Gateway Community and Technical College is trying to do its part to solve an area worker shortage.
The college is unveiling a new space devoted to advanced manufacturing in Covington. President Fernando Figueroa explains advanced manufacturing is the final piece for its Covington location, which already has information technology, transportation and logistics, business, and allied health and nursing.
“The big news was getting the heavy trades, the advanced manufacturing, the computerized manufacturing, industrial maintenance, welding and HVAC in a retrofit of our first-floor location in the technology innovation and enterprise building at Madison and Fifth,” says Figueroa.
He says this location will be closer for some students rather than going to the south side of Florence for advanced manufacturing.
Figueroa says high schoolers scored high on recent aptitude tests for skills like advanced manufacturing, but their interest isn't there yet. WVXU reported on YouScience in early October. It was mentioned at a Northern Kentucky Chamber event about the difficulty of filling jobs.
“And so, the work is really being discussed now about how do we amp up the conversation of these kinds of jobs that are available in our region, so that these aptitudes that our students are getting through our K through 12 experiences can actually be working and thinking along the lines of advanced manufacturing, transportation logistics or allied health and nursing?” All areas where Northern Kentucky businesses have a need, he says.
