Pedro Ledezma, 21, of Newman, had the honor of slicing into a cake to celebrate the 100th graduate of VOLT Institute’s Industrial Maintenance Mechanic program. VOLT Institute, which was founded in 2017 as a joint venture of Opportunity Stanislaus and the Stanislaus County Office of Education, was created at the urging of local private sector businesses which reported a high need for skilled maintenance mechanics as manufacturing becomes increasingly mechanized.
“We are very excited VOLT has reached this important milestone,” said Opportunity Stanislaus Chief Executive Officer David White, who was instrumental in conceptualizing and starting the school. “We take great pride in knowing that students like Pedro will increase their quality of life and earning potential in just eight months.”
Ledezma discovered VOLT Institute online while searching for opportunities to upskill, earn a higher wage in manufacturing and work locally. Ledezma began the training program in October 2020 and completed the self-paced course in July. The career placement team at VOLT Institute is actively working to place Ledezma and help him start his career locally.
“The success of VOLT is due, in large part, to a common vision and commitment shared by our organizations. We have earned awards and achieved 100 graduates by aligning talent and resources.” said Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools Scott Kuykendall.
VOLT’s Industrial Maintenance Mechanic program is an eight-month, self-paced training program, designed to provide hands-on training on industrial systems and equipment. The curriculum guides students through the proper installation, repair, and maintenance of fasteners, machine tools, pumps, mechanical drives, pneumatic systems, hydraulic systems, safe welding, torching techniques, electrical theory, mechanical circuitry and programmable logic controllers.
Upcoming cohorts are scheduled for: Fall – Oct. 5 to Dec. 30; Winter – Jan. 4, 2022 to March 31, 2022; Spring - April 5, 2022 to June 30, 2022; and Summer - July 5, 2022 to Sept. 29, 2022.
For more information on VOLT Institute’s Industrial Maintenance Mechanic Program, visit: VOLTInstitute.com.
