India Post News Service
FREMONT, CALIF: The City of Fremont Economic Development Department and Ohlone College have launched the expanded Smart Manufacturing Technology Back to Work (SMTech B2W) program, formerly known as the Earn & Learn Fremont (ELF) pilot program, aimed at assisting dislocated, English as a Second Language (ESL) workers by helping them establish careers in advanced manufacturing.
The 10 participants in the first cohort received an industry-recognized credential as well as a certificate of completion, a pathway to an associate and undergraduate degree, and a portion of the cohort received paid work experience at Fortune 500 automotive and clean energy company Tesla. Following the program, all 10 participants have been offered full-time employment at Tesla, including benefits and stock options.
Tesla hosted a graduation ceremony recently to celebrate the participants, with Fremont Mayor Lily Mei also in attendance to dedicate her opening remarks.
“This program not only aims to address the immediate industry need for manufacturing employees, but also is designed to break down the ‘sticky floor’ in manufacturing, which has historically prevented upward mobility for ESL workers due to language constraints,” Dr. Rose-Margaret Ekeng Itua, Professor of Engineering and Coordinator of the Smart Manufacturing Technology Program at Ohlone College, said. “With our enhanced Back to Work program, we hope to give individuals of all backgrounds an equal opportunity to achieve meaningful, long-term careers in manufacturing in Fremont and provide a framework for nationwide partnerships aimed at educating, growing, and diversifying the manufacturing workforce.”
The initial cohort included several ESL participants who were previously enrolled in Fremont Adult & Continuing Education (FACE), which offers lifelong educational opportunities and services for residents of all ages. The other participants are also of diverse backgrounds, including women and veterans. To be eligible for acceptance, participants had to be currently receiving unemployment benefits or had their benefits exhausted.
Participants completed a custom six-week, accelerated Smart Technology Program with Ohlone College where they learned Industry 4.0 standards and skills in additive manufacturing, industrial internet of things, and emerging manufacturing processes. In conjunction, some participants received eight weeks of full-time, paid manufacturing work at Tesla.
In addition to Tesla’s sponsorship contribution of employee wages, the Alameda County Workforce Development Board provided $160,000 in funds to support the program through the Ohlone Career Center. The Corporate and Community Education Office at Ohlone College provided technology support for the participants.
The City of Fremont and Ohlone College plan to continue the SMTech B2W program in October 2022 with another cohort that will focus on establishing long-term manufacturing careers for Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, who are largely part of the ESL community. To expand future opportunities for participants, the program’s next iteration will include a new English language class at FACE as a prerequisite and funding through a combination of California’s Strong Workforce program to cover the curriculum as well as participating employers who will cover full wages.
Initially launched in March 2021, the inaugural Earn and Learn Fremont (ELF) pilot program resulted in all participants receiving full-time employment offers from local partner Evolve Manufacturing as well as at semiconductor company Lam Research.
For more information on the SMTech B2W program as well as to express interest in future cohorts, please visit: https://www.ohlone.edu/smtech/earn-n-learn.
