As a result of technology and automation, today's manufacturing jobs require more advanced skills for employees, as well as an overall understanding of the processes.

        To assist people who are seeking first-time employment in manufacturing or who recently entered the industry, Montgomery County Community College's Center for Workforce Development (CWD) is offering scholarships for an online, non-credit Manufacturing Fundamentals course to help them gain a basic understanding of today's manufacturing environment.

        Thanks to a generous gift from the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), the college's CWD can offer $100 scholarships to cover the course fee for the first 100 participants who register. The scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

        The six-week Manufacturing Fundamentals course covers the role of production design, process planning and 13 different manufacturing processes. The course will help participants understand and master product development concepts such as the voice of the customer, quality function deployment and failure mode and effects analysis, among others.

        While participants will not need to purchase any textbooks, they will need Internet access, email, and Internet browser (Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0 or above, Google Chrome or Safari) and Adobe PDF plug-in (a free download is available at Adobe.com).

        For more information about the course, visit  http://www.ed2go.com/mc3/online-courses/manufacturing-fundamentals?tab=syllabus. To register and receive the scholarship, contact Geraldine Rossetti at 215-461-1127 or grossett@mc3.edu.