WNY companies sought for manufacturing training consortium

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Business leaders have been saying for years that a skills gap prohibits proper staffing of manufacturing operations. A new certification program offered by the University at Buffalo Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) aims to close that gap by infusing the area with qualified workers.

The Certified Production Technician (CPT) training program supplies the core knowledge and skills required for frontline manufacturing jobs. That includes everything from entry-level to supervisory production roles.

The program’s curriculum, which is based on industry-defined and federally-endorsed standards, was developed by the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC), a national training, assessment and certification system.

The program focuses on four production modules – safety, quality practices and measurement, manufacturing processes and production, and maintenance awareness – and provides participants with a portable and stackable credential.

The program will debut in Western New York through TCIE’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Gap Consortium. TCIE is seeking five to six companies for the consortium; each company can enroll four to five employees. Subsidies may be available through a workforce development agency.  

Candidates will receive 140 hours of training. The program features Web-based education supported by classroom learning provided by Peter Baumgartner, TCIE’s director of operational excellence. In-class sessions will reinforce the virtual workspace lessons through interactive discussion and hands-on simulations.   

“The CPT material addresses the new demands of manufacturing,” Baumgartner says. “There are safety, quality and maintenance components of manufacturing that, 10 years ago, weren’t on the minds of the average employee. Now, they are an integral part of their jobs.”

Candidates earn CPT certification after passing all production module exams. The CPT is accredited under the only global certification body for manufacturers, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI-ISO 17024).

The opportunity to earn certificates for one or any combination of the four modules has been available in Western New York since May, when TCIE became an MSSC assessment center.

For more information, contact Gary Simon, director of business development at TCIE, at ggsimon@buffalo.edu or 716-645-8837.

TCIE is Western New York's bridge to excellence; it provides a dynamic link between UB’s expert resources and the region’s business community. Its core focus on engineering solutions and operational excellence drives continual improvements, and ignites innovation and technological advantages. For more information on how TCIE can assist Western New York businesses, visit www.tcie.buffalo.edu or call 716-645-8800.