Some great news from our friends at Hypertherm:
Hypertherm has announced plans to hire and train up to 11 CNC Machinists for the second time this year. Hypertherm made the announcement just 12 weeks after they hired 12 machinists in February. The CNC machinist positions are for second and third shift operations. Workers will earn a starting wage of $12 hour with full benefits. Wages may increase incrementally over two years to $14-16 per hour, based on each individual’s performance.
“We are fortunate to have the challenge of expanding our workforce needs to meet growing demand for our products. How well we meet this challenge will be determined by how well we can hire and educate a trained workforce,” said Jim Miller, Hypertherm’s Vice President of Manufacturing.
The hiring will be conducted through their partnership with the River Valley Community College’s STAR program. The STAR program launched in December of 2008 offers workers an accelerated, two-year advanced manufacturing apprenticeship while being employed with Hypertherm. At the same time, these workers will earn college credits which can be applied towards an associate’s degree at the college.
“River Valley Community College is committed to the creation of education and training that serve the needs of employers, the New Hampshire workforce, and the economic development needs of the state and our region. This partnership represents a strategy that builds upon the strengths of the college, our state economic development agencies, and the private sector in delivering a truly comprehensive program leading to job placement,” stated Steve Budd, President, River Valley Community College.
Program participants will be selected through a rigorous recruitment process beginning with a mandatory job fair to be held on Saturday, May 8th at the Hypertherm Technical Training Institute in Lebanon, NH starting at 8:00am. The job fair will include presentations from Hypertherm staff as well as assessments and interviews with Hypertherm recruiters.
Participants will also have the opportunity to receive a nationally recognized industry certification through the USDOL Apprenticeship Division.
“The New Hampshire State Apprenticeship Council is proud to be a part of this program,” says Charles Vaughan, of the New Hampshire US/DOL apprenticeship office. “The STAR education model is unique and will give us an opportunity to evaluate a different way of thinking about training apprentices throughout the state.”
The STAR program is funded by two grants from the US Department of Labor, one secured through the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and one secured through the office of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
“New Hampshire’s and Vermont’s desire and commitment to recruit and educate CNC machine operators meets a critical need of the Upper Valley business community.” said Jim Miller. “We very much appreciate the support we are receiving on both sides of the river. Although we are located in New Hampshire, many of our associates live in Vermont.
Applications are encouraged as soon as possible. Individuals interested in applying to the program must visit the college website at www.rivervalley.edu to fill out an online application. Questions and inquiries can be directed to Jim Britton, River Valley Community College, at (603) 542-7744 x346, or email at jbritton@ccsnh.edu. Up-to-date program information will be posted regularly on the website.
Tags: Charles Vaughan, Hypertherm, Jim Britton, Jim Miller, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, River Valley Community College, STAR Program, Steve Budd, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy