Experienced Davie County Workforce is Ingersoll Rand’s Most Valuable Asset
The transformation of the Ingersoll Rand manufacturing center in Mocksville to an Ingersoll Rand Manufacturing Center of Excellence has been successful in large part because of the skills of its most experienced machinists. These advanced skill-sets are the result of many years of experience and these advanced machining skills represent a wealth of workforce knowledge which cannot be taught in classrooms using traditional textbooks.
The Challenge
The challenge has been leveraging this “tribal knowledge” so that newer machinists benefit from the knowledge and experience of the experts. A community-wide effort has been coordinated on behalf of Ingersoll Rand to meet this challenge.
Joining Forces to Meet The Challenge
Davidson County Community College, the Davie County Economic Development Commission, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, North Carolina State University and the Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board have joined forces to with Ingersoll Rand to address this challenge.
Meeting the Challenge
Grants of $250,000 from the Duke Energy Community College Community College Grant Program, and $25,000 from the NC Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Development, along with in-kind contributions from Davidson County Community College are being used to develop and implement a custom training program for Ingersoll Rand.
The goal of this customized training is to help Ingersoll Rand maintain and grow its competitive position in the global economy. The training will include both face-to-face and online instruction to accommodate Ingersoll Rand employees who work rotating production shifts across a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation.
The advanced manufacturing project is part of a larger education and training initiative at Ingersoll Rand that was developed through a partnership among the Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board, the Davie County Economic Development Commission and DCCC.
“We are extremely grateful to the Duke Energy Community College Grant Program for this award, which reflects our commitment to business success in Davie County,” said Dr. Mary Rittling, DCCC president. “The collaborative project will help us meet the community’s needs for advanced manufacturing training and will lead to growth and diversification of the region’s economic base.”
DCCC ~ The College of Davidson & Davie Counties
DCCC is working closely with Ingersoll Rand to identify the necessary competencies for its employees, assess the existing workforce, develop a modularized training approach to build skills, and implement training for the workforce that will lead to industry-recognized certification and academic credit. Employees of Ingersoll Rand will be able to earn six to eight academic credit hours towards the 14 necessary for a curriculum certificate in CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) Operations as part of the Manufacturing Technology program at DCCC.
Additional Resources:
WXII Channel 12 Story
News Channel 14 Story
Davidson County Community College
Davie County Economic Development Commission
Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board
North Carolina Department of Commerce
North Carolina State University Industrial Extension Service
Duke Energy Community College Grant Program
Previously Published Stories ~ Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand Brings over 200 Additional Manufacturing Jobs to Mocksville
Ingersoll Rand Wins 2010 Chamber of Commerce Award
Ingersoll Rand Employees Receive 2010 Business of the Year Award
Davie County’s skilled Workforce Making a Difference for Ingersoll Rand Customers Across the Globe
