Machinists Institute plans $3.6M expansion (original) (raw)

The Machinists Institute, a nonprofit workforce development organization, is expanding its Spokane training center with a $3.6 million project, says Shana Peschek, the institute's executive director.

The Spokane training center expansion project is expected to help the Machinists Institute address labor shortages and skill gaps for workers in the aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors.

"The Machinists Institute is like a training arm of the union," says Peschek, referring to its affiliation with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union Local 751. She says the union created the institute to provide education and training for aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and other industries in Washington state.

Located at 8304 N. Regal, in northeast Spokane, the Machinists Institute's training facility currently offers workforce development programs for five registered apprenticeship occupations in a 9,600-square-foot warehouse.

The training facility will be expanded by about 45%, to a total of 13,900 square feet.

The expanded space includes 12,500 square feet of space on the first floor and a 1,300-square-foot mezzanine.

The scope of improvements at the Spokane training site includes updates to a 4,400-square-foot training area, the addition of two classrooms, four offices, an administrative work area, and a reception area, Peschek says.

The training center expansion also will include space for a union hall with offices and conference rooms, she adds.

A storage yard for the organization's mobile training trailer also is planned, and electric-vehicle charging stations will be installed in the parking lot.

A two-story structure has been demolished at the 1-acre site. Other site work currently is ongoing to upgrade septic systems.

The next steps for the project include getting bids ready for permitting, she says.

Once permit applications have been issued, the expanded facility will take about nine months to complete, with an expected opening sometime in 2025, Peschek adds.

Spokane-based Garco Construction Inc. is designing the project and is the general contractor.

"We're working with a union construction company that's very supportive of registered apprenticeship, which is important for us to know we have apprentices working on this project," says Peschek. "We mean what we say about supporting people's education through apprenticeship."

Apprenticeship development at the training center is offered for heavy-duty equipment mechanics; industrial machinery technicians; machinists; trailer, container, and van repair mechanics; and fabrication welders.

Students will have access to welding booths and advanced manufacturing equipment for training.

"We also train heavy-duty equipment mechanics, so a few different trades are all learning advanced skills at that training site," says Peschek.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union owns the land through the Aeronautical Machinists Inc., which functions as an entity of the union, Peschek explains.

The International Association of Machinists represents mostly Boeing members, but also other employers across the state, she says.

Planning for the project started about six years ago, when the machinists union sold some affordable housing property in its portfolio to King County housing authorities, with the proceeds held exclusively to support the Machinists Institute.

"We're really fortunate to have (resources and support) to grow the registered apprenticeship program," Peschek says.

The institute also offers continuing education opportunities, multiple 12-week preapprenticeship programs that introduce individuals to a variety of occupations, and specialized training based on regional needs, she says.

Preapprenticeship classes offer people a chance to see if working with heavy machinery in the aeronautics industry would be a fit for them before committing to a longer apprenticeship program. The mobile training trailer brings workforce development to rural communities that need it, and specialized training allows for program flexibility to address current employer workforce needs, says Peschek.

The training center provides class sizes limited to about 15 students for safety and to ensure adequate attention and instruction is given to each individual, she says.

The Machinists Institute currently operates training centers in the Washington state cities of Tukwila and Vancouver and has a third flagship training center under construction in Everett. Other training centers are planned in Oregon and California, she says.

The Machinists Institute will continue operating a satellite training center at the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center Tech Hub in west Spokane, which is under development at the former Triumph Composite Systems Inc. property now owned by Coeur d'Alene-based Lakeside Cos.

Looking ahead, the Machinists Institute plans to increase apprenticeship participation by offering child care at the nonprofit's new Everett facility to accommodate the needs of working families, Peschek says.

The center will operate with nonstandard hours that align with manufacturing workers' schedules, and Peschek says she hopes it will serve as a model for other training centers in operation.

"That will probably come online next year and hopefully it's a successful model and we could grow, or be partners in building (child care) capacity in the different regions that we operate," she says. "We're trying to address some of these barriers to work with real action."