UC Clermont and Milacron Launch Machinist Pilot Training Program in Manufacturing

As the result of a unique collaboration, UC Clermont College and Milacron Plastics Technologies Group LLC (Milacron) are pleased to announce a machinist training pilot program that began September 4, 2012.

The program is designed to train workers in advanced manufacturing skills and provide them with hands-on experience, tools and payment for their time.

The program will be conducted in a newly renovated facility at UC Clermont College’s UC East campus which was a former Ford manufacturing plant.

“We are excited about this collaborative partnership with Milacron. Our new Manufacturing Technology Center will enable us to become the first choice of southwest Ohio manufacturers who need a trained workforce as they expand their operations,” said UC Clermont College Dean Greg Sojka.

The 15-week customized certificate program will be tested and refined with a small group of trainees. To support their training, Milacron hired these trainees and they receive paychecks throughout the course of the one-semester program. Upon completion of the program, these workers transfer to full-time work at Milacron’s Mt. Orab plant.

"We've had a tough time finding skilled machinists," says Milacron CEO Dennis Smith. "A real skills gap exists in manufacturing today. We decided it was time to look for innovative solutions."

This program demonstrates a push, on behalf of both organizations, to revitalize the eastern corridor of Southwestern Ohio. The region has a long history of manufacturing, and this pilot program seeks to extend this legacy by creating sustainable career paths for the people who call this region home.

“People who live in Brown County and the surrounding area don’t have anything like this,” said Melissa Wink, Milacron’s Director of Corporate Communications and External Relations. “This is a first-of-its-kind endeavor in our region to help set individuals on the path toward long-term, well-paying, fulfilling manufacturing careers.”

Students in the program will take classes in CAD, Lean Manufacturing, Principles of Machining and Shop Floor Mathematics. These courses can be directly applied to an associate’s degree program through the University of Cincinnati. In turn, that associate's degree can be directly applied towards a Bachelor of Applied Administration - a unique educational opportunity for employees who may want to move into management positions.

Milacron believes the potential impact of this program is far greater than training ten new employees. The company sees this pilot program as having the ability to develop a training platform that can not only create a pipeline of skilled workers for Milacron, but can be accessed by other local manufacturers in years to come. 

The partnership is well-suited to Milacron's strong presence in southwestern Ohio with two of its largest production facilities located in Batavia and Mt. Orab. Over 800 of Milacron's 2,800-plus world-wide employees reside within the Greater Cincinnati / Eastern corridor area.