A new $5 million facility where candidates for area manufacturing jobs can train for the work has opened in Columbia, and local leaders say it’s a major step in boosting the number of well-paying jobs in the Midlands.
The Cornerstone Economic Development and Workforce Training Center is now operational in northeast Columbia, near the northeast branch of Midlands Technical College.
State and local leaders say having this training facility will increase the ability for area residents to get higher paying jobs by allowing candidates to train for the technical aspects of the work without necessarily needing prior experience. Scout Motors, which is building a $2 billion electric vehicle plant in Blythewood, will be the first company to train its workforce at the facility. The company has promised to provide “up to” 4,000 new positions at its new plant…