TITUSVILLE, Pa - The Manufacturing Assistance Center at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville Education and Training Hub will commemorate Manufacturing Month in October with multiple events.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Manufacturing and Business Association’s Manufacturing Day on Oct. 11, and the MAC outreach team will participate in Manufacturing Day at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, where team members will spend the day speaking with more than 2,000 students from area high schools and middle schools.
A few days later on Oct. 14, Titusville Middle School students participating in the Northwest Industrial Resource Center Celebration of Manufacturing in Your Community will visit the MAC. Students and their parents will visit the MAC workshop and hear about its training possibilities available in Titusville that are a pipeline to manufacturing careers.
On Oct. 21 the MAC, along with the other hub partners, will participate in the hub’s Fall Open House. The Open House will include a presentation about the hub. Those interested in the MAC will meet with the MAC’s outreach coordinator to learn more about the program and tour the MAC workshop. Those wishing to register for this event should sign up at www.titusville.pitt.edu/openhouse.
Additionally, throughout the month, MAC staff will share information about the program and promote machining and manufacturing during other high school visits and college fairs.
“There is an abundance of opportunities in the manufacturing field, and we are excited to celebrate Manufacturing Month here in our region,” said Dr. Stephanie Fiely, Hub executive director. “Having the MAC here in Titusville provides our region with training to learn new skills and advance current skill for the job market without leaving the area. Our training programs can be taken full time during the day or part time during the evening, which allows for flexibility for those wishing to enroll.”
The MAC offers two programs – Basic Machining and CNC Machining. Anyone with little to no experience starts in basic machining to increase their skills and knowledge of the manual machines. The CNC course is more advanced and is for those moving from basic machining or upskilling. This class covers CNC mills, lathes, and machine language.
Nathan Lucas, MAC outreach coordinator, said, “I come from Michigan, and just like Ohio and Pennsylvania, it’s most often called a rust belt state. That’s wrong. These are the states where things are made. Here in Crawford County, there is an opportunity to receive training and a good paying job to support a family. If interested in learning a new trade or learning new skills, we would love to talk to you.”
For more information about the MAC and its program opportunities, visit https://titusville.pitt.edu/MAC. The next cohorts for basic and CNC machining begin the week of Jan. 9.