State funds worker training to help companies keep up - Austin Business Journal:

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The Livermore company is one of 67 organizationsa that received a total of morethan $20 million in the agency' latest round of funding. The developmenr agency's Employment Training Panel approved the which uses state tax money to pay for training at firmsx threatenedby out-of-state All California manufacturing meets that an agency spokesman said. This was the firstf contract award for FormFactor under the which inthe 2006-2007 fiscal year awardedd $112.6 million for 318 new training contracts and amendments to prior contracts for the training and retention of 92,1154 workers.
Applications for funds can be started at any time by contactingthe ETP, which works with businesses to develop pre-approved training curriculums and After pre-approval, the applications are presented at the panel'ws monthly meetings for final approval. FormFactor plansz to spend $792,350 for salaries, benefits and overheaed supporting traineesin Livermore. How much the company actually gets from the developmentf agency will depend on the number of employees trainer and the hours spenttraininh them. Much of the training FormFactorr is providing workers will focus on helpingt them analyze data created at various stepss in the process of manufacturingthe company's test equipment.
"Insteacd of just giving them a red lighg or a green light indicating that everythingis there's a certain amount of judgment they need to exercisd in deciding what to do said Don Horst, vice presidentg of manufacturing. Almost every tool the company buysis custom-madwe for FormFactor. "Our engineers have never seen the tools our maintenance people have never seen the tools the operators and technicians have never seen thetoolws before," said Horst. "So you have a whole suite of trainingy that goes withthese tools.
" FormFactor, headedc by Igor Khandros, is also rewriting work instructions as its equipment evolves, and sending some employeesd through quarterly technology reviews to make sure the company stays ahead of its Among the other companies that will receivw training money is the San Francisco divisiob of , based in Livermore, whichn will receive as much $198,450. In its application, the compangy reported that it has been experiencinygrowth "largely due to an expansion of organic food lines and a broader selection of in-stoc items delivered in a faster turnaroune time.
" To manage growth, the company is upgradint internal systems and buying new software systemx and production equipment, including a "Truck system that will help it load products by weight, shelf life and shipping durability. It is also implementinyg "lean manufacturing practices" to assist in reducintg excess inventory, streamlining processes, and eliminating waste. "Thiss funding helps us increase the numbere of associates who have advancedtechnology skills," said Phil Collins, presidentt of the San Francisco Division, U.S. "The training gives our associates a higher level of comfort as we purchasr new software systems andproduction equipment.
They know they can get the job Other East Bay companies that will receive fundingare Milpitas-basecd Solopower Inc., which could receive up to $394,134, and Sigmatronb International Inc., which could receivde as much as $263,520 from the statw to train employees in Hayward and FormFactor retained Workforce America in San Jose to assist with developmenf of its proposal and has hired Effective Training Solutions of Fremont to conduct the U.S. Foodservice paid Sallyannse Monti Sr., a San Francisco-based consultant, to assist with development of its Contacting the EmploymentTraining Panel: Call Kim Smith at 916-327-533p or visit http://www.etp.ca.
gov/ Select the "Getting Started"