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Cisco
training a hit at Maine Quality Centers
Interface Business News
May 2002
AUBURN, Maine – Organizers of the Maine Quality Center
have marked this spring's Cisco Training Academy Program
as the most recent success in an eight-year history
dedicated to offering customized training for new and
expanding businesses at no cost.
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How
Quality Centers work
Direct benefits to businesses:
Recruitment
and training at no cost.
Competent,
productive employees from day one.
Access
to Technical College training resources.
What
the Quality Centers offer:
Education
and training programs that meet employer specifications.
Instructors
and regional staff who coordinate all training.
Recruitment
and screening of trainees.
Facilities
and training equipment.
Guarantee
of all training and education.
How
the Quality Centers operate:
Quality
Centers staff work with your company to develop
a customized education and training program based
on the skills required for the new jobs. A pre-hire
training schedule is designed to meet the company's
hiring schedule and workforce expansion needs.
Quality
Centers provides recruitment, screening and assessment
of individuals to participate as Quality Centers
trainees. Company involvement in selection of
trainees is strongly encouraged.
Training
is provided to trainees free of charge, with classes
offered in the day, evening, and/or weekends.
Training location can be at a technical college,
on company site or at other suitable locations.
Trainees are not paid wages.
Upon
successful completion, trainees are issued college
certification delineating the skill competencies
obtained.
Placement
of trainees is not guaranteed. Final determination
of hire rests with the employer.
Funding
criteria:
To
participate, businesses must create a minimum
of eight (8) full-time jobs with benefits (located
in Maine).
Project
meets regional economic development strategy.
The
new jobs have a minimum skills level of a Specific
Vocational Preparation.
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The
Maine Quality Center is an ongoing program that was
designed in the early 1990s by the Maine Technical College
system as a way to offer new and smaller businesses
a cost effective way to train employees.
"We
work with companies who are looking to expand their
workforce and need the technical training to do it,"
said Jim McGowan, the state director of the program.
Any
company interested in the program can apply. According
to McGowan, if the program's operators view the needs
of the company as essential or beneficial to Maine's
workforce and approve the application, that company
would receive the free customized education and training.
"All
the company has to do at that point is agree to take
on a minimum of eight new employees," McGowan said.
"But if a company can't commit to hiring eight people,
they can form consortiums with other companies who need
the same training."
If
the consortium of companies agree to hire eight new
employees between them, then they would qualify for
the program, McGowan said.
McGowan
said the program is designed to be able to offer education
and training services to any company that may apply,
even if the technical college cannot provide the required
training themselves.
"If
a company needs training that is outside our areas of
expertise, then we would contract those services from
outside individuals who can provide the training," McGowan
said.
The
most recent program being offered by Maine Quality Center
is the Cisco Training Academy Program. The class runs
through June and is made up of employees from various
companies who are working toward becoming Cisco Certified
Network Associates.
"It
is a good collaborative high," Lanham said. "A lot of
classes you would take for Cisco training are only a
week long. This one is over several months, so it really
makes you study. It gets you prepared for the final
certification test."
The
Maine Quality Center program is funded through the Maine
state government. This year the program received $1.3
million from the state.
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