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community october18 2018 13 Manufacturing Leaders Join Forces with OMIC continued from page 12 OMIC R&D and says the facility is just taking the initial steps into their operating phase. Campbell says the R&D center now has two machines that are operational and ready to begin doing research projects. “Ultimately, what we’re trying to do here is provide an opportunity to resolve industry’s challenges by doing research. We have machines doing the research and that means those companies are able to make their product better, less expensive, faster, and greener. That means their economic outlook gets better and their ability to hire additional people gets better. Because we’re a research and development facility we’re hoping to attract additional manufacturing right here, close to us and the OMIC training center where students will be learning how to do the advanced skills those companies need. All these companies are saying they need young people with these advanced skills, which is why this is so important.” The OMIC Training Center, projected to launch in fall 2020, will be PCC’s training center in Columbia County linked directly to the OMIC R&D center and focused on advanced manufacturing by of- fering programs using an apprenticeship model. Until the training center’s opening, courses will be taught in its temporary space at Scappoose High School. Through its training center, the college will offer programs that include Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Operation, Machining, Welding, and Mechatronics. Its programs will be based on an apprenticeship standard, so students can complete an associate degree or certificate leading to an advanced degree. Emphasis will be placed on craftsmanship, professionalism, and placing graduates into high-wage, high-demand advanced manufacturing jobs – a sector whose future looks very bright in Oregon. Eric Kirchner, Chair of PCC’s Microelectron- ics Technology department was at the event to recruit students to his program. Kirchner says his program grew out of an Intel new employee program, adopting what the semiconductor industry is looking for in potential employees. “We primarily work with the semiconductor industry where our graduates work maintaining and repairing the very complex proces- sor equipment in electrical systems,” explains Kirch- ner. “One of the best selling points of our program is that there is very high demand for our graduates with starting salaries over $50,000 per year. It’s a good ca- reer, and there is a lot of room to grow and move up. It’s available to a lot of people because it’s not highly theoretical scientific engineering, it’s basic electrical systems and basic mechanical systems which are the bulk of the courses that our students take and it doesn’t require high math skills.” Boeing Portland was another vendor on site with representatives introducing several programs where high school and college students can work and get paid while learning about the aviation manufactur- ing industry, including Boeing’s summer Tech Prep program, assembly internship opportunities, and ma- chinist job shadowing programs. The Boeing reps said students accepted into their programs are almost guar- anteed a job with Boeing at the successful conclusion of these types of programs. Scott Daggett is a regional manager with OSG USA, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high performance round cutting tools, like drill bits and taps, and one of the first manufacturing partners at OMIC R&D. Daggett says he moved to Oregon specifically to work in the OMIC R&D center where OSG will be collaborating with Boeing, another major partner in the project. “We’re going to work with Boeing to develop coating for the machining of the materials they encoun- ter on a regular basis like titanium, or nickel based al- loys, or maybe aluminum. There are different coatings for different applications, like maybe they need a very versatile coating, or a very hard coating, or maybe they need a heat resistant coating. With carbon fibre you don’t generate a lot of heat but it is extremely abrasive and wears down on cutting edges, we coat it with dia- mond, which works really well until you introduce it to heat, so we try to find ways to increase the performance and the tool life.” Kelsey Madden Scotch is with Madden Indus- trial Craftsman in Beaverton, a family owned indus- trial construction and manufacturing staffing firm. “We staff for positions specifically within the trades,” says Scotch. “We do short term, temporary positions, temp- to-hire positions, and direct placement positions. Our newest thing we’re working on is our registered ap- prenticeship program in partnership with PCC. We’re the first staffing agency in the nation to have an appren- ticeship program. It’s a great opportunity for kids com- ing right out of high school because it allows them to go right into a structured training program where they attend courses at PCC and get an associates degree, and work full time and get paid at one of our clients in tandem while taking those classes. They’ll come out as a journeyman welder/fabricator with those skill sets, they’ll have their degree from PCC, and they’ll be completely debt free because there’s no cost to the employee/student.” “We love students who come from places like Vernonia and our farming communities because they generally have a very strong work ethic, they know what they’re doing, and often have family members who have worked in the trades,” said Scotch. “It’s al- ways a plus for us when we get a Vernonia or Columbia County kid.” Scotch also directed students, potential em- ployees, or people looking to get back into the work- force or change careers, to a website for Worksource (CareersNW.org), that brings numerous manufacturers together in one place. “It’s a really interactive website that highlights local manufacturers and describes how things are made and allows people to explore different opportunities and see which local companies have dif- ferent types of positions.” “We’re developing a new, hands-on pipeline of young engineers, welders, and machine operators,” says Senator Johnson. “We’re going to be developing products, manufacturing those products, fixing those products, and doing it with a pipeline of young people interested in career tech and manufacturing. It’s really exciting and every day there is a new set of opportuni- ties and a new set of challenges. We’re going to deliver something here that all of Oregon can be proud of.” For more information visit www.OMIC.us. 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