With hundreds of manufacturing jobs now open or soon to be in mid-north Indiana, and scholarship-funded training available to those may need it, a new campaign was announced Thursday.

Called “Advancing Manufacturing: We Have Jobs Here, We Have Training Here,” the campaign was unveiled at a news conference at Caterpillar Inc. Large Engine Center in Lafayette.

The campaign is a 12-county partnership of area economic development, employment, education, government and manufacturing groups.

Roger Feldhaus, chief executive officer of the Region 4 Workforce Board, explained the jobs portion of the campaign.

“To streamline the application and screening process, many jobs with a number of area manufacturers are being linked to a single website, www.advancingmanufacturing.com, where job seekers can apply for direct hire,” Feldhaus said. Direct hire means workers will be employed by the manufacturer, not a temporary agency.

“The number fluctuates daily, as new jobs are posted and others are filled,” he said. Today, for example, through this website, we have five major manufacturers offering direct hire for some 300 jobs, with pay ranging from $11.54 an hour to $24 an hour.”

Manufacturing jobs currently available include machine operators, production workers, crane operators, maintenance personnel, welders, extrusion technicians and metal fabricators. Manufacturers with jobs currently listed on the website include Fairfield Manufacturing, Nanshan America Advanced Aluminum Technologies, voestalpine Rotec Inc., Wabash National and Oscar Winski, all in Lafayette.

“We’re expecting more manufacturing jobs to be posted soon and throughout the year, and we expect them to be throughout the 12-county area served by the Region 4 Workforce Board,” Feldhaus said.

Those counties are Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Warren and White.

Applicants not yet meeting the hiring qualifications can use the same website to seek training.

Ivy Tech Corporate College in Lafayette is offering an eight-week, scholarship-funded Certified Production Technician Program, available to residents of eight counties: Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren and White. Some $350,000 in training funds have been allocated for those scholarships. The next class session begins March 5.

Residents of Cass, Howard, Miami and Tipton counties—the remaining counties in the 12-county manufacturing area—may apply for training through their local WorkOne office.

“Ivy Tech Corporate College training is offered days, evenings and weekends, and at various locations, to allow those currently employed to keep their jobs while learning manufacturing skills,” said Craig Lamb, executive director. All applicants must pass a drug screen test.

The Certified Production Technician Program includes 140 hours of classroom and field study in four modules—safety, quality practices and measurement, manufacturing processes and production, and maintenance awareness, each with a certification exam.

So far, 16 area manufacturers have signed on to accept those awarded the Certified Production Technician designation as demonstration of the applicant’s qualifications.

Besides the five manufacturers with current jobs listed, partner employers include Drug Plastics & Glass Co. Inc., Holsher Products Inc., Oxford House and Powell Systems Inc. in Benton County; Caterpillar Large Engine Center, Lafayette Instrument and Subaru of Indiana Inc. in Tippecanoe County; and AccuBurn, C & D Battery, TMF Center and Tru-Flex Metal Hose in Warren County. As these companies have job openings, they will be posted on the advancing manufacturing website.

Other manufacturing employers are also expected to join as partners and recognize the certification.

“This is a unique alignment of manufacturers and education to bring skill levels up so applicants can meet the requirements of employers,” Lamb said. “That is the driving force behind this initiative: skilled workers for available jobs.”

Advancing Manufacturing does three critically important things to bring workers and jobs closer together, Lamb said. “Employers have agreed on a core set of skills need. Candidates can follow a clear educational path to gain the skills employers need. And there is significant community investment to make training accessible.”

Interview fairs so applicants can meet face-to-face with employers will be scheduled as demand for employees dictates.

Full details on the program and training are available on the website, which will be continuously updated with new jobs and partners. Information includes job listings, hiring qualifications, employers with jobs, and how to apply for the jobs and/or scholarships for training, if needed.

“This initiative creates an easily communicated message—‘We have jobs here, we have training here’—and a one-stop website for applicants and employers,” said Joseph Seaman, president and chief executive officer of Greater Lafayette Commerce and representative for Midwest Indiana Economic Development Partnership.

Andrew Ball, president of voestalpine Rotec Inc., one of the companies now hiring, said, “The Advancing Manufacturing program is a 21st century solution to the challenge of matching the right jobs with the best applicants.

“Employers save valuable time by participating, because costly and time-consuming pre-screening and skills verification are already confirmed by the time we meet applicants,” Ball said. “Knowing the applicant has already met key criteria, we can then focus on our work culture and specific job needs to make sure we and they are a good match.”

David Kummer, human resources manager at Nanshan America Advanced Aluminum Technologies, which also is hiring, expressed support of the Certified Production Technician Program.

“The training and skills development this program covers will give applicants an important introduction to what they will need to know to work in manufacturing,” he said. “Completing the program also will demonstrate their interest, willingness to learn and commitment. When a company is preparing to hire the volume of workers Nanshan is, this certification helps us to be certain of what applicants can bring to the job.

“We’re eager to begin staffing our aluminum plant,” Kummer said. “And we will be happy to consider applicants who have completed the Certified Production Technician program.”

Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski hailed the program. “There’s no sweeter word than ‘jobs,’ is there?” he said. “On one hand, we have companies with job openings. That’s great, great news. On the other hand, we have folks looking for work and even scholarship-funded training if they need it.

“This comes close to a perfect world, I’d say: available jobs and skilled, ready-to-work people, right here in Lafayette and neighboring counties,” he said. “Anyone interested in good jobs and a future in manufacturing, now’s the time, and Lafayette and neighboring spots are the place.”

Tippecanoe County Commissioner David Byers said, “I’ll second that talk about a perfect world. I call it ‘production equals paychecks.’ Our area manufacturers are boosting their production, and that means paychecks for those who want to work.

“That’s good for the employers, good for those who want a job or a better job, and good for our communities,” Byers said. “We are indeed advancing manufacturing here. We want to keep our strong industrial base thriving and our residents working.”

Besides regional manufacturers, partners so far in the Advancing Manufacturing campaign are: From employment, Region 4 Workforce Board and WorkOne West Central Indiana; Ivy Tech Corporate College in Lafayette and Kokomo; from economic development: Midwest Indiana Economic Development Partnership and North Central Economic Development Partnership and their participating economic development organizations; and from government, the City of Lafayette and Tippecanoe County Commissioners.