SBE Inc. (DBA SB Electronics) has announced today that they will be partnering with the nonprofit Vermont HITEC and the Vermont Department of Labor to educate and train unemployed and underemployed Vermonters.
This new partnership will offer free eight-week training sessions, which will lead directly to guaranteed jobs for program graduates. Upon completing training sessions, participants will enter a one-year state certified apprenticeship at SBE. After successfully completing their apprenticeship, the program graduates will receive a Vermont State Apprenticeship Certificate of Completion, a Vermont HITEC Certificate of Completion, and may have also earned college credits towards an Associate’s Degree.
SBE expects to educate, train and hire up to 100 employees over the next four years through a series of such eight-week training sessions. The program will be funded through a $951,000 federal earmark acquired by US Senator Patrick J. Leahy for the purpose of assisting unemployed and underemployed Vermonters.
‘We are growing rapidly and will need to hire and train new high-tech manufacturing staff,’ said Paul Nelson, the Chief Operating Officer at SBE. ‘We are extremely excited about having Vermont HITEC assist us in developing our workforce for the new generation of capacitor products.’
Vermont HITEC is a non-profit organization with a mission to transform the lives of Vermonters through employer-based education and training programs. Vermont HITEC has worked with over 20 Vermont employers in a variety of fields to educate, train and employ approximately 500 Vermonters over the past ten years. The Vermont Department of Labor has assisted Vermont HITEC in recruiting and selecting candidates for the various training programs, and provides the apprenticeship support for Vermont HITEC programs.
‘We are equally excited about this partnership with SBE, Inc. and the education and employment opportunities it will bring to Central Vermont,’ said Gerry Ghazi, President of Vermont HITEC. ‘Successful graduates of the program will be provided a unique opportunity to receive high-quality training and guaranteed employment with a top area employer.’
Recruitment for the training programs will be announced over the next few months. Individuals interested in the programs may visit www.vthitec.org or contact Steven Lutton, Project Leader at [email protected] or (802) 872-0660.
SBE Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of film capacitor solutions. They have recently acquired a $9.1 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to manufacture capacitors to be used in electric vehicles. With such grant, they are expanding their operations into a new 53,000 square foot facility currently under construction in the Wilson Industrial Park, located in Barre Town, Vermont. For more information on SBE, please visit www.sbelectronics.com.
Source: SBE. 8.3.2010