Yolanda Gillespie of Columbus has worked at a chicken processing plant in Noxubee County for 18 years. She hopes one day to get a higher paying job with better benefits.
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi could be that avenue for her. She was one of hundreds who packed the East Mississippi Community College Mayhew campus’ lyceum Saturday morning for an employment informational session. The first phase of its plant in Clay County is slated to be up and running in less than two years. Gillespie said she wanted to start early on learning skills she would need to get one of 500 jobs that will be offered.
“I think it would be better to advance my skills and also for my family,” Gillespie said. “Not only for my family, but other families. I like helping other people.”
She and everyone else interested in the variety of positions that will be available will be required to hold at least a high school diploma or GED to be a qualified applicant. Some upper-level positions will require associate’s and bachelor’s degrees.
All positions will require a WorkKeys ACT assessment and EMCC’s manufacturing skills basic certification class. Potential employees will at least need to earn a silver certificate on the assessment test to qualify for a job at Yokohama, EMCC vice president for workforce and community services Raj Shaunak informed those in attendance. The four levels of achievement on the assessment are bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
“Getting a silver certificate or higher is essential to getting to the next phase of training, which is basic manufacturing skills training,” Shaunak said. “This includes standard practices for all advanced manufacturing not only for our region but for the United States and the world over.”
Basics about workplace safety, print reading and work instructions as well as quality and precision management will be taught in the certification course, he said.
“We will be helping with your basic skills making sure you have the opportunity to prepare for the WorkKeys assessment,” Shaunak said. “We will be having manufacturing skills classes in the morning, afternoon and evenings both here at the Mayhew campus and in West Point. Upon completion of that there may be some requirements to further train for some jobs.”
The WorkKeys assessment primarily focuses on three skill sets to determine job aptitude: Applied math, reading information and locating information. Sample questions from the assessment asks the test-taker to determine how many boxes of tile would be needed to tile the floor of a 15-by-18 foot room, make decisions based on workplace policy and summarize information from a form to determine how a customer wants clothes dry cleaned.
The application window will open Feb. 1. That’s when people can visit mdes.ms.gov and send YTMM their credentials.
The first positions to become open starting next April will be maintenance technicians, boiler operators and supervisors, Shaunak said. Periodically throughout 2015 other people will be hired as machine operators and plant maintenance employees.
Shaunak noted that many other industries use the same certification as the one offered by EMCC when hiring and training employees.
Clay County Board of Supervisors President Shelton Deanes received a loud ovation as he declared the county and West Point “back” after a downward spiral following the Sara Lee meat processing plant closure in 2007, which left nearly 2,000 people without jobs.
“Almost every seat is filled,” Deanes said. “That means we want to work. That means we’re going to work.”
Though several in attendance were affected by that event, there were also some like Gillespie who had work but saw a better opportunity as an employee of Yokohama. Mathiston resident Larry Loden got his degree in computer networking technology from EMCC in 2009. Right now, he drives an 18-wheeler for a beverage company in Starkville.
“I want to be able to take some of the skills I learned here and apply them,” he said. “When I first heard about this, I said ‘I’d like to get on board.'”
Vincent McAlister has experience in the automotive industry and wants a shorter commute. He lives just north of West Point and commutes to the Toyota plant in Blue Springs, where he’s a quality control inspector.
“Doing what I’m doing up there with the automotive industry, it shouldn’t be any more different down here,” he said. “When you’re driving 58 miles one way, five to six days a week, it’s kind of rough.”
For more training information, email [email protected].
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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