“Going to those trainings helped me make sure I am familiar with the equipment and confident in my ability to teach the topic.”
Francis Tuttle Technology Center’s Workforce and Economic Development (WED) department offers customized training programs to organizations across the Oklahoma City metro. To ensure local employees are equipped with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce, Francis Tuttle’s trainers must also stay up-to-date with the latest certifications and technologies.
One example of that commitment to professional growth is Industrial Maintenance Trainer Marshall Chipman, who added to his list of industry-recognized certifications this summer. Chipman earned four Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) certifications - Pneumatic Systems 1, Hydraulic Systems 1, Programmable Controller Systems 1, and Mechanical Power Systems 1 - and also completed Hands-On Precision Maintenance Skills 2 through Hendrix Precision Maintenance Training.
Francis Tuttle’s WED team provides training in a variety of topics, including aviation to industrial maintenance/Industry 4.0, healthcare, and leadership and organizational development, to name a few.
Chipman, who has worked at Francis Tuttle for about three years, teaches electrical and programmable logic controllers courses. He will soon lead mechanical drives and fluid power courses, prompting some of his latest certifications.
“I didn’t have a lot of experience with mechanical or fluid power,” Chipman shared. “Going to those trainings helped me make sure I am familiar with the equipment and confident in my ability to teach the topic.”
Since many of his students are already working in industry across the state, Chipman said he enjoys learning more about different companies in Oklahoma and what his students do in their jobs.
“Most of our clients are coming directly from companies that have already employed them,” Chipman explained. “We’re working on upskilling and making them better at their current role. It’s companies sending us someone for training, and we dive heavily down into the specific topic we’re talking about. Hopefully, it’s making them a little bit more confident and a little bit more efficient at their jobs that they’re already performing.”
More information about WED and the customized training opportunities available can be found at francistuttle.edu/workforce.