PPWFC OFFERS PILOT LEAN/SIX SIGMA TRAINING

Local Employers Benefit from Trained Workforce

February 28, 2008, Colorado Springs, CO – To ensure that local employers have access to workers with the right skills, the Pikes Peak Workforce Center (PPWFC) and the Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology (CAMT) are offering pilot program that consists of a series of Lean/Six Sigma classes to workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

“Manufacturing is vital in sustaining our local economy,” says Joseph Pentlicki, Account and Program Manager for CAMT. “Because of the opportunity to provide training on skills necessary to improve manufacturing competitiveness, including Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and other problem solving techniques, and Internal ISO auditor training, we are able to benefit local businesses by developing a pool of trained workers, needed by those businesses.”

“I am happy to be part of this program because it allows me to upgrade my skills and makes me more marketable,” says Thomas King. “With these new certifications and my past experience, I am confident that I will be able to find work more quickly than I would if I did not have the Six Sigma certifications.”

Nineteen unemployed workers applied to and were accepted into the pilot program which continues for six weeks. The classes are held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Upon completion of the training, the students will be certified in the following areas:

· Quality Basics Training covers using quality tools, such as fishbone and pareto charts to address problems
· Yellow Belt covers problems solving techniques
· Lean Six Sigma covers Six Sigma applications including waste reduction and efficiency
· Lean Basics covers all elements that make up Lean processes
· Root Cause is similar to Six Sigma and focuses on organized problem solving
· Statistical Problem Solving (SPC)
· ISO Auditor covers the isometric international standard for quality systems

The instructor for this pilot program, Mr. Don Boyer received his BSEE from Southern Illinois University and is a Senior Associate with CAMT. Mr. Boyer provides practical, hands on training in LEAN concepts and has held quality manufacturing, operations management and design positions in several high tech companies and has over 40 years in the industry. He has done consulting in ISO since 1992; has worked in Lean since 1995; and consulted in Lean since 1999.

About PPWFC

The Pikes Peak Workforce Center supports business and promotes employment by providing market-driven solutions for our community to succeed in the global economy. PPWFC helps businesses solve their workforce-related business problems and helps residents with career transition. More information about the Pikes Peak Workforce Center can be found online at www.ppwfc.org.

PPWFC ANNOUNCES WOODLAND PARK SATELLITE OFFICE

Workforce Center Expands its Presence in Teller County by Opening Part-time Office at the

Woodland Park Public Library

submitted by : Jeanne Cotter


January 28, 2008, Colorado Springs, CO – To better serve residents of Teller County, the Pikes Peak Workforce Center (PPWFC) will has open a second satellite office in the Woodland Park Library of the Rampart Library District, 218 E Midland Road, Woodland Park, CO 80863, effective February 5, 2008.



This Teller County satellite office of PPWFC is an addition to the office located in Cripple Creek and is open to all residents of El Paso and Teller Counties, but will be especially convenient of residents of Woodland Park and its surrounding communities of Divide and Florissant.



“We are excited to be working with the folks at the Rampart Library District to offer services closer to home for residents of Teller County,” says Dana Rodenbaugh, director of programs for PPWFC. “We understand that for many people looking for work driving down Ute Pass to our main office presents a hardship.”



“The Rampart Library District is happy to be able to provide space for PPWFC and hope many members of the community will take advantage of this service,” says Phyllis Delaney, Administrative Services/Facilities Manager.



The satellite office will be manned by staff from PPWFC on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. A career consultant will be available to meet with job seekers to help with their job search or answer questions regarding possible occupational training or retraining. The career consultant can also provide labor market information to help job seekers make good career decisions and may provide referrals to other agencies.



Those wishing to utilize this service in Woodland Park should enter the Library at the Laurel Street entrance (Main Entrance). The PPWFC office is located on the lower level in a small meeting room.



Job seekers may also access PPWFC services at the office in the Cripple Creek Aspen Mine Center on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.





About the Rampart Library District



Rampart Library District serves the residents of the RE-2 School District. It has two libraries, Woodland Park Public Library and Florissant Public Library, with a collection of approximately 59,000 items and numerous databases. It has many resources for jobseekers and for those wishing to start a business including books on resumes, cover letters, interviewing and business plans. It has newspapers, a nonprofit resource center and a friendly, helpful staff.

More information, including programs, and the library catalog, may be found online at http://rampart.colibraries.org.



About PPWFC



The Pikes Peak Workforce Center supports business and promotes employment in El Paso and Teller counties by providing market-driven solutions for our community to succeed in the global economy. PPWFC helps businesses solve their workforce-related business problems and helps residents with career transition. More information about the Pikes Peak Workforce Center can be found online at www.ppwfc.org.