For Yemi Ojeleye, the Manufacturing Career Pathways program offered by District 214 Adult Education and Family Literacy has been life-altering.

Ojeleye recently landed a manufacturing job making various types of equipment, thanks to the Adult Manufacturing program that is an example of District 214’s commitment to supporting lifelong learning opportunities. 

Many adult students such as Ojeleye have benefited from the program, which is free for students.The program is funded this year by an Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) grant and was funded last year by an Innovative Bridge and Transition grant. 

“It’s positively impacted my life,” said Ojeleye, who added that the program gave him the confidence to change careers and find a good-paying manufacturing job. “The program has opened up many opportunities for me.”

Ojeleye said that when COVID-19 first hit the community, he had the unique opportunity to help repair pumps to get an old hospital ready to serve COVID-19 patients. 

In the program, students get hands-on experience during a weekly manufacturing lab at Wheeling High School and attend an online class once a week. 

“During my class, I help them get NIMS credentials, a nationally recognized standard that can follow them anywhere,” said April Senase, an instructor with the program.

“There is a huge shortage of skilled workers coming into the industry and way too many people retiring and going out of it,” Senase said. “It is absolutely in demand.”

The Manufacturing Career Pathway Credential Class prepares students to take three NIMS Credential tests for entry-level positions in Quality Control (Measurements, Materials and Safety-MMS) and Computer Numeric Control (CNC) in lathe and mill operations. 

Senase said she teaches students how to read blueprints, properly use measuring devices and geometric dimensions and more. Students also learn basic operator capabilities that will help them walk into a job with the proper knowledge. 

“Manufacturing is a broad world,” Senase said, explaining that high-paying manufacturing jobs are in demand, and various types of jobs are available after completing the program—including CNC, molding, welding and making various types of pumps, among other opportunities.

Senase’s 23 years of manufacturing industry experience in fields such as aerospace, automotive and the military allows her to provide real-world scenarios for her students. She also teaches adult manufacturing for the Technology and Manufacturing Association (TMA) and helped develop the 16-week District 214 Adult Manufacturing program.

“I would like to start in the manufacturing environment to try something new,” said Eftimka Petkova, who enrolled in the program last fall in order to switch careers. 

“It was very helpful,” Petkova said, about the program. 

Another program offered by Adult Education and Family Literacy is Bridge to Manufacturing, created to support students preparing for the CNC Manufacturing program. In weekly online support sessions, students are introduced to the field of manufacturing while they continue to develop their math, reading, writing, comprehension and other skills. In addition to starting students on the path to three NIMS certifications, the CNC Manufacturing Bridge program focuses on basic skills, resume writing, job searches and interviewing.

Manufacturing Career Pathways is just one of several programs offered by District 214 Adult Education and Family Literacy that have had a positive impact on people’s lives. Other programs include Read to Learn, one-to-one literacy tutoring, citizenship classes, English as a Second Language and more.