Articles

HCC chosen as Master Training Center by nation’s industry leader

Jun 17, 2022

Houston Community College Southwest has been selected as a state Master Training Center by the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC), the nation’s leading industry certification body for front-line technicians in advanced manufacturing.

Houston Community College (HCC) will be authorized to offer training to instructors to deliver MSSC’s CPT 4.0 e-learning courseware, and its hands-on Certified Production Technician Plus (CPT+) program using the highly innovative “Skill Boss” training and testing device invented by Amatrol, the nation’s leading manufacturer of industrial technician training equipment.

Before, only Indiana offered such a national MSSC instructor training center, but now CPT 4.0 and CPT+ Instructor candidates from Texas can access their professional training at a lower cost and in less time within their own state. In addition to offering instructor training, the HCC Master Training Center will also offer CPT+ training and testing to individual Texas students enrolled that do not yet have “Skill Boss” devices.

The CPT 4.0 courses include an introduction to rapidly emerging “Industry 4.0” digital technologies, including 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Additive (3D), Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), Autonomous Robots, Data Analytics, Augmented Reality, Nanomanufacturing and Advanced Materials.

“This enhanced partnership between HCC and the MSSC will serve as a great resource for students and our workforce partners,” said Frances Villagran-Glover, D.A., president of HCC Southeast, who shares the Smart Manufacturing Center of Excellence (COE) workforce courses with HCC Southwest. “By becoming a recognized MSSC master training center, HCC will be able to train other educators in Texas and advance the skillsets and career opportunities for manufacturing technicians across the state.”

According to MSSC Chair, Leo Reddy, HCC met all of MSSC’s criteria for serving as a state Master Training Center, such as having a strong track record of delivering MSSC courses and assessments; having two or more ‘Skill Boss’ devices; and meeting the requirement of MSSC-trained CPT Instructors who has passed the MSSC’s Three-Day Master CPT+ Training course.

HCC’s  Master Trainers in CPT+  are Alberto Flores, division chair of the Smart Manufacturing COE, and Roberto Sanchez, Shawn Trumbo, Joseph Grisales, and Aldopho Bibian.