NIMS Credentials Help Lead Next Gen Workforce Development

Maintaining national industry standards inside the classroom is no easy task but the faculty and staff of Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center once again rose to the challenge and officially renewed the national accreditation of the Machine Tool Technology program.

NIMS accreditation is the only national benchmark to recognize excellence in metalworking training as based on national industry-written, industry-approved standards. By securing this national award, the center demonstrates its continued commitment to providing industry-level training within the state of Pennsylvania and for the greater U.S. Manufacturing Industry.

As reported in MoldMaking Technology early in 2015, NIMS experienced a 36 percent increase—establishing a new record in the process—in the number of industry-recognized credentials such as this one for Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center. Hopefully this trend toward building an ever-larger skilled and certified metalworking workforce will continue in 2016.

The Machine Tool Technology Program at Eastern Westmoreland offers manual and CNC machining training and provide students with the opportunity to earn NIMS certifications, resulting in hundreds of national certifications issued to students to date. Leading by example, Instructor Ken Pedder holds nine NIMS credentials himself.

Following a rigorous on-site audit by veteran NIMS Evaluator Kurt Heinly, the program received the high scores in the accreditation evaluation categories of:

• Administration Support
• Equipment, Tooling & Measuring Devices
• Facilities
• Instructional Staff
• Program Features
• Program Purpose
• Student Testing Efforts.

Reestablishing this industry award secures accreditation for the next five years.

Access more good news about NIMS’ work and accomplishments here.