TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA. Date (TDB). El Camino College today announced it will use funding from the Department of Energy (DOE) to incentivize small-and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to adopt smart manufacturing processes and technologies. The grant is part of the DOE’s Smart Manufacturing Leadership Program (SMLP).
The DOE designated the California Governor’s Office of Planning & Research (OPR) as the SMLP lead for the state. El Camino College, in partnership with the University of California Los Angeles’ Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII), applied to OPR for the grant. Programs developed under the grant will target SMMs in the San Francisco Bay Area, the greater Los Angeles region, and San Diego County. California is one of 12 states to receive SMLP funding.
Jose Anaya, Dean of Community Advancement & Business Training Center, El Camino College states, “Through the Business Training Center (BTC) at El Camino we have developed an innovative portfolio of outreach and training programs that meet the workforce development needs of regional manufacturers in areas such as Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity and Smart Manufacturing. We will leverage that experience and our extensive industry relationships to develop SMLP funded programs that include smart manufacturing boot camps, pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships, and continued upskilling of the existing manufacturing workforce. These programs will be offered at no cost to manufacturers.”
El Camino College will also coordinate the efforts of partners who will provide a range of services to SMM’s. Those partners and services include:
- UCLA/CESMII will assist by:
- Recruiting and qualify SMMs for energy or smart manufacturing assessments.
- Referring SMMs to provide energy, productivity, and waste assessments.
- Providing Smart Manufacturing Adoption Road Map Assessments and follow-up guidance to implement recommendations.
- California Manufacturing Technology Consulting(CMTC) will help SMMs assess and adopt smart manufacturing technologies by:
- Organizing events for SMMs with an interest and/or experience in implementing smart manufacturing technologies.
- Developing and delivering training sessions to SMMs on the value and applicability of smart manufacturing technologies.
- Providing consulting services related to Technology Road Mapping Sessions, Assessments, and System Selection Projects.
- California Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) will by:
- Providing no-cost assessments to manufacturing facilities to examine energy use, waste generation and water consumption.
Anaya further states, “The programs we are developing will help SMMs improve production and increase the overall efficiency of the manufacturing process. DOE research reveals that the majority of SMMs currently do not employ smart manufacturing or high-performance computing technologies due to expensive costs, and a mismatch between staffing and access to training resources. The programs we are developing in conjunction with our partners will address the barriers that hinder the adoption of smart manufacturing processes and technologies. While we currently offer smart manufacturing training programs, the boot camps, pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships programs are estimated to begin in Q4 of this year. El Camino College is excited to be a part of this grant and to support SMMs.”
To administer this grant over the next three years and to develop outreach and training programs, the BTC will add the Smart Manufacturing Center to its portfolio of services. The Center’s website will act as an information and resource hub for manufactures in the three targeted geographic areas.
About The Business Training Center at El Camino College
Since 1997, the Business Training Center at El Camino College has collaborated with regional businesses to develop customized employee training programs that increase employee productivity and enhance organizational competitiveness. Through outreach, partnerships, and ongoing industry involvement, the BTC staff engages with local businesses to help develop a high-performance workforce.
To find out more about the grant-funded smart manufacturing programs offered in your region, please contact:
Jose Anaya
Dean of Community Advancement & Business Training Center
El Camino College
Email: [email protected]