Urban Alliance announces the opening of a technical center

KALAMAZOO, Mich., Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban Alliance, Inc. announced on Monday the opening of a technical training center that will serve the Kalamazoo region. This innovative campus dubbed The Urban Alliance Technical Center or UATC will be a vehicle for accelerated employment trainings in the skilled trades and technical fields. This new campus, located in Parchment, is a partnership with L.C. Howard Inc. will support Urban Alliance's highly successful Momentum Urban Employment Initiative which currently adds over 120 people to the Kalamazoo workforce, annually.  

Urban Alliance is also partnering with Western Michigan University's Bronco Force to develop the first of many new academies that will be run at the center, beginning with an Inventory Control and Warehouse Management Academy. The UATC is scheduled to open late Fall of 2017.

Momentum is currently one of the most successful employment programs in the country placing 93% of its graduates into good paying jobs. Momentum graduates also stay employed at a rate of 90% after the initial 90 days of employment, which is astounding considering it is serving individuals with significant personal and social barriers.

"We are excited to partner with WMU Bronco Force and L.C. Howard on such an innovative workforce development model in supply chain management," says Luke Kujacznski, Executive Director of Urban Alliance. "This is a tremendous opportunity for our Momentum participants, WMU ISM students and faculty, and industry partners to work together to transform the communities we serve."

To date, Momentum has run six similarly developed training academies in partnership with Kalamazoo Valley Community College. This will be the first Collaboration with WMU. Urban Alliance plans to host several new academies out of their new center, as well as, provide additional supports to its 55 partner employers that comprise the Momentum Business Network.

Urban Alliance is still in the process of raising the overall 2.4 million dollars that the finished project will require, but intends to start small and build as funding is realized. "The vision for the center is to become a hub supporting Kalamazoo's advanced manufacturing trades with trainings in robotics, quality assurance, machine operation, coding, warehouse management and many more," says Brian Parsons, Director of Momentum. "We believe that the UATC will be a solution for two of the challenges that currently face our community: the need for a highly trained work force and a vehicle to lift families out of poverty."

For more information contact Brian Parsons at [email protected] or call (269) 348-0978

SOURCE Urban Alliance, Inc.