Warsaw Partnership To Create Skilled Machinist Pipeline
WARSAW — Recognizing the shortage of skilled machinists, an effort started two years ago has come to fruition with 14 high school students taking year two of machining at Ivy Tech.
“We are appreciative of the dedicated effort overcoming numerous hurdles that resulted in the first ‘early college, dual credit’ program in Kosciusko County for a Certificate (CT) in Machine Tool Technology,“ noted KEDCo President George Robertson.
Early College means students leave the high school and take classes in a college classroom and at college level. “Without the enthusiastic support of Superintendent David Hoffert, Warsaw Area Career Center Director Ronna Kawsky, interim Ivy Tech Warsaw President Michael L Slavkin and Ivy Tech Director of Advanced Manufacturing Tom Till, this couldn’t have happened,” Robertson noted.
The Orthopedic companies provided input throughout the process as members of the Joint WACC-Ivy Tech-KEDCo Machining Advisory Board and critically DePuy-Synthes,Medtronic, Paragon Medical and Zimmer Biomet provided scholarship funds to enable these 14 students to earn a Certificate (CT) in Machine Tool Technology. Students will also have earned nearly a year of college credit towards an associate degree.