Workforce training
Our Manufacturing Academy program is an advanced manufacturing workforce development program aimed at training San Diego County residents for the future of work. Our 17-week accelerated training program is designed to upskill individuals, with no prior experience, with the necessary skills and knowledge to gain entry-level careers in the regions vital manufacturing industry.
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| Hands-On Training | Small Class Sizes | Resources to Succeed | Job Placement |
| 60% hands-on training while you learn lifelong career skills | Benefit from small class sizes and instruction from leaders in the industry. | Take advantage of one-on-one career development training | Job placement assistance within our network of employers. |
Accelerated Skills Training Program
- 17 week training, Mondays-Fridays from 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Unpaid
- Job placement assistance or enrollment in additional skilled training
- Both classroom lectures and shop labs gives students a hands-on learning experience with its combination of time spent both in the classroom and in the shop.
Upcoming classes:
Cohort #14: February 3, 2025 – May 30, 2025
Cohort #15: June 30, 2025 – October 31, 2025
Curriculum (2025)
Our curriculum is accelerated and designed to fast-track participants and provide them with the necessary training for them to succeed.
- Shop Theory and Safety Training:
Shop Safety, Emergency Response Plans and Hazard Communication - Quality:
Understanding ISO 9001, AS 9100, NADCAP accreditation standards. - Quality Clinics:
Investigating, Containing and Identifying Root Causes of Non-Conforming parts, Purpose, Audits, Cause and Corrective Action - Manual Machining:
Overview of Lathe and Mill Machining and grinding tools. - CNC Machining:
Overview of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining with hands-on training with setup and operation. - Non-Destructive Testing (NDT):
Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection, Magnetic Particle Inspection - Math for Machining:
Trigonometry, Advanced Algebra, Coordinate Systems - Blueprints:
Learning to read, understand and visualize Blueprints - Inspection:
Understanding Micrometers, Calipers and Gages and other measurement tools. - Six Sigma Green Belt Training/Certification
- Soft Skills Training, Resume Building and Interviewing Skills
Services and Skills Gained
- Experience in CNC operations and manufacturing
- Strong knowledge and understanding of tooling and proper applications
- Able to thoroughly understand and interpret blueprints
- Introduction to geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
- How to operate manual machines
- Able to use and calibrate inspection equipment
Who’s Eligible for the Manufacturing Academy?
- San Diego County residents interest in manufacturing career
- 16 years of age and older
- Fluent in English
- High School Graduates, Veterans, and Women encouraged to apply
Background on The Grande Foundation
The Grande Foundation is a non-profit organization that strives to educate individuals who have hopes of entering the manufacturing industry. The Grande Foundation, along with its corporate sponsors, have a network of employers throughout the San Diego region in order to help create successful futures for graduates when they leave the Manufacturing Academy Program.
Impact on the Manufacturing Industry
Together, The Grande Foundation along with its corporate sponsors have a network of employers throughout the region of San Diego in order to create successful futures for individuals once they graduate from the QCMI Academy Program. After completion of the Manufacturing Academy training, The Grande Foundation had 100% of job offers from graduates received with either QCMI or alternative manufacturing companies.
William R. “Bob” Grande
Founder of the Grande Foundation Manufacturing Academy
CEO and President of QCMI
Bob Grande is a Chief Executive Officer and President with Quality Controlled Manufacturing, Inc. Bob launched QCMI, a precision machining company, in October 1978 in his Santee, California garage with just one employee. He has led the company, which now has 102 employees in two locations to receiving the prestigious and coveted United Technologies Corp. (UTC) Supplier Gold award since 2008.
Bob has been recognized for his leadership and accomplishments, winning the 2011 and 2016 Most Admired CEO Award by the San Diego Business Journal and the 2012 Business Leadership Award by the Santee Chamber of Commerce. QCMI achieved No. 69 of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies by the San Diego Business Journal in 2012 and No. 4618 of the Inc 5000 America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies for 2012 under his guidance and in 2012 QCMI received the San Diego Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in the 25-99 Employee Category.
In 2013, Bob founded The Grande Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to training in manufacturing and in 2014, QCMI kicked off The Grande Foundation Machinist Training Academy for Adults and Veterans. To date, 7 cohorts have graduated and 95% of graduates have been successful in being placed in manufacturing jobs in San Diego County.
Prior to launching QCMI, Bob served in Germany during the Vietnam War while in the U.S. Army. Bob continues to be a leader in the community by supporting public organizations that benefit the community such as the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. REBOOT Workshops, Rotary and various other community Charities.
Corporate Sponsor
Quality Controlled Manufacturing (QCMI)
QCMI is a family-owned business that was founded in 1978 that specializes in the precision machining of all metals including exotic alloys. QCMI manufactures parts, components, and complex assemblies for the aerospace, power generation, Department of Defense, oil and gas, marine, and heavy equipment industries. The vision of the company is “to be a world class organization leading the way in our industry in customer service; innovation; integrity; workplace growth; and in our relentless pursuit of continuous improvement.”
Contributor
East County Economic Development Council (EDC)
Founded in 1984, East County Economic Development Council (EDC) “effectively promotes the importance of a healthy, vial economic climate and quality of life.” Its main goal is to advocate successful business practices and economic prosperity in the region of East County. To accomplish this goal, East County EDC unites various organizations and leaders from the community by creating action-focused committees. East County EDC “is an alliance of key representatives from business, community, education, government, and industry.”
Partners
The Manufacturers Academy is a collaborative effort between Grossmont College and the Grande Foundation, and is hosted at Quality Controlled Manufacturing Inc. Together, we are deeply committed to fostering a vibrant and thriving manufacturing sector throughout San Diego County.
Upon acceptance to the Grande Manufacturing Training Academy, trainees will partake in training at the QCMI facility. Typically, the trainer-to-trainee ratio is 1:10 with the goal of fostering a more personal learning experience for the students. For this reason, this number will not exceed 1:20 throughout the entirety of the course. All trainers are currently employed at QCMI and have had over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing industry. Students will become proficient in a variety of areas in the manufacturing and machining industry while they undergo the Manufacturing Academy.
Areas that are focused on during training include:
- Becoming familiar with inspection equipment (Coordinate Measuring Machines, Gauge Production including measuring up to .00005″ accuracy, and Surface Table Equipment)
- Spending time on the shop floor and the machines working on jobs in production
- Manual and CNC Machining (HAAS and other leading CNC machines)
- Non-Destructive Testing (Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection, Magnetic Particle Inspection)
- Aerospace Quality Requirements (Quality Clinic is used by United Technologies and other leading aerospace companies)
- Understanding the evolving changes of the manufacturing industry and learning how to adjust to the needs of a specific region
Upon completion of the Academy Program, individuals will become machinist interns and will contribute to projects that are currently in progress in various departments within the shop. Manufacturing positions that graduates may receive once the entire program is complete include Inspectors, Machinists (Manual/CNC), Non-Destructive Testing Inspectors, Quality Technicians, and other roles in the manufacturing industry that may arise based on the needs of the particular region or the industry as a whole.
Six Sigma Methodology
The main goal of Six Sigma is to better the overall processes in the manufacturing industry and to minimize noncomformances to 3.4 defects per million parts produced. This method consists of recognizing the reason for the defects and understanding the root cause of these issues and how to eliminate them from occurring again. By identifying areas where waste is prominent, a company is able to find ways to change their manufacturing procedures in order to reduce waste in future production. The Six Sigma Methodology strives to make performance more efficient with regards to time, cost, and resources. The levels of certification once training is complete are in the form of a martial arts “belt” system. The levels that represent what it means to be part of Six Sigma Manufacturing include: Top Executives, Six Sigma Champions, Master Black Belts, Black Belts, Green Belts, Yellow Belts, White Belts. The principles of lean manufacturing and the Six Sigma Methodology are implemented into The Grande Foundation Manufacturing Academy in order to promote efficiency and minimal waste throughout the entirety of the processes that are completed. All members who graduate from the Manufacturing Academy receive their Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. Through the Grande Foundation Manufacturing Academy, students will learn how to apply these principles to improve their next role and their company all while becoming a more integral and irreplaceable part of the manufacturing industry.
The Grande Foundation Manufacturing Academy takes a holistic approach to ensuring participants’ success. In addition to more than 350 hours of mixed classroom and project based learning, participants work with human resource and program coordinators to hone their job readiness skills which include resume writing, portfolio building, workplace etiquette, and soft skills. Additionally, we conduct barrier mitigation efforts with participants to ensure that outside factors do no inhibit their future employment.
Following the completion of the 17-week training program, graduates are connected with a network of manufacturers for talented employees. We utilize our established relationships to provide technical assistance to employers, enabling them to recruit individuals from more diverse backgrounds and/or under-represented communities.
QCMI Welcomes First Students to Its QCMI Machinist Training Program
James Halladay
James Halladay graduated from Academy Cohort 3 and shortly after graduation received a job offer from QCMI as a machinist. He specializes in the lathe department, specifically on vertical turning lathes (VTL), running high-dollar parts with little to no issues. James has been working for QCMI now for _ years and has held a high Six Sigma rating during his entire time with the company, producing a below-average amount of scrap.
Salit Seng
Salit Seng graduated from Academy Cohort 5 in 2017 and received a job offer from QCMI as a machinist before his final day in the Academy. He too specializes in the lathe department, but on our larger lathes, running roughing operations for all of our 20-30 inch disks. The entirety of the part depends on the roughing operation, and Salit has boasted a 100% success rate on the disks since he has started. Salit has become an integral part of the QCMI team and has shown constant improvement, making him one of the company’s most valuable machinists.
Tim Baxter
Tim Baxter graduated from Academy Cohort 6 and received a job offer from QCMI shortly after graduation date, starting in our CNC mill department. Tim has specialized in our vane production, running 20+ parts at a time. He has since moved to larger scale parts, focusing on our new production parts at the moment. Tim has shown immense improvement and QCMI is confident this will continue.
Grande Foundation 