MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Procter & Gamble will begin the hiring process for the first employees who will work at the company’s future $500 million manufacturing facility at Martinsburg’s Tabler Station Business Park in Berkeley County on Oct. 1.
Initially, Matt Pellegrini, hiring manager for Procter & Gamble, said they’ll be looking for people with mechanical, electrical, programming, packaging and troubleshooting skills to fill two or three different roles.
“Our manufacturing is not a traditional manufacturing base. It’s really what we consider a high-performing work system where people flow to all aspects of the work,” Pellegrini explained on Friday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
By Fall 2017 when production is scheduled to begin, 300 people could be working at P&G’s $500 million manufacturing facility with the goal being to have 700 full-time workers on board by 2019, the target date for full production.
It’s a lot of people, Pellegrini admitted. That’s why discussions have already started with Dr. Sarah Tucker, interim chancellor for West Virginia’s Community and Technical College system, along with other education officials on the P&G’s specific workforce needs.
Tucker said the kinds of skills required of P&G workers are already being taught at West Virginia’s nine community and technical colleges.
“We have programs in things like mechatronics, electrical mechanical instrumentation technology and chemical process technology — all of those programs will churn out someone who has skill sets that would be desirable by Procter & Gamble in their hiring process,” she said. “But the truth is that we need to get more people into those programs.”
That will be the focus in the coming year to meet P&G’s needs.
“I think that all of our community colleges are up to that task,” Tucker said. As for any additional training programs, “We’re trying to be very nimble on it and the community colleges routinely try to meet specific workforce needs.”
On Thursday night, P&G gave $30,000 to Blue Ridge Community and Technical College as an investment in worker training prior to a Friday morning groundbreaking ceremony at the future site for the 1,000,000 square foot plant located off Interstate 81.
Applications will be accepted at P&G’s hiring website, www.pgcareers.com, beginning on Oct. 1 for employees to start by Summer 2016 — at the earliest.
Those applying will first take an online test. Applicants who advance will then do on-site testing, possibly at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, followed by interviews before eventual hires.
“It’s a pretty rigorous process because when we hire someone we’re not hiring someone into a typical manufacturing job,” Pellegrini said. “We’re hiring someone to do a 30-year career with us in the facility.”