18 Investigates: Blue Collar Comeback (Part Two)

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Hundreds of manufacturing jobs in Greater Lafayette remain vacant.

In part one of the "Blue Collar Comeback" News 18 reported how the manufacturing industry continues to change and why the jobs aren't the same as they used to be.

Everything from automobiles, gears, engines and even truck trailers are being built right here in Greater Lafayette.

"We have been blessed in this community for some time now," President and CEO of Greater Lafayette Commerce Joe Seaman said. "We have a great number of manufacturing jobs. Really what our blessing is, we have a diversified makeup so we're not dependent on any one industry or any one company."

Seaman said there is a sea of manufacturing opportunities in this region of Indiana. However, with the opportunities there comes what employers call a major "skills gap."

"The biggest challenge we've had is finding the skilled labor to fill those jobs," Seaman said.

President and CEO of Fairfield Manufacturing Gary Lehman said this gap comes as the industry continues to change.

"In this day and age, and the competitive environment that we are in, really what employers are looking for are the skills," Lehman said.

One of the solutions to this problem has been a collaborative effort between the city of Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, WorkOne, dozens of manufacturers and Ivy Tech.

It's called the Advancing Manufacturing program and is considered to be a 21st century solution to the challenge of matching the right jobs with the best applicants.

"We can get people through the classes at Ivy Tech, get them trained, get them out to the businesses and give the businesses a pool of people that they can go to quickly that should have the skill sets," Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski said.

In order to participate in the "Certified Production Technician" classes, applicants must pass a drug test, complete a basic skills test and complete an interview process.

Once those tasks are complete, applicants then go through an eight-week program requiring 20 hours a week of classroom study at Ivy Tech.

While there is the saying that "nothing in life is free these days," think again. The education doesn't cost anything more than time and dedication.

"Lafayette and Tippecanoe County actually provide full scholarship money to people that can't afford to pay for the class at Ivy Tech," Mayor Roswarski said.

The scholarship covers the entire cost of the class and now employers said they're waiting for interested applicants to take advantage of the opportunity.

"We want somebody who comes into our operation and has a desire to learn, a willingness to learn and the ability to come in and understand the technical equipment and it's operation," Human Resource Manager at Nanshan America David Kummer said. "They will be successful here," he added.

"We want people that have a different set of skills than the normal applicant," Human Resource Manager at Wabash National Mick Maris said. "They need to be well versed in OSHA, quality, they have to have some problem solving skills and they need to have good communication skills."

Since May, 90 people have graduated from the program. Many of those students who have graduated have landed jobs at a local manufacturer.

For more information about the Advancing Manufacturing program and to get started, click here .