ANGOLA, IN - The Steuben County Manufacturing Academy is getting ready to welcome its first session for high school students in January.

The academy is a collaborative initiative supported by the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation, LaGrange County Economic Development and Ivy Tech Community College. The end goal is to provide local adults and high school students with a paid learning experience about manufacturing fundamentals, as well as connect them with local manufacturing businesses.

The program lasts 12 weeks and allows students to graduate as certified production technicians, with OSHA 10 and 4-MSSC CPT certifications.

Students can also receive $10 an hour for paid training experience if they are sponsored by one of the program’s 15 local partnering companies.

The academy is free, due in large part to many community partnerships, including grant funding.