The Cummins Generator Technologies team in Craiova, Romania, will partner with Liceul Technologic High School to form a new TEC: Technical Education for Communities site in Craiova. TEC is Cummins’ global initiative that targets the technical skills gap through local vocational education programs.

The program was started by Cummins in 2012 when company leaders discovered a growing gap in the availability of skilled workers and the harm it was causing communities. According to talent shortage studies conducted in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Romania is one of the top three countries facing challenges filling open positions. The talent deficit is especially significant for skilled blue collar workers, engineers and technicians. TEC will help address this skills gap by providing a standardized education platform that develops market-relevant curriculum, teacher training, career guidance and practical experiences needed by students.

Cummins also has TEC sites in Peru, Morocco, Turkey, Nigeria, India, China, Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

The Craiova program will focus on training students for various technical fields, including mechanical, electrical, electronics, automation and transportation. Prior to launching the TEC program, the Craiova Community Involvement Team (CIT) already had robust engagement with Liceul Technologic High School through their Adopt a High School program. The plant’s CIT has participated in community improvement projects at the school, including refurbishing a classroom, modernizing a workshop and improving the landscaping at the school’s park. More than 200 of the plant’s employees have engaged in activities with the school thus far. Their work also included engaging with the Express Program, a school initiative featuring 50 students who participated in theoretical workshops and then joined partner companies for two weeks of workplace learning. The Express Program is serving as the foundation for the first TEC class at the school.

Congratulations to the Cummins Generator Technologies team in Craiova and good luck as you start to implement TEC’s five element framework. For more information about TEC, clickhere.