community
october18
2018
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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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