Qualified employees at SMR Automotive will receive additional training from St. Clair County Community College thanks to the Michigan New Jobs Training Program.
The company plans to continue training new employees under the five-year agreement. With the addition of $68,900 in training funds the company now has an agreement totaling $818,900.
The company’s operations in St. Clair County are expanding and they plan to add new positions over the next several years. Some existing employees also will be moved into new positions. Training may include skilled trades and engineering training, health and safety, leadership skills and apprenticeships.
The state program pays for training through dollars that would otherwise be paid to the state for withholding taxes. Businesses are eligible if they plan to hire full-time employees into newly created positions that currently pay a minimum of $15.58 per hour.
“With SMR USA’s recent growth and expansion, training has been a strategic priority,” SMR HR Director, Michelle Costa said. “The Michigan New Jobs Training Grant has provided SMR USA the opportunity to address the developmental needs of our company by providing funds for soft skills, technical, and professional training, college courses, and apprenticeship programs.”
SMR Automotive develops, produces and distributes exterior mirrors, interior mirrors, blind spot detection systems and a wide range of other automotive components. They are one of the largest manufacturers of rearview mirrors for passenger cars in the world.
SC4 has signed New Jobs Training agreements with local businesses totaling more than $1.4 million, including agreements with Eissmann Automotive in Port Huron, P.J. Wallbank Springs, Inc. in Port Huron, and IAC St. Clair in St. Clair
Employers interested in participating in the Michigan New Jobs Training program should contact Shannon Cruickshank at (810) 989-5562 to express their interest.
(Above: Instructor Eric Heinemann teaches students this past fall during a robotics class.)
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