22 January ICC inks partnership with ATS to advance Mississippi’s skilled technical workforce January 22, 2021 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Advanced Technology Services, Jan. 19, to designate the Belden Center as one of five regional hubs for its skilled maintenance training. ATS is a leading solutions provider with more than 30 years of proven experience in reliability-centered industrial maintenance. According to the MOU, ATS will provide weekly skilled maintenance training at ICC- Belden for its regional team, but additionally will open those classes to other area business and industry, according to Dr. Joe Lowder, dean of economic and community services. ICC will provide space, instructors and market the classes to other companies to help ATS accomplish its goal, Lowder said. Also, the partnership will allow for other opportunities to grow the skilled trades in ICC’s area, such as the Top Tech event, a collaboration between ICC and ATS, which brought together top skilled employees who competed for a grand prize last fall at the Belden Center. Components of the competition included hands-on troubleshooting as well as the creation of a video by each of the competitors that was sent to the vice president of the company, which, as winner Stanton Sparks said, prompted the contestants to move out of their comfort zone. “This partnership will enable ICC to significantly impact skilled maintenance training in our five-county service district and beyond by reaching companies who haven’t had an opportunity to take advantage of services such as those offered by ATS,” said President Dr. Jay Allen. “ICC is always seeking strategic partnerships with industry to develop local talent in the workforce in order to help area business and industry grow and thrive.” The new model of instructional delivery at the Belden Center is being conducted by ATS Technical Training Manager Ben Patterson. “I enjoy the partnership we have built between Itawamba Community College and our business,” Patterson said. “I am looking forward to many great things to come from this for both teams. “At ATS, we pride ourselves in employee development and strive every year to continually make it better,” Patterson said. “Industrial maintenance training is the key to increased productivity.” The company decided in 2019 to implement the training hub concept in America to help it meet its goal of 75 percent of all technicians receiving hands-on training each year. Patterson said that the location of the five hubs currently allows 80 percent of the ATS workforce to be within a four-hour drive of a center. The Tupelo hub covers 12 ATS sites located in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. North Mississippi companies include Cooper Tire in Tupelo, Borg Warner in Water Valley and Southwire in Starkville. Other manufacturers are NTN Bower, Mercedes, Trinity Rail, Eaton, Caterpillar and Sloan Valve. Additional ATS hubs are located in Peoria and Schaumburg, Ill.; Greenville, S.C. and Longview, Texas. Patterson said that industrial maintenance teams provide the primary line of defense against machine downtime. Their electronic, mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic troubleshooting capabilities often determine if product volumes are at or below the plant production goal. Challenges of today’s workforce include establishing and retaining a highly skilled, experienced team of maintenance professionals despite aging technicians who are retiring from the industry and more complex manufacturing technology. “We recommend employers strategically invest in technical training, such as that offered at the ICC hub, to reclaim control of their future machine support,” said Bill Sparling, senior program manager for ATS. The SkillPoint Technical Training program can be customized to any or all of the skills necessary for high-quality industrial maintenance work. Included are CNC/PLC, electronic, mechanical, robotics and other courses suited to fit operation needs. Related Articles ICC launches partnership with TimelyMD to connect faculty, staff, students with mental and physical health resources Itawamba Community College has launched a partnership with TimelyMD to connect full-time faculty and currently-enrolled students to the support and resources in both mental and physical health they need to succeed. TimelyCare provides on-demand 24/7 service that offers virtual health and well-being to currently-enrolled students and full-time faculty and staff for free, according to Dr. Brad Boggs, vice president of Student Services, including mental and emotional support, health literacy guidance and crisis management by masters-level behavioral health professionals. “It also provides a dedicated phone line for full-time faculty and staff to reach the TimelyCare team for guidance and support in cases of student distress.” Those covered may choose the visit modality that works best for them - video, phone or video chat. The simple, flexible scheduling enables students to choose their provider, day and time as well as cancel a visit and select the next available time that works best for them. Also, students can choose to add a parent, translator or even an adviser to the conversation. According to TimelyMD, “A modern virtual care platform starts with the technology that ... Itawamba Community College receives $100,000 and joins 41 other schools across the US as All Within My Hands' Metallica Scholars Initiative expands in year five Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide. Among the schools, Itawamba Community College was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $100,000 to transform the futures of students in the community. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs, providing funding for students to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College and reinforcement of the mission that students and their success are our top priority.” The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The workforce initiative marks its fifth year with an ambitious expansion into new curricula. MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states, and by the end of this year, it will have helped ... ICC to partner with Get2College to offer onsite assistance with FAFSA completion Itawamba Community College is partnering with Get2College to provide onsite assistance with FAFSA completion, July 17 and 18. Times and locations are from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., July 17, Academic and Student Center room 231, Tupelo Campus; and July 18, Boggs Humanities Building room 103, Fulton Campus. The sessions are designed to assist current and incoming students with FAFSA questions and form completion. Appointments are preferred, according to Terry Bland, director of Financial Aid at ICC, but walk-ins will be accommodated. To schedule an appointment at the Fulton Campus, www.iccms.edu/FAFSAFulton or for the Tupelo Campus, www.iccms.edu/FAFSATupelo. Get2College is a college access program of the Woodward Hines Education Foundation, whose mission is to help more Mississippians obtain postsecondary credentials, college certificates and degrees that lead to meaningful employment. For more information, email finaid@iccms.edu. Metallica Scholars Initiative workforce education program expands in year 7; ICC one of two in Mississippi to receive grant Metallica Scholars Initiative workforce education program expands; Itawamba Community College one of two in Mississippi Year 7 is largest grant to date with approximately $3 million committed, Expected to reach approximately 10,000 students Fulton, Miss. – All Within My Hands, the nonprofit, philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica, recently announced its Year 7 of its Metallica Scholars Initiative with its largest grant to date, totaling approximately $3 million. Itawamba Community College was among those whose grants were renewed for the third time. MSI now has a presence in 75 colleges across all 50 United States and the territory of Guam and is expected to reach approximately 10,000 students. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is the state’s other representative. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the continuing recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs and the lives of those who will receive scholarships to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication ... ICC, one of two in Mississippi, receives Metallica's All Within My Hands grant All Within My Hands, the nonprofit, philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica, has announced the largest expansion of its Metallica Scholars Initiative and its largest grant to date. With the launch of year six, 18 new colleges join the roster of existing MSI community colleges. The Metallica Scholars Initiative now has a presence in 60 colleges across all 50 United States and the territory of Guam. Itawamba Community College, which is in year two, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College represent Mississippi. ICC’s $50,000 grant will focus on recruiting underserved populations to enable individuals to attain job skills and opportunities to equip them for employment to better position them for success and a better future. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the continuing recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs and the lives of those who will receive scholarships to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of ... A season of giving with lasting impact: ICC students find support at Tupelo ACE Hardware For students training for careers in the skilled trades, the path forward often begins with grit, long hours and a growing list of tools they must purchase before they ever clock in on the job. This season of giving, one Tupelo business is stepping in to make that journey a little more attainable. Tupelo ACE Hardware is putting practical support directly into the hands of students enrolled in Career and Technical Education and Workforce training programs at Itawamba Community College. Through the generosity of owner George Booth, ICC students pursuing skilled trade careers are now eligible for varying discounts on tools purchased at the Tupelo ACE Hardware store on McCullough Boulevard. The effort began when Booth offered a discount on a tool needed by a student in an ICC Workforce class. Recognizing the ongoing need, he expanded the offer to support students across multiple trade programs, easing the financial burden that often accompanies hands-on training. To receive the discount, students present a tool discount letter provided by ACE Hardware. An ICC instructor verifies the student’s enrollment in an eligible CTE or ... Comments are closed.