STAR PROGRAM INFORMATION SESSION IN KEENE Oct. 5

Many Vermont and New Hampshire companies in the River Valley are experiencing difficulties in hiring skilled CNC machinists and machine operators – there is simply a shortage of skilled and experienced workers to fill these positions.

New Hampshire’s Department of Economic Development, in partnership with River Valley Community College (RVCC), are pleased to announce the opportunity for Vermont and New Hampshire employers in the River Valley to participate in the hiring and training of dislocated workers as part of the CNC Machinist STAR (Skills Through Apprenticeship and Retraining) program. The STAR program has been held six times in New Hampshire and Vermont, training and placing over 60 workers as CNC machine operators over the past 18 months.

The STAR program’s education and training is completely funded through a US/DOL grant. It involves eight weeks of intense CNC manual and machine training as part of a two-year apprenticeship. Employers participating in the program will be required to hire their sponsored apprentices prior to the beginning of their education and training. There will be approximately 9 sessions held over three years, with up to 15 students per session. A total of 150 dislocated workers will be retrained and apprenticed under this grant. We will be working with the NH Works offices and the Vermont DOL Career Resources Centers as part of applicant recruitment.

The next session is scheduled to run classes beginning in January 2011. Seats will be offered to employers on a first-come, first-to-commit basis.

We will be holding an employer informational session at the Corning Inc. facility located at 69 Island Street in Keene, NH on October 5, 2010 at 3pm. The meeting will last about 1 ½ hours. If you are interested in participating in the first session, or want to learn more about the details of the STAR program, please RSVP by calling Jim Britton at RVCC at 1-800-837-0658 ext. 5346, or e-mail Jim at jbritton@ccsnh.edu.

As Corning is a high-security Department of Defense contractor, there are some restrictions that must be followed. All visitors must present a valid photo ID (no foreign nationals are allowed in the building) and no camera phones are allowed on the premises. Please leave these in your car or at the office.

We truly hope you can join us on October 5th to learn how we are addressing the shortage of skilled workers in the advanced manufacturing industry. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please call Steve Budd at 1-800-837-0658 ext. 5331.