Twelve students have taken part in a 12-week training program – a collaboration between Raytheon’s Portsmouth operation and the Community College of Rhode Island – designed to prepare applicants for electronic assembly jobs with the company, positions with a starting salary of more than $25,000 plus benefits.
The class was offered at a discounted rate of $285 per student, with Raytheon paying for more than half of the total tuition. The students are not guaranteed jobs with Raytheon but according to Steve Fontes, operations manager at the company, all of the students were interviewed and he expects to hire the majority of them.
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“It is very beneficial to the company to already have applicants with the skill set,” said Fontes.
Fontes said the company will need to fill about three dozen openings in the electronic assembly field this year due to early retirement initiatives the company has in place.
The partnership between Raytheon and CCRI was in the works for several years, said Paul Harden, manager of business and work force development at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.
The foundation for the collaboration between the two was the college’s standing as an expert in technical training, he said.
“Employers need a work force of well-trained people,” said Harden.
Carolynne Cannoll, of Newport, said the best part of the program was the affordable, real-job training. Cannoll has a background in graphic arts, textiles and metals but she wanted to move into a high-tech field.
James Danenberg, of Portsmouth, said he took some classes at New England Tech but never earned a degree. He said he enjoyed working with the tools and is more prepared for a job.
Joy Swartzendruber, a 911 dispatcher from Assonet, Mass., has a relative who works at Raytheon and she said it was a good opportunity for a career.
She declared herself “absolutely ready” after the extensive hands-on experience and said the “whole class was excellent.”
The aim of the program is to give people who don’t go into trades, attend college or who are looking for new jobs another alternative for training, said Jim Crawford, the instructor for the course.
The class of seven men and five women trained in print reading, finish fabrication, mechanical construction and assembly, wire harness building and work readiness.
The partnership between the college and Raytheon is a “model to emulate,” said Tom Sepe, president of CCRI. He called the students pioneers and said they “set the standard for others to follow.”
The second program will have 15 students and starts at the beginning of August while a third session is planned for November.
