FLCC initiative part of national pilot to improve rural education, training

Front of Bloomfield Operations Center building
The Bloomfield Operations Center Learning Lab is one of two locations for the national pilot project that begins in January 2022.

Finger Lakes Community College has selected Bloomfield Central School and the Yates County Workforce Development Office as sites for a 16-week community-based training course for people who may lack internet and transportation.

The course is part of a national pilot project to develop best practices for rural education that institutions across the country can adopt.

The Bloomfield Operations Center Learning Lab at 1 Oakmount Avenue and the Yates County Workforce Development Office at 417 Liberty St. in Penn Yan will begin offering classes Jan. 24 to train local residents as certified production technicians (CPT).

CPT is a credential recognized by manufacturers across the country. Graduates of the program will gain skills in workplace safety, quality and measurement, and modern manufacturing processes.

“The CPT credential offers a lot of desirable skills that will serve the candidates well. We do believe the program will provide candidates an advantage in moving into the advanced manufacturing field,” said Jim VanKouwenberg, training coordinator at Optimax in Wayne County. Optimax, maker of optical lenses and coatings, is hiring seven to eight people per month, and offering health and retirement benefits and profit sharing.

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