September 2004
Contact: Holly Brooker
(845) 255-1450 xt. 1301

Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center Earns NIMS Accreditation for Third Consecutive Year
Once again, the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center has gone the extra mile for not only the students, but for the business and industry community as well. The Ulster BOCES Manufacturing Technology program has successfully met the rigorous requirements for full accreditation status as a NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) training program. This is the third consecutive year the program has achieved accreditation.

“NIMS accreditation is tough to get,” says Mark Harris, Computer Design and Manufacturing Technology instructor at the Career & Technical Center. Programs are rated in a variety of areas including administrative support, instructional quality and capacity, curriculum, equipment and tooling, safety, and the integration of national industry standards. Requirements involve a three-step process: registration of the program with NIMS, the completion of a self-study analysis, and an on-site audit.

A team of industry and education experts conducts the on-site audit. They verify the self-study documentation, interview administrative personnel and instructors, inspect the facility and equipment, as well as analyze safety practices.

“There were three auditors here for three days,” Harris says. “They reviewed my resumé, the curriculum, and the labs. They checked everything, even the closets.”

But the work is definitely worth it, according to Harris. “It says that we (the Career & Technical Center) are up to industry standards at the national level,” he explains. “And our graduates have the advantage of entering post-secondary education or the workforce with a nationally recognized certification in metalworking.”

NIMS standards are based on specific metalworking competencies. These competency specific credentials enable training institutions to measure program performance tailored to the industry's needs as well as help employers assess job candidates in the skills most applicable to their company's needs.

“Employers know it’s a tough program,” Harris adds. Companies use the credentials as a basis for recruiting, hiring, placement, and promotion. Some companies pay premium wages for entrants carrying NIMS credentials. Many post-secondary educational institutions award college credits for NIMS credentials including SUNY Ulster and SUNY Delhi.

There are also requirements for instructors in the program. NIMS credentials are awarded to instructors based upon satisfactory completion of both performance tests and related theory exams in each module that they instruct.

“The testing is a good thing,” Harris says. “This way we know we are teaching up-to-date material.”

Harris is NIMS certified in eight areas: Level I Measurement and Material Safety, Job Planning Bench Work and Layout, Milling I, Turning Between Centers, Turning and Chucking, Lathe II, Level II CNC Milling, and Level II CNC Turning.

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc. is a nonprofit organization formed by metalworking trade associations, national labor organizations, a council of state governors, companies, and educators to support the development of a skilled workforce for the metalworking industry. As a NIMS accredited program the Career & Technical Center is entitled to many benefits including exam fee discounts for students, exam fee waivers for instructors, and authorization to use the NIMS certified status for advertising and recruiting purposes. The accreditation is valid until June 1, 2006.

For more information about the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center or the NIMS certification program, please call Mark Harris at 845-331-6680.