MoWINs helps East Central College grad find path to success

​Michelle Thurman is breaking ground in a profession dominated by men. She’s found a career at Pharma Tech Industries in Union, MO, a pharmaceutical contract manufacturer. Michelle credits her instructors at East Central College for developing manufacturing skills, as well as the attitude to succeed in that environment.

“My instructor actually took me aside and said you’re going to have a harder end of it because you’re a woman,” Thurman said, “but that doesn’t mean you can’t do the job.”
Michelle has advanced at Pharma Tech to be a line technician where she’s responsible for maintaining the equipment to make sure it is running efficiently to keep the production lines running smoothly. The workforce training she received while completing her Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Engineering Technology prepared her well. She also believes the one-on-one instruction had a positive impact.
“They have more time to spend with you to understand what they’re trying to teach you and understand the problem you’re having,” Thurman said.
The MoManufacturing grant made it possible for the St. Clair native to complete the program at little or no cost to her. Now – she is looking to move up the ranks at Pharma Tech to build a solid career for herself in the Manufacturing industry.
“I like it here I would like to see where it evolves to,” Thurman said. “There is a lot of change ready to take place in here.”
“The main thing I like about this job, it’s always challenging, always making you think over what could be an issue that’s causing something not to run one hundred percent the way it should.”