What Pilot Participation Requires
The OMA and your regional Industry Sector Partnership coordinate funding, training delivery, and administrative requirements.
Build job-ready technicians in under a year through the Technician Fast Track Program.
With a predictable group of technicians starting each year, you can staff lines confidently when you need them. Workers arrive with core skills already practiced on real equipment, so the path from hire to full productivity shrinks. This kind of stability creates room to plan for growth instead of scrambling to cover gaps.
Manufacturers often rely on experienced employees to train new hires, but without structure, training can be inconsistent. Instruction varies, feedback is uneven, and skill development takes longer. Mentors are required for on-the-job training and play a critical role in connecting classroom instruction to real production work.
The Technician Fast Track Program supports this with an optional 6-week mentor training that equips mentors to deliver clear instruction, provide structured feedback, and apply proven training practices on the floor.
This creates more consistent training, faster skill progression, and fewer disruptions to production.
What Pilot Participation Requires
The OMA and your regional Industry Sector Partnership coordinate funding, training delivery, and administrative requirements.
Identify entry-level technician openings and commit to onboarding selected learners.
Assign a mentor and support four days per week of on-the-job training aligned to the program framework.
Compensate learners as employees during classroom and on-site training.
Technicians are skilled workers responsible for keeping equipment and systems running safely and efficiently. They play a critical role in maintaining production by troubleshooting issues, performing maintenance, and repairing equipment. These roles require strong problem-solving skills, the ability to read technical diagrams, and specialized technical training.
Examples of technician roles include:
The OMA Technician Fast Track program is designed to prepare new and existing workers for entry-level manufacturing technician roles through a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training. It aims to provide participants with critical technical skills aligned with industry needs, supported by manufacturers and educational institutions.
Training includes key technical areas such as:
Apprentices follow a weekly schedule that includes one day of classroom instruction and four days of on-the-job training, allowing them to build both technical knowledge and hands-on experience simultaneously.
Up to $6,000 per trainee means the employer’s total cost for each participant will not exceed $6,000, with costs kept predictable through braided funding and coordinated program design.
A manufacturer’s commitment to participating in the program includes hiring apprentices (or identifying existing employees from within), providing structured on-the-job training aligned to defined competencies, and designating experienced staff to mentor and supervise participants, and paying wages during training. Employers also commit to supporting related classroom instruction, tracking progress, maintaining a safe work environment, and collaborating with training partners—while contributing up to a defined cost per trainee (e.g., up to $6,000), with expenses managed through braided funding and coordinated program design.
Opt in to receive essential workforce news, initiatives, and tools that support your company’s talent strategy. You’ll also gain access to quarterly committee meetings and exclusive event invitations.
