OLEAN, N.Y. — SUNY Jamestown Community College’s Workforce Development held a graduation ceremony on Sept. 30 at the Olean Manufacturing Technology Institute for 14 students that completed the Industrial Maintenance Technician program.
The graduates were: Nathan Braeges, Jon Cook, Kristopher Cook, Richard Farr, Donluray Gleason, Lance Grantier, Corey Howard, Anthony Logue, Edward Maine, Aaron McKinsey, Niko Messina, Tanner Papasergi, Mark Stromecki, Jr. and William VanEtten.
Students enrolled in the Industrial Maintenance Technician program complete two hundred and sixty-six hours of classroom learning and hands-on training. Two hundred and twelve hours are dedicated to hands-on instruction, giving students the opportunity to complete e-learning modules and gain job-relevant expertise.
Prior to the ceremony, seven area employers interviewed the IMT students: Allegheny Store Fixtures, Cutco, Great Lakes Cheese, Northern Lights Candles, Superior Rubber & Tire, W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co., and Zippo.
“This program was free, I got to learn new things and the credits from it applied to the associate’s degree that I am currently pursuing,” said Jon Cook, a graduate from this program. “This field interests me and I wanted to learn something new, and I am very happy with the amount of support offered at JCC.”
These cohorts have been offered once a semester since fall of 2021. Since that time, a total of 48 students enrolled in either the Industrial Maintenance Technician or Machining/CNC Operator programs. Eighty-six percent of these students successfully completed their training, and more than half were employed either prior to completing the program, or within one month after the program ended.
“There were obstacles to taking this program, like having enough time to work full time and get enough sleep,” mentions Nathan Braeges, a recent IMT graduate, “I’ve decided this program was worth it!”
Several grants made it possible to offer the Industrial Maintenance Technician and Machining/CNC Operator programs at no cost to students. These pilot programs will pause until next spring, allowing for renovations to be completed and a chance to grow the Workforce Development instructor team.
For more information on programs offered through Workforce Development, visit sunyjcc.edu/workforce.
