Sinclair360

Sinclair Community College’s Workforce Development & Corporate Services (WFD&CS), headed by Vice President Deb Norris, is thriving. Under her direction WFD&CS has actively pursued new partnerships within the Greater Dayton community that address the region’s needs to help companies thrive, and retain and create new jobs.

Composites industry comes a-calling

For example, WFD&CS is currently leading a recruitment effort for the Dayton area’s growing composite-materials industry. Sinclair, Montgomery County Department of Job & Family Services (MCDJFS) and the National Composite Center are collaborating to offer a free Composites Technician training program. “The Composites Technician training program is aimed at economically disadvantaged and dislocated workers,” said Donna Hoying, manager of advanced engineering and manufacturing solutions for Sinclair.

“The program is designed to be highly practical, with a greater emphasis on shop-floor training, as opposed to classroom instruction.” This training opportunity gives dislocated employees a unique, substantive way to further their skills and add value not only to themselves, but to the region.

Sinclair partnered with Montgomery County to obtain American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and stimulus dollars. “Much credit for receiving Recovery Act funds to launch the training program must go to our three Montgomery County commissioners – Judy Dodge, Dan Foley and Debbie Lieberman – working in concert with County Administrator Debbie Feldman,” said Heath MacAlpine, assistant director of MCDJFS.

Sinclair aligns itself with BRAC and growing WPAFB role WFD&CS is also responding to the needs of the local aerospace industry clustered around Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), which is growing its mission as a result of the ongoing Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

Sinclair, again in partnership with MCDJFS, is enrolling for Contracting and Acquisition Logistics training, through its new Defense Acquisition Academy. The training provides participants with what they need to be successful in the contracting and acquisition fields, at no cost to qualified displaced or unemployed participants during the pilot phase of the program.

“Certified acquisition personnel are not only highly sought-after by the Department of Defense, but are also critical in non-defense agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, [U.S. Department of] Homeland Security, and U.S. and Ohio departments of Transportation, to name a few,” said Norris.

By Gary Honnert

Gary Honnert is marketing communications manager of Workforce Development & Corporate Services. He has more than 35 years’ experience in broadcasting, public relations and nonprofit community relations.