A local engineering company is partnering with Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus in providing training to create job opportunities for veterans in automotive-related technology.
LHPU, the training division of LHP Engineering Solutions, is partnering with Ivy Tech and the Indiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs on the initiative.
Dave Glass, chief executive officer for Columbus-based LHP, said the partnership will allow the company to help train Indiana veterans to attain the skills necessary to secure high-paying jobs among thousands of positions that Indiana companies have open.
“We are extremely confident that our innovative, hands-on technical training will help provide countless veterans the skills to secure these jobs,” Glass said, describing the partnership as a win-win for veterans and Indiana employers.
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LHPU already provides hands-on training for master’s level engineers who come from around the world, according to the company.
In this new partnership, Ivy Tech will help LHPU provide a curriculum of leadership, job placement and communication, with the course taught by an Ivy Tech instructor.
“Partnerships such as this are instrumental in the success of veterans after serving in the military. We continually cross paths with organizations that are looking to help military veterans get their foot in the door of industries they may not have known before,” said Matt Vincent, deputy director of the Indiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Veterans with engineering degrees may select from five different courses, said Megan Verkamp, LHP Engineering Solutions spokeswoman.
Courses for two classes will be offered beginning Jan. 8 and will be taught at LHP Engineering Solutions, 305 Franklin St.
To be considered, individuals must have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering. They also must be a resident of Indiana or registered to vote in an Indiana county, must be a veteran living in Indiana and meet the qualifications of being unemployed or underemployed, Verkamp said.
Eligible individuals may also able to receive up to $5,000 toward an LHPU training course if they meet the requirements.
Verkamp said the automotive industry as a whole faces a shortage of highly-skilled qualified engineers.
In fact, companies nationwide across many segments are facing worker shortages — and the LHPU program could help change that, said Jason Hester, president of the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp.
There are 100 positions open at either LHP or at customer locations, Verkamp said.
“As technology and complexity within automotive continue to rise, the caliber of job and expertise also needs to rise,” Verkamp said. “Our LHPU bootcamps have been designed to meet that industry gap, and hopefully, lessen the strain that automotive companies are facing.”
Success story
Albert Frempong, a veteran from the U.S. Marine Corps who graduated from IUPUI, participated in LHPU’s fundamentals of automotive functional safety controls system boot camp. Frempong and his classmates were awarded a certificate of mastery from SAE International, which provides technical learning and credentialing for the mobility industry.
Frempong worked on military-grade engines and systems in the Marine Corps before joining LHPU and credited the training division as the reason he progressed in his career after leaving the military.
“LHPU brilliantly bridged the gap between student needs and employer expectations in the automotive industry and opened the right doors to get back in my career,” Frempong said.
He now works as an application and field engineer in transportation defense technology.
Bartholomew County is supporting the Next Level Veterans initiative to help recruit veterans to local communities who are looking to relocate, Hester said. Officials are still putting together plans for the Bartholomew County program, which is expected to begin in early to mid-2019, Hester said.
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To learn more about the training and courses being offered to veterans by LHP Engineering Solutions, visit http://lhpu.com/intraining/.
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