A Job Skills Program (JSP) grant secured by Peninsula College will allow Brix Marine to reduce the time needed to “upskill” entry-level employees and decrease turnover rates at their location between Sequim and Port Angeles, the college announced last week.

The grant is worth $32,874, PC officials said.

The employee training, which will be provided by non-profit Impact Washington, will create “structured learning approaches” to increase the skills of Brix’s existing workforce, according to Peninsula College’s Associate Dean for Workforce Programs, Brian Kneidl, who applied for the grant.

This is the third JSP grant that Kneidl sought and received for training, including two others in partnership with McKinley paper.

“Brix Marine builds custom vessels that require a highly skilled workforce,” Brix Marine human resources manager Cordelia Aud said in a press release.

“Our production supervisors are top craftsmen in their trades, and we want to support their career development as they learn to manage the up-and-coming workforce.”

Aud said the partnership with Peninsula College and Impact WA will allow the company to customize their curriculum to teach leadership skills that are relevant to the day-to-day operations at Brix.

“We are excited to invest in our team and create this kind of career building opportunity,” she said. “Brix strives to be the employer of choice in our community, and this training is an important part of our mission.”

For information on how employers and potential students can get training for little or no cost, contact Workforce Programs at 360-417-6263, email to bkneidl@pencol.edu or visit pencol.edu/financial-aid/worker-retraining.