An innovative distance-learning college manufacturing program that originally began in 2008 in Washington County, made its expanded debut at the Southwest Applied Technology College campus Thursday in Cedar City. Members of the community and area employers attended a complimentary sneak peak of what a Manufacturing U class is like.Smead Manufacturing Engineer David Louthan said the company is always looking for training opportunities for its employees and is glad the program has come to Cedar City.
SWATC employer services director Kristie McMullin said the state-approved program is relatively low-cost and course work was primarily designed for people who are working full-time and haven't had the chance to complete a certificate or associate's degree in a certain manufacturing field. "There are a lot of people here (Iron County) in manufacturing that have reached a good position and they like the industry, but because of schedules and the company structure they are not being promoted because they don't have a degree," McMullin said.
In many cases employers are able to help off-set the cost of the program for employees by offering custom fit or a tuition-reimbursement program. Each of the five courses cost $400 and run two days a week for three hours. After completion of the five courses a student will earn a certificate of operations management. The program is offered in two different sessions to accommodate both swing and night-shift employees' schedules. The Spectrum
