Danville Community College (DCC), in partnership with Tyson Foods, is offering a new Maintenance Technology training program to help students find highly skilled work at Tyson’s new fully cooked poultry facility in Danville, Virginia.
Tyson Foods’ new facility is projected to be operational in early 2023. Hiring for maintenance technician roles will begin in early 2023, which coincides with when the first class of students who enroll will complete the new DCC program. DCC’s intensive hands-on curriculum puts students in the lab where skilled instructors create simulations and production environments to train students with first-hand knowledge of the future applications of their skills. Students who complete the program will be given priority in the plant’s hiring process for maintenance technicians.
“The career path we hope our students will pursue at Tyson Foods will begin with roles that pay well and have significant upward mobility,” said Dr. Muriel Mickles, interim president at Danville Community College. “Maintenance technicians have the opportunity to begin their careers with Tyson with nearly $45,000 in annual pay, plus full benefits, with the opportunity to grow into larger and even better compensated roles.”
The Maintenance Technology certification will train students in the repair and maintenance of mechanical and electrical equipment. They will also be trained on diagnosing, troubleshooting and maintaining automated systems.
Tyson Foods will be hiring nearly 400 team members for its new Danville facility at all levels.
“Tyson Foods strives to be the most sought-after place to work, and we’re thankful for the warm welcome we’ve received from the people of Danville and Pittsylvania County,” said Derek Baucom, vice president, poultry operations for Tyson Foods. “Our new $300 million facility will be highly automated, and we need people from schools like Danville Community College to join our team and work with technologies like automation and robotics. We’re also looking for experienced candidates to fill maintenance and management roles, in addition to production roles. These don’t require any experience and can also present great opportunities to start a career with Tyson Foods.”
Tyson Foods offers competitive pay, health, dental and vision insurance, as well as a company matching 401k and stock purchase plan. The company works to ensure team members have the tools and resources they need to be successful, such as job training, a safe workplace, competitive compensation, benefits and life skills training.
“Students will come away from this training opportunity with the skills to pursue a rewarding career,” said Dr. Mickles. “Many of these students will attend classes with zero out of pocket cost thanks to our robust financial aid and scholarship packages.”
The training consists of 700 hours of training that will be offered at the DCC Regional Center for Technical Training (RCATT) in both day and evening cohorts. The day cohort will start May 2 and will graduate November 2022, with classes held Monday to Friday; evening cohort will start May 10 and will graduate May 2023, with classes held Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Students enrolled in the program have the opportunity to be granted a guaranteed interview and priority placement in a maintenance position.
“We’re thrilled that Danville Community College was able to develop a Maintenance Technology Program that students can complete while we build our facility, so they’ll be ready to go to work when we’re ready to hire,” said Baucom.
For more information visit www.tysonfoods.com/danville-virginia, or to enroll, contact Chad Younger at (434) 797-8573 or via email at [email protected].
Danville Community College is a two-year institution of higher education under the statewide Virginia Community College System. DCC's service area includes the City of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Halifax County. For more information about the college’s nearly 100 programs of study, visit www.danville.edu.
