Northrop Grumman President Mike Petters and his Director of Government Affairs Jim McIngvale joined Congressman Gene Taylor for a site visit to the JCJC Industrial Services Building recently. The coast group traveled north to discover the service offerings and potential recruiting opportunities for advanced skills workers from the JCJC district.
Congressman Taylor visits regularly with Mississippi industries and communities to build relationships for economic development. Coordinating the Northrop Grumman visit to the Jones County area is a local example of his efforts.
“Many thanks to Congressman Gene Taylor for connecting the dots. We would never have been able to have the ear of a world-wide leader in manufacturing had it not been for him. He certainly understands the need for business growth in our area. This was a tangible way to represent his constituents. We are very thankful,” said JCJC President Dr. Jesse Smith.
JCJC now houses one of three Advanced Manufacturing Centers for Excellence in Mississippi thanks to the WIRED Momentum Grant, a Department of Labor initiative. New equipment totaling over $600,000 is now being used in the precision machining program, which gives the program over $1 million in available equipment for training. The Welding School and the Electrical Technology program have also enjoyed recent program upgrades from federal grants.
These upgrades and a lagging economy have created record enrollments in these programs. Students earn national certifications in core advanced manufacturing areas while at JCJC, making them highly marketable upon graduation. This future influx of skilled workers will help bridge the gap in today’s labor force.
“These talent pools are the lifeline of our business,” said Petters, Northrop Grumman President. “These certification programs are very exciting to me.”
Instructors Clint James, Stan Lewis, and James Jones presented program updates to the visiting group on welding, electrical technology, and machining. Each of these technical programs have experienced tremendous enrollment growth since Fall 2008. Enrollment trends and expansion plans were included in the presentations to the visiting group.
In addition to credit programs, JCJC’s Workforce Development specialists also cater to the needs of industry by creating customized training solutions for existing workers.
President Smith invited Trent Mulloy, Laurel Machine and Foundry President, and Mitch Stennett, EDA of Jones County President, to be part of the day’s discussion. EDA President Stennett provided insight into the Advanced Manufacturing Cluster in Jones County. Several companies within the region could serve as potential outsourcing producers for companies like Northrop Grumman. Laurel Machine and Foundry (LMF) is one of the companies doing business in this cluster. LMF specializes in fabricating, machining, and foundry metalworks. Mulloy gave the group a tour of his company’s facilities and an overview of service offerings.
Northrop Grumman is the world’s leading military shipbuilder and employs over 120,000 individuals.
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Photo/Marlo Dorsey (JCJC Vice President of Marketing)
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