Build Your Future
Manufacturing jobs provide millions of Americans with employment opportunities, and we are fortunate to have a great deal of manufacturing happening right here in the greater St. Louis region.
In manufacturing, you know exactly how your work matters. The products you create are real. You can look at them and know precisely what their impact is. Plus, the industry is so vast that you could be making anything: from wires and cables, to plastic toys, or even airplane parts.
BCI’s Manufacturing Program empowers adults with disabilities to step into a career path where they can say with pride, “I made that!” Students gain the tools, training, and workplace readiness needed to secure competitive employment in a range of industrial settings.
Why Choose BCI’s Manufacturing Program?
Our program is a great fit for individuals who enjoy solving problems and working with their hands. Students benefit from a structured environment, tailored instruction, and a supportive team that believes in their potential. Graduates leave the program with real-world skills and direct pathways to meaningful employment in manufacturing.
Targeted Manufacturing Training Programs
Our manufacturing curriculum is designed in partnership with leading local employers to meet real industry standards while accommodating the unique learning needs of adults with disabilities. Each course is structured to provide personalized instruction, supportive guidance, and a clear path toward long-term employment in manufacturing.
Hands-On Manufacturing Job Practice
Participants build practical job skills by working in real or simulated manufacturing environments. Depending on the partner program, students may learn tasks such as subassembly, materials handling, and equipment operation. This hands-on approach helps students develop job readiness in a field where consistency and precision are key.
Supported Manufacturing Job Placements
BCI collaborates with inclusive employer partners throughout the St. Louis region to support students beyond the classroom. Many graduates transition directly into part-time or full-time roles at the same companies where they received their training, allowing for a smooth and supported entry into the workforce. These partnerships empower adults with disabilities to make meaningful contributions to their communities while building confidence and enhancing employability.
How The Manufacturing Program Works
The BCI Skills Center is a vocational training facility dedicated to preparing adults with disabilities for success in the workforce. Each step of the Manufacturing Program is designed to prepare students to enter the workforce with the foundational skills necessary to pursue competitive employment opportunities.
Step 1: Assessment and Enrollment
Before training begins, each individual completes a readiness assessment specific to their chosen vocational path. If it’s not the right fit, we help redirect them to other training programs or employment services that better reflect their unique goals and interests.
Step 2: Customized Curriculum
Most programs last six to eight weeks. Instruction encompasses a range of manufacturing tasks, along with essential soft skills such as punctuality, professionalism, and teamwork.
Step 3: Real-World Application
Students receive hands-on training at local manufacturing facilities or in our Skills Center classroom, where they apply what they’ve learned in a supervised, supportive setting. This experience builds job readiness and confidence.
Step 4: Program Completion and Job Placement
Upon graduation, students may be placed into part-time or full-time roles based on their preferences and abilities. These roles often provide structured career paths, opportunities for skill advancement, and the stability of long-term employment with inclusive employers.
For more information on our vocational training programs, visit our FAQs page.
Available Courses
Our training programs help young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities pursue entry-level manufacturing jobs. The Missouri Department of Higher Education recognizes each of our training programs. Tuition is often covered by county or state funding, and scholarships may be available.
True Manufacturing
Students in the True Manufacturing program will learn how to inspect and repair the interior and exterior of refrigeration units, identify key components, utilize air and power tools, and perform subassembly and kitting tasks.
Coursework includes class presentations, discussions, and hands-on training. It is completed at the BCI Skills Center, thanks to a generous donation of replica classroom equipment and supplies from True Manufacturing.
Graduates are prepared to join a production team that manufactures world-class refrigeration equipment.
Emerson
This paid training program teaches students to build kits, stock lines, and manage materials as Shop Assistants for Emerson Electric Co., a global technology and engineering company headquartered in St. Louis.
Participants will complete coursework on the Emerson campus in St. Louis.
Upon successful completion, graduates will join a legacy firm that continues to drive progress and innovation in the engineering and manufacturing sector.
Didion Orf Recycling
Students will learn how to dismantle electronics and metal components safely and sustainably for Didion Orf, a certified R2v3/RIOS electronics and metals recycler.
Training is completed on-site at the Didion Orf plant in St. Peters.
After successfully completing this program, graduates will join the Didion Orf team as full-time Dismantlers or Retail Associates.
Cambridge Air Solutions
Cambridge Air Solutions is an industry-leading HVAC firm specializing in commercial and industrial space heating, ventilation, and evaporative cooling products.
Students will train on-site at the company’s location in Chesterfield while also working full-time as Maintenance Technicians. Participants will learn pre-assembly tasks, paint prep, and assembly skills as well as the tenets of Lean Manufacturing, safety guidelines, and how to operate hand and power tools safely.
Graduates of the program will become permanent members of the Cambridge Air Solutions team.
Beltservice Corporation
Coursework is completed on-site at the Earth City location of Beltservice Corporation, America’s largest wholesaler and fabricator of industrial conveyor belting.
Students will develop essential skills such as providing tools to machine operators, setting up machines, using hand tools, reading customer order forms, and measuring within 1/16th of an inch.
Graduates may choose between part-time or full-time roles, with shift options that support their schedules.