Machinist training program launched in Keene

Four Keene area employers are recruiting workers to train as CNC machinists through a joint training program that is expected to create up to eight full-time jobs. Developed in partnership with River Valley Community College of Keene and the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing, or RCAM, four employers will participate in the free training program: Corning NetOptics, New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Tidland Corp. and Knappe & Koester. Depending on the sponsoring employer, the machinist positions will be for first-, second- and third-shift operations. The starting wage will be $12 per hour with full benefits, with the potential to incrementally increase over two years to $14-16 per hour based on individual performance. There is high demand for skilled CNC machinists, who operate computer numerically controlled machines used in advanced manufacturing, said George Bald, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development. “It’s exciting to see the state’s most innovative manufacturers continue to grow and add jobs,” said Bald. “As manufacturing is the state’s number one industry, offering good-paying jobs with opportunities for career growth, this is great news.” This is the first program that has been implemented under RCAM, which was developed to offer training and educational opportunities to students and workers in the Monadnock region. Hiring will be conducted through River Valley’s STAR program, which offers workers an accelerated, two-year advanced manufacturing apprenticeship while at the same time earning college credits that can be applied toward an associate’s degree. Participants also will have the opportunity to receive a nationally recognized industry certification through the U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Division. Applications can be completed online at rivervalley.edu and are required before a mandatory orientation, which will be held Monday, Jan. 17, at the River Valley Community College campus in Keene. For more information, contact Jim Britton, River Valley Community College, at 603-542-7744, ext. 5346, or by e-mail at jbritton@ccsnh.edu. — KATHLEEN CALLAHAN/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW