Lake Land College in Mattoon will open its doors to the public to showcase the nationally recognized Manufacturing Skills Lab for Manufacturing Day on October 5th. The innovative lab delivers hands-on technical training to maintenance and machine operators and has the ability to be customized to meet the needs of technicians from apprentice-level to the most experienced senior technician. Using components identical to those found in modern manufacturing equipment, system functions are recreated in a lab environment where participants learn practical setup, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting manufacturing skills.
After the initial grand opening of the lab in 1999, the college has received two additional grant funding opportunities to further improve the overall capabilities of the equipment and set-up. In 2004, a $350,000 grant from the National Center for Integrated Systems Technology added equipment and additional curriculum development, and in 2007 a $25,000 grant from the Mattoon Area Industrial Development council allowed for design and construction of the new manufacturing cell. With a total investment of roughly $1 million from federal, state and local governments, as well as area manufacturers, the state-of-the-art manufacturing lab is an outstanding resource for the industrial community in southeastern Illinois.
“The ability to showcase Lake Land College’s Manufacturing Skills Lab to the local and regional manufacturing community has been a wonderful opportunity,” said Jenny McKinney, IMEC Manufacturing Specialist for the region. “Many of the companies I interface with are open about the challenges they have finding highly skilled and qualified employees to handle the complex processes used in most manufacturing facilities. Having this resource close by will give more people the opportunity to learn about those processes and acquire the training they need to sustain a career in industry.”
The Manufacturing Skills Lab will be open to the public on October 5 from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. and include individual lab tours and information on their services. Register to attend by visiting www.mfgday.com or contact Randy Strohl at rstrohl@lakeland.cc.il.us for more information. The lab is located at 305 Richmond Avenue East, Mattoon, IL 61938.
