Central Penn Business Journal - Printer Friendly = Version

Hanover training = center provides=20 affordable, local sessions
5/1/2009

John Lemmerman used to send his employees into York or = Harrisburg=20 for training. Since the opening of the Hanover Center for = Workforce=20 Excellence this year, the 85 employees at Hanover-based Penn Mar Castings = Inc. need=20 not leave the municipality to attend training sessions.

Lemmerman is president and chief executive officer of the = foundry, which manufactures iron castings. The firm has sent = one=20 employee to three classes at the center so far, which = Lemmerman said=20 was a positive experience.

"We were happy to see the training center open in Hanover = mainly=20 for the convenience of our employees," he said. "We are = always=20 looking to improve our employees' abilities in order for = them to=20 help grow with our company."

Penn Mar Castings is just one of many Hanover-area = companies=20 taking advantage of the center's offerings, which local = firms said=20 are more affordable, comprehensive and convenient than their = previous options.

The Hanover Center for Workforce Excellence is an = initiative=20 spearheaded by a number of local entities, including=20 R.H. Sheppard Co. Inc., Utz=20 Quality Foods Inc., McClarin=20 Plastics Inc., William=20 F. Goodling Regional Advanced Skills Center, the = Gettysburg=20 campus of Harrisburg Area Community College and the Hanover=20 Area Chamber of Commerce.

The center began offering training opportunities last = fall at=20 McClarin Plastics until construction at the space donated by = R.H.=20 Sheppard at 400 Pine St. in Hanover was completed this = year.

Classes can cost between $130 and $650 per person, = depending on=20 the topic, its complexity and who is conducting the = training. The=20 offerings include hands-on industry training and soft-skill = classes,=20 ranging from leadership training to electrical maintenance=20 courses.

Oliver Hoar, vice president of manufacturing at R.H. = Sheppard,=20 said he could think of at least 10 local businesses that = have sent=20 employees to classes. He said he hopes additional companies = will=20 take advantage of the training as the center works to expand = its=20 offerings.
"The hope is greater participation from = additional=20 local companies, more diversified offerings and overall, a = better,=20 more skilled local workforce," Hoar said.

Six maintenance workers from the Sonoco = manufacturing=20 facility in Hanover have attended several training classes = at the=20 center, said Robin Myers, administrative specialist at the = local=20 branch. Sonoco is a South Carolina-based packaging = manufacturer. The=20 Hanover location produces plastic caulk tubes and has 80=20 employees.

"This is great opportunity for industrial-specific = training of=20 current and potential employees," Myers said. "I have = received=20 excellent reviews from the attending employees. The classes = were=20 no-nonsense and contained useful information they can apply = to their=20 current work environment."

Myers said the center's courses are on par with the = education=20 Sonoco was in search of for its employees. This is = exponentially=20 more important given the recession, she said. As companies = tighten=20 their belts, employee education tends to be one of the areas = where=20 firms look to cut costs, she said.

"Every dollar counts, especially during a recession," = Myers said.=20 "The classes offered through the center are developed with = local=20 manufacturing needs in mind, which assists in providing the=20 necessary justification for securing the additional training = for our=20 employees."

Local training opportunities allow The=20 Sheridan Press to send many more workers to classes than = it=20 normally would be able to because it's less expensive, said = Paul=20 Loy, vice president of production for the Penn Township, = York=20 County-based publishing company. The firm prints scientific, = technical and medical journals. It employs about 425 = workers.

The company has sent four of its maintenance technicians = to a=20 class at the center that covered basic schematics and=20 troubleshooting program logic controls, he said.

"To find that kind of training, you're (normally) sending = someone=20 to Philly for five days, and the technicians come out really = having=20 learned very little," Loy said. "(The Hanover center's = course) was=20 definitely worthwhile and I would definitely be interested = in=20 another course. It gave them a hands-on approach."