Growing up in Moldova, Dmitriy Dariy learned a strong work ethic from his father who struggled to earn enough to feed Dmitriy's family. Now living in Greenfield, Dmitriy works as a CNC Operator at VSS, a local precision manufacturer, and provides for his wife (also a GCC Nursing student) and their three-month-old daughter. Dimitriy studied at Greenfield Community College toward his new career in advanced manufacturing.

When Dmitriy first arrived in Greenfield, he found only seasonal work. Then, Dimitriy's friend and his mother told him about GCC's Advanced Manufacturing/Computer Numerical Controlled Machining (AMP-CNC) program. His friend's mother, Nadejda Taraburca graduated from the AMP-CNC program in 2014 and now works at Kennemetal Greenfield.

Dmitriy has a long-time interest in precision manufacturing and had looked into training, but the programs he found were too expensive. He was thrilled to learn about GCC's free training program that is supported by grants from a consortium of national, state, and industry sponsors.

Dmitriy contacted April Estis-Clark, a College & Career Navigator based at GCC and at the Franklin-Hampshire Career Center. "Dmitriy's journey from that first inquiry to his job and continuing courses is a great example of what I do with students every day," said Estis-Clark. "I work with students to understand their current skills and goals and then help them explore educational and career opportunities to meet their goals."

With guidance from Estis-Clark, Dmitriy enrolled in the 80-hour Foundational Manufacturing (FM) program at Franklin County Tech School (FCTS) and later was accepted into the 220-hour AMP-CNC program. Both FM and AMP-CNC are held at FCTS in their state-of-the-industry machine technology shop.

While exploring the training programs, Dmitriy met Gordon Cranston. Cranston and Dmitriy are now co-workers at VSS, where Cranston is Vice President of Recruitment and Training. "The growth of local manufacturing is limited to the workers and the skills they can bring," says Cranston. "Even the most advanced facility, with the latest technology, would sit idle if it lacked a highly-skilled workforce to run it. The AMP-CNC program gives foundational skills to motivated individuals who will cultivate and reshape manufacturing as we know it. Technology advances every day—it's time we advance with it."

Dmitriy echoes this desire to advance in his skills and education: "I like that they not only expect more from their employees, they actually encourage and reward those employees who live by their motto (Work Hard. Do Well). The field offers so much potential for learning and growth and I'm looking forward to progressing at VSS in the years to come."

You can learn about local manufacturers and many free educational opportunities at the Manufacturing Day event that will take place on Thursday, October 6 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Eastworks in Easthampton. Over a dozen Hampshire County manufacturing companies will participate.  According to event organizer and host, Patricia Crosby, Executive Director of the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board, "The event is part of a state-wide effort to raise the profile of the manufacturing sector in our region. It's a wonderful no-cost learning and networking opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about the range of products made in Hampshire County."

To learn how you can participate in these free trainings, sign up for an Information & Application Session at gcc.mass.edu/manufacturing