U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Marshall President Brad Smith met with owners and employees of West Virginia manufacturing operations last week to learn more about how they benefit from the workforce development programs and technical assistance available at the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI).
During a roundtable at RCBI Huntington, Capito and Smith engaged with owners of Brinker Machine of Mason County, Cyclops Industries of Kanawha County and Liberty Hill Machine of Cabell County to learn specifically how Apprenticeship Works, RCBI’s national advanced manufacturing apprentice partnership, assists companies in developing the skilled workforce they need while providing pathways for apprentices to earn industry-recognized credentials and college degrees.
“Sen. Capito and President Smith are strong proponents of RCBI,” said Charlotte Weber, RCBI director & CEO. “They understand the importance of our mission to support entrepreneurs and manufacturers at every stage of the process and have been great supporters of the work we do.”
Capito and Smith also toured RCBI’s Shared Manufacturing facility, where they had the opportunity to speak with manufacturers utilizing RCBI’s technology and expertise to produce components for a variety of industries. The pair also made a stop in RCBI’s community makerspace, the Maker Vault, where they interacted with gifted students from Alban Elementary School in St. Albans, who were engaging in STEM learning through hands-on 3D printing exercises.
