As we celebrate Independence Day, it’s a time to appreciate our veterans both locally and nationally.

The City of Fremont has joined in on a partnership with other East Bay workforce stakeholders and employers on the Vets to Tech program. This program links community colleges with employers and develops customized, accelerated curricula for veterans that are entering the workforce. This award-winning model prepares veterans for careers in tech in just a mere two years. Vets to Tech is now in its third year and has helped over 20 veterans graduate with skills in mechanical technology.

Meet some of the veterans that just graduated: https://youtu.be/6aGN1ZfpP8s.

While it’s been gratifying to see the resurgence of manufacturing in our region over the past few years, there is also a nagging concern around the need to attract a new generation of talent in this industry. The need is so great that companies and other manufacturing partners must explore new ways to supplement the manufacturing workforce.

The Vets to Tech training program, originally launched at Las Positas College, now offers programs in other areas beyond mechanical technology in an effort to serve additional East Bay employers. Responding to regional needs, the partnership is now particularly focused on programs for electrical technicians, mechanical technicians (welding/machining), and bio-technicians.

We need your input! If your company has these talent needs, we encourage you to help inform the new curricula that is currently being developed, and help determine the best community college locations for the various programs. Workforce development depends on strong collaboration across industries and we are hopeful that our region’s manufacturers get involved in making this exciting program work for you.

The City of Fremont will host an employer meeting later this summer and are looking for additional companies to participate. During this meeting, we will begin the process of consolidating common skill sets by employers and matching them to local community colleges. If we receive a strong amount of feedback, we could have a Vets to Tech program started in a community college near you as early as 2018.

To attend the upcoming meeting or to request additional information, please contact Fremont’s Office of Economic Development at econdev@fremont.gov or 510-284-4020.

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