LIFT helps launch manufacturing career program at Louisville, Ky., high school

Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) and Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) have announced the launch of “Manufacturing Technology: High School Career Pathways” in Kentucky. Doss High School, Louisville, Ky., in collaboration with manufacturers and government leaders, will offer a career pathways program providing students with on-the-job training experience, employability skills, and technical training.

“Approximately one-quarter of the more than 32,000 manufacturing jobs posted in Kentucky in 2015 were for skilled trade positions specializing in machining and industrial technology, so demand is great and growing,” said Larry Brown, executive director, LIFT. “The combination of employability training with technical training will help launch students into successful, in-demand careers.”

Expected to begin in August 2016, the program will provide Doss High School students with a four-course major in manufacturing, work-based learning experience with local employers, and certifications including the National Career Readiness Certification (NCRC) and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council - Certified Production Technician (MSSC-CPT).

The initiative, led by JCPS and Doss High School, is part of a regional plan that involves adjacent communities to develop talent for the jobs available in local manufacturing companies. Other partners in this effort include Amatrol, GE Appliances, Ford – Louisville Assembly Plant, local Ford UAW members, KentuckianaWorks, and the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center.