Laker Nation News

The eight-week fast track Manufacturing Skills Certificate program, offered collaboratively through Mars Petcare and Lake Land College, recently certified its first class of students on Friday, Dec. 13. Five individuals received a Lake Land College Manufacturing Skills Certificate and began working for Mars Petcare immediately following completion of the program.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our community members. It’s refreshing to partner with a company that is so committed to providing employment opportunities with so many career training options,” Bonnie Moore, director to center for business and industry, said. “Mars Petcare sets a high standard for employee engagement and, given their company culture and dedication to growth, the career prospects are truly endless.”

The unique program spanned eight weeks, beginning in October, with classes meeting from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. five days a week. This is the first group of students to complete the no-cost training and immediately receive a position working for Mars Petcare upon completion.

Dalton Dare, Oakland, and Shawna Hatten, Sullivan, both heard of the program opportunity through the Lake Land College Center for Business and Industry Facebook page.

“I saw on Facebook that there would be an orientation for the program to find out more information and I thought it sounded like a great opportunity,” Hatten said.

“I was curious to learn new machines, meet new people and learn to compute new things,” Dare said.

“We’ve been absorbing and retaining every piece of information since day one,” Jack Nacke, Arcola, said. “There’s been a lot of opportunities to take what we’ve learned and identify and use it in the real world.”

“It’s been a challenging few weeks, but Randy Strohl is an incredible instructor. He’s very good at explaining things and making sure we fully understand what we’re learning,” Nick Poorman, Mattoon, said.

“We’re all very proud of ourselves for the work we’ve done to reach this point,” David Gonzalez, Mattoon, said. “This has given me the opportunity to be a role model for my kids—to show them that they can accomplish anything if they work hard and stay focused.”

The hourly wage for graduates of the program begins at $17 with immediate full benefits including health, dental, vision, vacation time and retirement programs. All applicants completed a screening process and were selected by Mars Petcare before starting the program.

Located in Mattoon, Mars Petcare is the largest producer of dry pet food and care & treats in the company’s North American network. The site produces several iconic pet food brands including PEDIGREE®, DENTASTIX™, IAMS™ AND CESAR®, among others. Products manufactured in Mattoon are distributed nationally to serve consumers in more than half of the country.

The next Manufacturing Skills Certificate program will begin on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Workforce Development Center.

The fast track program is eligible for Lake Land College Guaranteed Financial Assistance. Students are required to first apply for both state and federal financial assistance. Should those sources not cover the cost, Lake Land College will waive any tuition and fees that remain.

To learn more details about the Lake Land College Center for Business and Industry and the unique training and program opportunities available, visit lakelandcollege.edu/cbi/cbi-manufacturing-skills-lab or contact Moore at 217-238-8260 or bmoore71258@lakelandcollege.edu.