Volvo CE and Alta Equipment Co. are partnering to bring a new hydraulic training lab to J-Tech Institute and have made training materials available to the school. Volvo CE has also provided hydraulic components for use as training aids.
J-Tech Institute, located in Jacksonville, Florida, offers a variety of trade programs. Approximately 80 students graduate each year with an associate degree in diesel technology after receiving training in off-road, on-road, marine and recreational diesel equipment. For construction equipment, engines and drivetrains are major focuses. So too is hydraulics, with students taught how to fabricate hydraulic hoses, pressure-test hydraulic systems and more.
Alta Equipment is a Volvo dealer and has a location in Jacksonville. The manufacturer and distributor have been supporting the school with training material and sponsorships.
For Volvo, it’s part of a multi-pronged initiative to address the skilled labor shortage that includes the construction of a new training center at its North American headquarters in Pennsylvania and the opening of a Bay Area training center as a hub for electric vehicle training.
“We’ve made it a priority to support technician and operator training in order to help our customers improve their uptime and help the industry add the skilled labor that’s critical to everyone’s success,” said Stephen Roy, president of Region North America, Volvo CE, in a prepared statement. “We’re doing that with the development of our own training facilities and also through partnerships with our dealers and trade schools like J-Tech Institute.”
Alta has hired eight J-Tech graduates, sponsored school sign-up days with potential students and their parents, participated in career fairs, and made presentations to students.
“J-Tech gave me the knowledge and skills needed to be successful and thrive while working on Volvo equipment at Alta,” said Tiffany Roberts, a graduate who works at Alta now, in a statement.
Said Mary Padron, director of training and technical support, Alta Equipment, in a statement:
“The service we provide customers is just as important as the equipment we sell. Alta is proud to support J-Tech, and the school has given just as much to us with the well-trained diesel technicians we’ve hired. Beyond their technical skills, the culture of the school shows up in their attitudes and behaviors.”
For more information about J-Tech Institute, visit jtech.org.
Source: Volvo CE
