Crawford County recently awarded the Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC) at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville Education and Training Hub with a $25,000 grant, and the Gene Haas Foundation recently awarded MAC a $12,000 grant.
MAC will use the funding to provide scholarships for students in the center’s basic machining and CNC programming and operations programs.
The Crawford County grant is part of the American Rescue Plan, and Gene Haas Foundation supports manufacturing training programs.
“We are very grateful to both the county and the Haas Foundation for awarding these funds, which will be used to support MAC students as they advance their skills and knowledge of machining,” Stephanie Fiely, Hub executive director, said. “These funds are a great investment in our community since graduates of these programs tend to stay in the region and contribute to its economic health.”
Scholarships will be awarded by the MAC and Hub leadership team based on financial need. Classes begin next week.
In 2021, the MAC moved to Titusville. Forty-seven students have completed basic machining, CNC programming and operations, or both.
The basic machining program combines classroom, shop and machine time with the goal of preparing students to be successful in a machine shop environment.
The CNC course teaches students more advanced skills, including the theory of G-code machine language programming.