One of the most important ways to grow our community is through the ability of local employers to offer jobs that attract people from all walks of life. Whether it is that high school kid looking for their first job or someone thinking about switching careers, pathways to success continue to help shape our economic prosperity as a community.
Manufacturing continues to play a vital role in Lincoln’s economy, which ultimately led to the formation of the Lincoln Manufacturing Council in 2019, comprised of a group of 15 councilmember businesses, six supporting businesses and two community partners. The bottom line—manufacturers need labor and the pool of candidates is decreasing, so how are pipelines created to get people interested in manufacturing?
The Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development oversees the implementation and operation of training classes for manufacturers to connect with skilled workers with a MFG Certificate. The classes and certification serve as an introduction to the industry, which includes basic skills that prepare candidates for work in entry-level manufacturing jobs. Throughout the six-week course, practical examples are taught in the curriculum to provide students with a basic knowledge that will serve them well in their development in a manufacturing-related career.
The program continues to expand and with it comes even greater opportunities in 2022 and beyond. Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and local fiscal recovery funding from the city of Lincoln, the LMC classes can reach more people interested in manufacturing careers.
First, there will be an expansion of the Level 1 Manufacturing Certificate, which serves as an introduction to manufacturing for interested participants. This prepares participants for work in entry-level manufacturing jobs. Second, a Level 2 Manufacturing Certificate will be developed, which allows Level 1 participants to continue the certificate pathway. Training includes more detailed instruction and positions Level 2 Certificate holders to be better qualified to enter directly into positions paying higher wages. Finally, this expansion would partially subsidize eight weeks of on-the-job training for certificate earners when hired by an area manufacturer. LMC would subsidize up to 60 percent of their salary at $17/hour for up to the first eight weeks of on-the-job training.
In addition to expanded LMC course offerings, LPED continues to partner with Lincoln Public Schools to connect K-12 students to STEM pathways, which includes manufacturing. The Lincoln STEM Ecosystem provides connectivity between K-12 education and before/after school services and the STEM-focused businesses growing throughout Lincoln. The ability to bridge the skills gap and fill the thousands of unfilled jobs across our state will remain an important area of focus in future.
Beyond the Lincoln Manufacturing Class, LPED continues to connect employers with potential employees with career fairs and similar events, including an upcoming career fair and community event on Thursday, May 19 from 3 – 7 p.m. at Catholic Social Services, located at 2240 O Street. I am excited to see how our community will come together and celebrate the participating organizations.
For more information on the Lincoln Manufacturing Council and the program offerings, contact Allison Hatch at (402) 436-2365 and ahatch@selectlincoln.org. More details are available at selectlincoln.org/LMC.