The Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association and Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Center for Workforce Development celebrated the graduation of the latest cohort of the Real Life Rosies © Pre-Apprenticeship Program, aimed at supporting the Finger Lakes manufacturing industry.
Eleven participants completed the six-week, 72-hour training program and earned the Certified Manufacturing Associate (CMfgA) credential through Tooling U-SME.
The Real Life Rosies © program was created to expand opportunities for women in advanced manufacturing by offering no-cost, pre-apprenticeship training that combines technical instruction with career readiness development. Organizers say the initiative is New York’s first direct-entry program focused specifically on women pursuing careers in manufacturing.
Participants received hands-on training, completed classroom instruction, and earned multiple industry-recognized credentials, including the Certified Manufacturing Associate certification and OSHA-10 certification. The program also included tours of local manufacturing companies to provide exposure to real-world work environments and career opportunities throughout the region.
“Each graduating class continues to gain new insights and expand their technical knowledge as we build stronger relationships with our education and manufacturing partners,” said Ruth Thompson. “This most recent cohort completed 28 advanced manufacturing modules through SME’s Tooling U ahead of schedule, opening up weeks of additional hands-on lab time at the BOCES 2 Manufacturing Process Center utilizing their mechatronics equipment.”
