Pros
Many great jobs in manufacturing, and so JARC provides great - and free! - training to those who want manufacturing careers. "The sky is the limit" to what an ambitious person can do in manufacturing - after a few years, six - figure salaries can be earned, especially in apprenticeships.... Front - line staff are really great at assisting the manufacturing trainees with moving their lives forward, especially with income support services for the primarily low - income clientele. The instructors - some of them former JARC trainees - are dedicated, and really have the time and patience to individually assist the trainees in reaching their goals of attaining good manufacturing careers. Because of JARC's success in getting their trainees careers, the organization is well - funded. It's a real joy to see the Welding and CNC trainees get great jobs, that allow them to "thrive, not just survive"... JARC is also very pro - active about recruiting and training women for good manufacturing careers, a huge plus...
Cons
Pay is low - the front - line staff only make $38K per year, which is not a living wage; minimum at least should be $45K...benefits are good, so it's time to step up the pay for the really talented folks working there... Hourly staff are unionized, which is a good thing, as management has in the past been very abusive towards union members (although this is changing for the better). Getting a great new - and very professional - HR Manager several years ago really helped, and most of that old hostility has disappeared... My supervisor had anger management issues, and also at times could not prioritize, which kept me on constant edge... I'd describe my working experience as "fraught"... During the pandemic, "technical" issues, such as getting working laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots for remote work was a constant drama, causing needless anxiety...