Wonderful Career Center grows its robust training offerings for students and professionals

The Wonderful Career Center (WCC) at the Wonderful Industrial Park in Shafter, California, aims to prepare and place local students, professionals, and Wonderful Education alumni for employment at the Wonderful Industrial Park, The Wonderful Company and its businesses, and other leading companies located throughout the Central Valley region.  

What sets the WCC apart are its unique apprenticeship and technical course programs. WCC first opened with the Technical Opportunity Program (TOP), a customizable technical training program where trainees can learn foundational electrical and mechanical concepts in English or Spanish.

In May 2023, WCC announced its partnership with Bakersfield College to launch the Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship (MTA) program, which provides students with hands-on training and invaluable skills to prepare them for successful careers in the industrial automation industry.

With a goal of training 100 apprentices by 2026, this 12-month paid program combines hands-on training at one of the center’s employer partners with four Bakersfield College-accredited courses taught by the in-house subject matter experts at WCC. These courses cover mechanical systems, basic electronics, electrical motors and controls, and occupational safety, and can be applied toward an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in Industrial Automation.

Seven aspiring maintenance technicians began the paid program in July 2023 at a starting hourly rate of $19.80, which will continue to increase as they successfully complete their coursework. All seven maintenance technicians in the MTA program are currently receiving hands-on training with Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds and will return to WCC for the rest of the courses in January 2024.

In the fall, WCC offered a new Powered Industrial Truck (PIT) university program to introduce participants to foundational safety requirements and certify them in proper equipment usage, loading/unloading, and transferring loads.

To learn more about the programs offered at WCC, interested individuals should visit wonderful-training.com.