Manufacturing job fair set for NICC

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will host an Advanced Manufacturing Job Fair on Thursday, March 29, to offer area community members an opportunity to network with local employers, and learn about career opportunities and manufacturing job openings in the Dubuque area.

NICC will hold the event at the Industrial Technologies building on the Peosta campus from 1:45-4:30 p.m., and offer Skill Upgrade Program information sessions at 2 and 3 p.m.

Sixteen employer representatives from the area will be on campus to share information and network with potential job candidates. Employers attending are: A.Y. McDonald, Berry Plastics Corporation, Bodine Electric Company, Caterpillar, Inc., Dyersville Die Cast, EIMCo., Inc., FarmTek, Giese Manufacturing, Henderson Products, Inc., John Deere Dubuque Works, Mi-T-M Corporation, Mobile Track Solutions LLC, Paladin, Progressive Processing LLC (Hormel), Webber Metal Products, Inc. and XL Specialized Trailers.

Many job openings are available locally for qualified applicants with skills in welding, Computerized Numerical Control (CNC), machining, electronics and other areas in advanced manufacturing.

The two Skill Upgrade Program sessions during the event feature NICC faculty who teach in the Welding, CNC, Electronic Technology, and Heating and Air Conditioning programs, and the instructors will be available to answer questions about their programs and share how classroom and hands-on coursework prepares graduates for the work force.

The NICC event is the latest in a series of college initiatives that responds to the area's skilled workforce needs. The NICC Economic Development team conducted a business survey in fall 2010 to identify what area employers' needs are, and many companies identified deficiencies in worker skills in advanced manufacturing and industrial technology, according to Wendy Mihm-Herold, NICC vice president of economic development.

“There has been a proven need to upgrade the skills of the current and future workforce in northeast Iowa due to changes in technology, processes and a need for higher level skills,” said Mihm-Herold. Mihm-Herold said that NICC has developed partnerships between other colleges, businesses and employers to identify the specific skills new and current job positions require, and, in response, the college expanded its curriculum to include additional non-credit training and certification programs to address these needs.

For a complete list of current job openings in the Dubuque area's advanced manufacturing sector, visit

www.nicc.edu/jobfair.