Lakeshore College's new mobile manufacturing lab aims to make advanced manufacturing training more accessible in Manitowoc, Sheboygan area

CLEVELAND – Lakeshore College (formerly Lakeshore Technical College) has unveiled a new mobile manufacturing lab.

The lab aims to make advanced manufacturing training more accessible.

The self-contained training space is available to any organization interested in providing or demonstrating hands-on manufacturing-focused training, and Lakeshore College provides the instructors.

Funding for development of the lab was provided through the Workforce Innovation Grant program, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Department of Workforce Development.

The lab was a key component of the $1.64 million grant awarded in 2022 to address the pandemic-exacerbated critical labor shortage threatening the economic stability of the region, the college said in a news release.

“With manufacturing serving as the largest industry sector in our community, we understand how critical it is for Lakeshore College to not only provide the workforce education and training employers need to succeed, but also to make it accessible,” Lakeshore College President Dr. Paul Carlsen said in the release.

Related: A new health care training facility on the Lakeshore Technical College campus has the capacity to train 1,500 students annually.

Carlsen explained the value to the community of having various organizations host the lab. Schools can capture the attention of students interested in high-paying, stable career options. Employers can make upskilling workers more convenient, leading current workers to advance their skillsets and earning power. Organizations wanting to help lift disadvantaged populations can host the lab anywhere to demonstrate new skills, which can elevate income.

Lakeshore College provides instructors and delivers the mobile lab to an organization’s desired location. Individuals trained in the lab can become certified in 15 industry-relevant skills in welding, quality assurance, computer numerically controlled machine tooling and electro-mechanical systems. The lab can be stocked with equipment including programmable logic controller machines, Fanuc robot trainers, hydraulic systems and AC/DC electrical trainers.

People can learn more at gotoltc.edu/mobile-lab or schedule to use the lab by emailing mfg@gotoltc.edu .

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com , or follow him on X at @breidHTRNews .

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Lakeshore College's new mobile manufacturing lab aims to make advanced manufacturing training more accessible in Manitowoc, Sheboygan area