TECH IN MADISON
Eleven employees of IKEC recently completed the Ivy Tech Six Sigma Institute for Black Belts. The five-month, 160-hour program employs the DMAIC methodology to improve processes and solve problems. Each participant worked on a project agreed upon by the corporation which has high potential for process improvement and real dollar savings. This was the ninth Institute by Ivy Tech which has partnered with 25 firms statewide to improve process performance. One of Ivy Tech's key strategies is to ensure Indiana's citizens, workforce and businesses are globally competitive.

Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Indiana-Kentucky Electric Corporation (IKEC), collectively, the Companies, were organized on October 1, 1952. The Companies were formed by investor-owned utilities furnishing electric service in the Ohio River Valley area and their parent holding companies for the purpose of providing the large electric power requirements projected for the uranium enrichment facilities then under construction by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) near Portsmouth, Ohio.

OVEC's Kyger Creek Plant at Cheshire, Ohio, and IKEC's Clifty Creek Plant at Madison, Indiana, have nameplate generating capacities of 1,086,300 and 1,303,560 kilowatts, respectively. These two generating stations, both of which began operation in 1955, are connected by a network of 776 circuit miles of 345,000-volt transmission lines. These lines also interconnect with the major power transmission networks of several of the utilities serving the area.

For more information about Ivy Tech's Six Sigma Institute contact:
Terry Brewer
tbrewer30@ivytech.edu
765-269-5882

Randy Johann
rjohann@ivytech.edu
812-265-2580 (Ext. 4112).

Comments about the Six Sigma Institute at Ivy Tech in Madison:
“Just as most industries, power plants have more data available to us than ever before. Knowing how to utilize data to verify cause and effect, identify gaps in performance, and drive process improvements is not a common skill. Six Sigma training has given us powerful tools for utilizing data, and the 5 month program mentored us in the methods our team will continue to use to add millions of dollars in value to the company. “

Steven M Smith, Plant Manager, Clifty Creek
Indiana-Kentucky Electric Corporation
P.O. Box 97, 1335 Clifty Hollow Rd
Madison, IN 47250
(812) 265 8701
(812) 701 7700
ssmith@ovec.com

"The Six Sigma process really takes project management to a level that removes opinion and bases decisions on data and facts. It helps to better organize a project and open your eyes to more possibilities of solutions as the data will point you to what gets you the most bang for your buck and closes the gap you had in the issue or problem in the beginning. One of the best things I found was that Six Sigma could be utilized in human resources, engineering, accounting, environmental, and etc."

"I was very happy with the facility of learning that Ivy Tech provided and their cooperation to help bring the class to Madison rather than traveling to Lafayette. The instructors were top notch and made it fun to be in class."

Joshua J. Wilber B.S., MBA, SPHR
Human Resources Field Manager
Ohio Valley Electric Corporation
3932 US Route 23
Piketon, OH 45661
Cell (812)701-7703
jwilber@ovec.com