By Chrissy Alspaugh, The Republic Reporter
Local educators are excited and proud of their role in Cummins Inc.'s decision to bring 600 to 800 jobs to Columbus.
Cummins will produce a new light-duty diesel engine for DaimlerChrysler at Columbus Engine Plant.
Preparations for the manufacturing lines are scheduled to begin in 2007, and an expected 200 jobs will be created by the end of next year.
Tim Solso, Cummins' chairman and CEO, said Columbus' educational offerings differentiated Indiana from other candidates.
"It was the piece that other sites could not offer," he said. "The educational system made this whole thing come together."
Among reasons for which the city was chosen for the new plant are commitments to improving the region's postsecondary education system and to recruiting and training workers for advanced manufacturing careers.
Educational promise
Ivy Tech Community College helped entice Cummins with a new approach to the recruitment and training of people for careers in advanced manufacturing.
The college for years has provided work force training for Cummins employees and is poised to broaden its training offerings and expand into pre-employment training for entry level jobs, said Randy Proffitt, executive director of marketing and communication.
Joe Loughrey, Cummins president, said the company wants to train more of its workers to be skilled in statistical methods and interpersonal communication.
Ivy Tech also is excited to begin a recruiting campaign intended to bring a new face to manufacturing and bring "enormous growth" to the college," Proffitt said.
The "Dream it. Do it." campaign will be an outreach from Ivy Tech to area junior high and high school students.
The partnership will focus on actively recruiting students to consider the benefits of careers in manufacturing and providing students with the training necessary for success in today's manufacturing industry.
"The manufacturing jobs of 20 years ago aren't the manufacturing jobs of today," Proffitt said. "People envision dirty factory floors, but that's just not the case."
Ivy Tech plans to launch the campaign by the end of the year and commit $200,000 to its success in the first three years.
C4 Columbus Area Career Connection, which offers and expects growth in advanced manufacturing courses, also will participate in the campaign.
Columbus will become the sixth nationwide location for the program, created by Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers.
Improving the system
Mark Land, director of Cummins' public relations in Columbus, said beyond being interested in how the educational system will benefit Cummins, the company was interested in how it could improve the quality of education in the region.
Local and state leaders are working with Indiana University, Purdue University, Ivy Tech Community College and Community Education Coalition on a new education model that aims to improve post-secondary opportunities in the region and help employers attract and retain employees.
On behalf of educational institutions, Cummins has lobbied state legislatures for increased financial support.
If approved in the coming legislative session, Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus stands to gain about 20 new faculty members, nearly doubling its number of teachers.
"This stands to be the single biggest announcement in our history," said John Greenwell, IUPUC director of marketing and recruitment.
IUPUC would use the faculty to expand existing programs including nursing and education.
Rich Stenner, president of Community Education Coalition, said increased offerings across the board signify that "people in these advanced jobs know they're never done learning.
"They'll continue to pursue education," he said. "But living and working in Columbus would look less attractive if they had to drive to Indianapolis to pursue it."
Greenwell said he thinks Cummins' involvement represents interest in supporting a well-rounded education system.
"Not one that's just for engineering jobs and such," he said. "It's about helping parents, middle school and high school students acknowledge the need for higher education."