LWIT Joins National Skills Program in Offering Aerospace Machining Course

’s constantly evolving course offerings now include a computer-controlled machining class designed in part by the local aerospace industry as part of a national program to get Americans back to work in skilled manufacturing jobs.

LWIT is one of 11 community and technical colleges in Washington, among the first in the nation, to participate in the “Right Skills Now” program. The program is one of the efforts and recommendations endorsed by President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

LWIT launched the two-quarter Principals of Machining certificate program, which The Boeing Co. helped design, in January, with 22 participating students now nearing mid-quarter.

The idea of the Right Skills Now program is to teach skills in demand now by American manufacturing industries. In Washington, the course is designed specifically to meet the needs of the aerospace industry and move trained workers into well-paying jobs.

“We’re delighted to offer this two-quarter Principals of Machining certificate option, allowing students to quickly enter the manufacturing workforce,” said Bob Monroig, interim dean of industrial technology at LWIT. “With this certificate, they can return to us to continue their education through our one- and two-year programs as they seek to obtain new skills and progress in their careers. We look forward to continuing this important work, providing our students with added manufacturing programming options..."

Jen Boyer, spokeswoman for LWIT—which , said the new machining course is one of several industry-specific offerings at the school. Another is a specialized aerospace welding program using exotic metals that the Kirkland school is working on with Boeing.

“The courses we offer are a best-kept secret,” she said. “Our entire new Allied Health Building is incredible, it’s set up just like a hospital. We also have a high school program, Lake Washington Academy,” that moves students right into career courses.

The 10 other Washington schools offering machining courses under the Right Skills Now program are Columbia Basin, Everett, Green River, Olympic, Shoreline, South Puget Sound and Yakima Valley community colleges, as well as Bates Technical College, Bellingham Technical College and Renton Technical College.

“This is exactly the kind of response industry, students and taxpayers need from our community and technical colleges,” said Mary Kaye Bredeson, director for the Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Materials Manufacturing based at Everett Community College.

The Right Skills Now program was designed by The Manufacturing Institute, an affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), to respond to the immediate talent crisis facing manufacturing industries. According to a study by the institute and Deloitte, more than 80 percent of manufacturers report not finding people to fill skilled production jobs. As a result, there as many as 600,000 manufacturing jobs open right now in the United States.

In Washington, the 11 colleges patterned their courses after a two-quarter machining certificate program developed by Shoreline Community College instructor Keith Smith, who worked with industry representatives to be sure course content is as up to date as possible.

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Some information for this story came from a State Board of Community and Technical Colleges news release.