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Lanier
Tech instructor Jorge Ascunce (center) teaches Georgia’s only CMS
class in Spanish.
ast
year, Lanier Technical College in Gainesville began offering the first-ever
Certified Manufacturing Specialist (CMS) program taught in Spanish.
CMS has become a popular and successful training program used by Georgia’s
industries to prepare their workforce, and having the program available
in Spanish will allow Georgia’s businesses to address the training
needs of the state’s growing Hispanic population more effectively.
“In some companies the workforce is 30 to 40 percent Hispanic and they need training,” says Russ Vandiver, Lanier Technical College VP of economic development. “We want to get them on the same level playing field of understanding manufacturing, in an effort to calibrate the workforce across the board, regardless of nationality. We’re teaching them to speak the same manufacturing language.”
Of Hall County’s population of 140,000, almost 30,000 are Hispanic residents who have moved into the area in the past decade.
“This pilot CMS program is a great opportunity for the students, particularly here in Hall County where the Spanish-speaking community is so large,” says Jorge Ascunce, who joined Lanier Tech’s faculty to teach the class and has a background in manufacturing, information technology and Spanish translation. “Offering this class says to the Spanish-speaking community that they are recognized as viable individuals who contribute to the betterment of the county. They know Lanier Tech is here to provide them tools they need to improve.”
“We’re very pleased with the results,” says Dr. Mike Moye, president of Lanier Technical College. “It’s been quite successful and it’s highly likely that we will offer this course again.”
Student
Jamie Mora says he has participated in a number of diverse classes all
over the country, but this class is uniquely helpful because it is taught
in his native language. “This class is terrific,” he says.
“We learn about much more than just manufacturing. We learn how
to handle stress and time management, and that’s important, too.”
few years ago, New Heights, a company located in Ellaville, Ga., began adapting
their mobile deer-hunting stand for use by security companies. It turned
out to be the right idea that came along at the right time.
The company qualified for assistance from Quick Start, Georgia’s workforce development incentive program, and Quick Start’s instructional designers went to work developing training aids for Sky Watch, the company’s popular crime deterrent and surveillance tool.
Quick Start designers creatively integrated illustrations with step-by-step instructions for quick, sure operation of the units, which are hydraulic lifts outfitted with numerous high-tech features, such as infrared cameras and thermal imaging. The product and its Quick Start-designed training aids are now used by border patrols and police departments in the U.S. and the U.S. military in Iraq.
“The
training aids turned out great and are working wonderfully for our customers,”
says Adam Strange, president and CEO of New Heights.
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