Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1104607
60 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2019 Evergreen Valley College Dr. Maniphone Dick- erson. FlexFactor was piloted in the fall of 2016 with an English class of eight students in San Jose, California, at Evergreen Valley College. In the subsequent two and a half years, the program has expanded to 3,500 students across three replication sites, including Lorain County Com- munity College (LCCC) in Ohio, and Calhoun Community College and Drake State Commu- nity and Technical College in Alabama. Work- ing with industry partners, such as DuPont, Boeing, Jabil, Lincoln Electric, Thygos, Agri- Nomix, A.J. Rose Manufacturing, Fetch Robot- ics, BD BioSciences, and others, the program is expanding across labor markets throughout the United States to address workforce devel- opment gaps. With FlexFactor's scalable framework and materials, each ecosystem in which it is de- ployed develops unique DNA that reflects local industry needs and opportunities but produces the same empowered and motivated students who become the architects of their own fu- tures. Overall, FlexFactor's agile approach to build- ing the advanced manufacturing workforce of tomorrow is resulting in a wave of students who are aware of and responsive to the variety of technical, business, socioeconomic, and en- vironmental factors that inform the successful design, manufacture, and sale of next-gener- ation products. Through applied and immer- sive learning techniques, FlexFactor promotes initiative and comprehension, entrepreneur- ialism, awareness of the connections between disciplines, and the type of deeply analytical and creative thinking the advanced manufac- turing sector is seeking in current and future employees. For more information about DuPont's Silicon Valley Technology Center, visit www.dupont. com. For more information about how Next- Flex's workforce development programs can help your community, visit www.nextflex.us/ learning-programs/. PCB007 Brynt Parmeter is the director of workforce development, education, and training at NextFlex, and has a diverse background in both the public and private sectors. Before joining the private sector, Brynt served nearly 25 years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of colonel. Emily McGrath is the deputy director of workforce development, education, and training at NextFlex, and has a diverse background that includes experiences across government, industry, and education sectors. She attended Colgate University and Portland State Univer- sity where she holds degrees in geography and GIS.