Advancing Careers

10 Noble County employees upped their work credentials by graduating from a NobleUP incumbent worker training program.

This class, taught by Ivy Tech’s Dave Johnson, was an industrial maintenance class that covered electrical, fluid power, mechanical, automation skills topics and more. The course took place over a 26-week period and was described by Johnson as “a lot of hands-on work and studying” for the students. Employees from Carlex Glass, Dexter Axle, TI Automotive, Colwell Colour, Bosch, and Creative Liquid Coatings completed the course.

At the graduation ceremony, three groups of students were able to present their projects. Each group designed, fabricated, and programmed working can crusher machines using skills they learned throughout the course.

Several students described the course as a great learning experience. “I got to dive into subjects I had not been familiar with before,” said Creative Liquid Coatings employee Cody Smith.

Family members and employers came in support of the participants. Tyler Witte, Learning and Development Specialist at Carlex Glass, said that the employees now have the skills and a certification that they can take anywhere they go.

“They have moved up in the company and have been placed on a career path than can lead them into engineering, if they choose to participate in our tuition reimbursement program,” he said.

Rick Sherck of the Noble County EDC described Noble County as one of the “most aggressive” counties in executing this type of training. Ivy Tech’s lead program director Kaylene Smith agreed, saying Noble County employees and students usually have the best response to the programs.

The NobleUP training programs are provided through collaboration among the Noble County EDC, Ivy Tech, WorkOne, Freedom Academy, and IMPACT Institute. They are designed with the intention to “up” the skills, wages, and quality of life of Noble County workers and residents.

For more information about NobleUP training programs, visit www.nobleup.com or call the WorkOne northeast career center at 260-599-1000.