Career training institute manufactures job skills. (The Skills Institute)

Sheldon Lewis knew there had to be a better way to support his family.

Lewis, 37, left his job working for a security company and Dec. 5 will be among the first 16 graduates of The Skills Institute, a program designed to prepare him for a career in manufacturing.

"I want something with some longevity that's going to be better for me and my family, " he said. "This is basically gearing us toward manufacturing, but after some of the things we learned in class, the sky's the limit."

The institute was conceived as a facility for the development of basic manufacturing skills and as an ongoing source for entry-level workers with knowledge in production, quality …