Kissimmee, FL — The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC), the nation’s leading industry certification body for front-line technicians in advanced manufacturing, has selected Valencia College to serve as a MSSC Master Training Center.
Valencia College is now authorized to offer training to instructors to deliver MSSC’s hands-on Certified Production Technician Plus (CPT+) program using the innovative “Skill Boss” training and testing device invented by Amatrol, the nation’s leading manufacturer of industrial technician training equipment.
Now, Florida technical schools and community colleges can send their instructors to Valencia College for professional development and training – at a lower cost and spending less time on travel. Previously, schools had to send instructors to a single national MSSC instructor training center located in Indiana.
In addition to training CPT+ Instructors, the Master Training Center at Valencia College will also offer CPT+ training and testing to individuals enrolled in education and training institutions in Florida that do not yet have “Skill Boss” devices.
Valencia College was selected to serve as a State Master Training Center, said Leo Reddy, CEO and chairman of MSSC, because Valencia met all of MSSC’s criteria for serving as state Master Training Centers: a strong track record of delivering MSSC courses and assessments; five “Skill Boss” devices; and three MSSC-trained CPT Instructors who have passed the MSSC’s Three-Day Master CPT+ Training course.
Valencia College officials believe this site will help elevate Florida’s profile in the manufacturing industry. “Florida has set a goal to become one of the top global economies by the year 2030. In order for our state to achieve this goal, we have to invest in critical industries such as advanced manufacturing,” said Tiffaney Barnes, senior director of Valencia’s Advanced Manufacturing Programs. “The professional development opportunities that will be offered to secondary and post-secondary teachers will increase the number of high qualified teachers in the state. I believe that will have a direct correlation on increasing the number of highly skilled individuals in manufacturing.”
Said Rod Jaeger, president of the D.C. Jaeger Corporation, which makes the “Skill Boss” training device, “The D.C. Jaeger Corporation is honored to partner with MSSC and Valencia College on the implementation of the MSSC Master Training Center at Valencia College. The creation of this training center will provide professional development opportunities for Florida instructors to become CPT and CPT+ certified. This in turn, will enable more schools and colleges to offer the CPT certification to their students, thereby increasing the number of certified technicians entering the advanced manufacturing workforce. This partnership between MSSC and Valencia College will continue to assist Florida in its goal of economic diversification.”
The three Valencia College instructors who will conduct the MSSC CPT+ Training are:
- Perry Cooley, a former electronics technician/production manager with 42 years of experience working for leading defense/aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin, C4 Advanced Tactical, General Dynamics & FLIR;
- Brendon Monize, an ASE certified diesel mechanic, a Valencia Advanced Manufacturing certified industrial maintenance technician and CNC machinist who has earned PMMI and NIMS certifications, and who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in organizational management; and
- Mike Sawle, a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran and experienced computer maintenance and industrial maintenance technician with experience in digital electronics, electromechanical systems, as well as laser cutters, CNC machines and PLC-controlled devices.
For more information on the new MSSC Master Training Center, contact Valencia College’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Center at advmanufacturing@valenciacollege.edu or D.C. Jaeger rjaeger@jaegereducation.com. For more information from MSSC, please email cfeeney@msscusa.org