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Job Training
Jobs Now for Vets offers veterans and their immediate family members an opportunity to rapidly train for existing job openings in manufacturing. The program will result in guaranteed jobs for veterans just weeks after they enter the program. This innovative program uses high-tech mobile classrooms to provide intensive, two-week customized training at an employer’s worksite. The vets are then placed immediately into full-time manufacturing jobs and receive six months on-the-job training and mentoring to ensure their success.
Benefits for Employers
One of the nation’s most innovative vehicles for offering workforce training, the M.O.S.T.® program offers several advantages over traditional worker training programs. First, the program can relieve a company’s HR staff of some of the burdens of screening job applicants, which is particularly valuable for small manufacturers that lack specialized HR departments. The program begins by working with a local manufacturer to determine what the company needs in terms of workers and skill sets. M.O.S.T.® staff then provides the initial HR review, screening prospective applicants and working with Local Veterans’ Employment Services Representatives (LVERs) and Career Center staff to identify a pool of trainees. The company can then select trainees from a well-qualified pool of applicants. Second, the training program is customized to meet the needs of each individual manufacturer. This shortens the length of time needed for trainees to become productive employees and increases the attractiveness of the training program for small manufacturers. Third, the state-of-the-art mobile training unit can be located at the employer’s facility or at a location that is convenient for trainees. This flexibility in training delivery is particularly important for rural manufacturers who may not be located near a community college or other training facility. Fourth, participating employers commit to hiring trainees who successfully complete the program. This enhances trainee motivation, because participants know that a job and additional on-the-job training await them upon completion of the first phase of the program. The end result is a comprehensive placement and training program that successfully launches veterans on careers in manufacturing at a fraction of the cost per job of traditional training programs. Contact Maine MEP for More Information The Mobile Outreach Skills Training Program (M.O.S.T.®) is a fast-track, intensive skills training, recruitment, assessment and placement program that prepares unemployed Maine veterans and their immediate family members for front-line production jobs in a fraction of the time of traditional training programs. The program begins by identifying job openings and workforce training needs upfront. A customized training program is developed for each employer, who in return provides a commitment to hire program graduates. Veteran applicants are screened and guaranteed an offer of employment upon successful completion of the training. Phase 1 – Fast Track Intensive Training 
Phase 1 delivers the initial training to a class of trainees in an intensive two-week program that focuses on basic manufacturing skills. The training is conducted by experienced Maine MEP project managers on board the mobile training units (MTUs). The mobile training units usually are located at an employer’s worksite.The training employs 3-D simulations and self-paced modules that cover topics such as shop math, blueprint reading, metrology, Lean-to-Green manufacturing and computer numeric controlled (CNC) operations. State-of-the-art programmable manufacturing machines give trainees the feel of shop floor operations. This phase of the training session culminates in a graduation ceremony. Phase 2 – On-the-Job Training (OJT) 
Phase 2 consists of an eight-week on-site training program in which Maine MEP staff continues to work with the employer and trainees. This phase is designed to reinforce the trainees’ rapid learning curve and helps ensure client satisfaction.Maine MEP field engineers assist the employer in designing a training plan that meets the needs of both manufacturer and trainee. The field engineers provide training to supervisors on how to oversee an on-the-job training program. The field staff continues to meet with supervisors and trainees to make adjustments to the OJT and address any problems. By the end of the eight-week training program, trainees are expected to be fully functional employees. Phase 3 – Career Mentoring and Retention 
The final phase of the program consists of a four-month cross-training program. Maine MEP staff continues working with trainees to provide career guidance and develop a customized career blueprint for each trainee. The frequency of visits varies in response to the needs of trainees and employers.The End Result: An Impressive Record of Achievement Developed under a U.S. Department of Labor grant to a six-state consortium of New England Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) programs, the M.O.S.T.® program has demonstrated an impressive record of achievement. As of October 2011, the program had trained 1,143 participants in eight states with notable results:
• Trainee completion rate of 97%;
These impacts far surpass those of traditional job training programs at only a fraction of the cost per job.• Job placement rate of 95%; • Six-month job retention rate of 91%. |
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