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Forty-eight students have completed the first phase of the Imperial Valley College lithium training program, instituted last fall to prepare a workforce for the Imperial Valley lithium industry.
The students were presented Plant Operator certifications during a ceremony held within the College Center on Wednesday, May 29, marking their completion of IVC’s new year-long Plant Operator Program.
“We are very proud of these students,” said Efrain Silva, IVC’s dean of economics and workforce development. “They have taken the first step in joining what is truly a promising career in an industry that will be creating major new opportunities in our region,” Silva said.
“These new training programs, although aimed at the lithium industry, will provide transferable skills and industry certifications that cut across many other industrial operations,” he added. “For example, Plant Operator graduates are trained to work in geothermal plants, water and wastewater plants, and other mechanical and industrial plants.”
The plant operator program is the first phase of a comprehensive training program instituted at IVC in the fall 2023, named the Lithium Industry Force Training (LIFT).
The second phase of the program begins this fall: a program to train chemical technicians.
"We anticipate beginning our third phase of the LIFT programs in fall of 2025 with the start of our instrumentation technician program," Silva said.
"These programs mark the beginning of the journey. The beginning of getting excited about the Lithium Valley concept,” he said.
The LIFT programs offered at IVC were designed in collaboration with lithium and geothermal company leaders. Each encompasses a one-year certificate program with a heavy emphasis on practical training that reflects industry needs.
The Plant Operator Technology Certificate presented to each of the 48 students signifies the comprehensive skills and technical knowledge gained within the year, making them now proficient in plant operations and ideal for working in industrial settings such as geothermal plants, mineral extraction plants and other similar operations.
As part of the instructional program, these students also qualify to obtain industry certifications through the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA).