East Central Community College to Offer “Tools for Workforce Excellence”

ECCC’s Integrated Technologies Training Center Becomes MSSC Certified Testing Center

Choctaw, MS – October 9, 2008 -  East Central Community College today announced that it has joined with the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) as a certified testing center in order to provide nationally, industry-recognized core skill certification-based training to attract, motivate, and retain quality employees for the workforce in their five county district.

The West Alabama – East Mississippi (WAEM) Initiative brought attention in the region to credential, certify, and transform a regionally branded workforce through training programs such as the Career Readiness Certification (CRC) and the Modern Multi-Skill Manufacturing (M3) Credential.  ECCC, a member of the WAEM Alliance, provides this training to qualify skilled workers to meet the needs of employers in and out of the region.

“East Central already offers credentials that are valued by the employer base we serve, but this capacity to train and test employees toward earning these MSSC Certifications is indeed ‘taking it to the next level’ by validating workforce members to meet standards communicated by the most progressive manufacturing employers,” said Roger Whitlock, Dean of Workforce Development at the College.

“The CRC provides the working knowledge to employees, the M3 focuses on the technical applications of the position, and the MSSC gives employees the qualifications that satisfy the needs of an advanced skill environment.  The MSSC provides the opportunity for an employee to excel to a higher level of national skills recognition,” Whitlock explained.

This certification system focuses on the core skills and knowledge needed by both new and existing production workers by providing a new set of tools to ensure that they are able to keep the pace with technological change – producing the “Industrial Athlete of the Future.”  

U.S. Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao stated that “MSSC is a nationwide, industry-based skill standards, assessment, and certification system for all sectors of manufacturing.” MSSC certification works successfully by providing flexibility in all manufacturing areas and all production occupations.

The Integrated Technologies Training Center employs two Certified MSSC Instructors, Blake Warren and Robert Kilpatrick, who have 55 years of combined experience in manufacturing trades, maintenance, and quality. These instructors can immediately implement fully developed courses and on demand e-learning solutions in order to improve high performance skills of both entry level and incumbent workers.

Blake Warren (left) and Robert Kilpatrick (right), who have 55 years of combined experience in manufacturing trades, maintenance, and quality are now Certified Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC) Instructors at East Central Community College's Integrated Technologies Training Center. These instructors can immediately implement fully developed courses and on demand e-learning solutions in order to improve high performance skills of both entry level and incumbent workers.

The nationwide MSSC system offers workers the opportunity to demonstrate the mastered skills increasingly needed in the high-growth, technology-intensive jobs of the 21st century.

The Integrated Technologies Training Center (ITTC) is a part of East Central Community College Workforce Development Center and is located at 375 Industrial Road, Building A , in the Advanced TechParc in Choctaw and may be contacted by calling 601-389-0832 or visit www.eccc.edu/workforce.   

CONTACT:  
Kimberly Mott
ECCC Workforce Development
601-635-6296