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Russ is a dairy farmer from Barneveld, Wisconsin. During his thirty-one years of service on the Southwest Tech District Board he has been chair four times. He has also served on numerous Board committees and has been instrumental in making professional development, governance education, and participation in the Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association standard practice at Southwest Tech. His leadership, contributions, and thoughtful, friendly voice continue to make a difference in Southwest Wisconsin and in the lives of thousands of students, hundreds of staff members, and his fellow Board members.

As the longest serving board trustee in the Wisconsin Technical College System, he has also distinguished himself through service at the state and national level. Over the years, he has actively served on numerous District Boards Association committees, including the Human Resources, Legislative, Programs, State Director’s Budget, Bylaws, Policies, Resolutions, and Executive Director Search committees. He currently services as Vice President of the District Boards Association Executive Committee. At the national level, Russ serves on the Association of Community College Trustees Central Region Nomination Committee and has been a routine participant in ACCT’s Community College National Legislative Summits. In fact, he and I will be among those participating in the 2012 Summit next month for the purpose of speaking with Wisconsin’s congressional delegation about the importance of community and technical colleges.

Congratulations again to Russ! He is the third Southwest Tech District Board Member to earn distinction as a District Boards Association’s Board Member of the Year. The two previous awardees from Southwest Tech were Walter Calvert in 1978 and Ruth Mundt in 2003.

The Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association is a private, non-profit organization comprised of the 144 district board members of Wisconsin’s sixteen technical college districts. The Association is a forum where the trustees of Wisconsin’s locally-governed, community-based technical colleges can come together to learn, share ideas, promote, and otherwise work together for the advancement of Wisconsin’s technical colleges. Paul Gabriel serves as the Association’s Executive Director.

Even though most states let students drop out at 16 or 17, Wisconsin is one of the exceptions. Students in the La Crosse area – and the rest of the state – must stay in school through their 18th birthday.

But changing the law can only do so much, and local educators say the key to keeping students interested in school is with active support.

“You can’t just say we’re going to change the graduation rate or the exit age and expect things to get better,” said Fran Finco, superintendent for the Onalaska School District. “There has to be programming.”

In 2010, 30 states allowed students to drop out before age 18, including Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Before Wisconsin lawmakers raised the dropout age to 18, schools would frequently hear back from wayward students who regretted their premature departure, Finco said.

“They would figure out the error of their ways,” Finco said. “And then they would turn around and come back.”

Now, when a student who is younger than 18 continually dodges class, La Crosse and Onalaska school officials contact the student, his parents and sometimes law enforcement, depending on the severity of the situation.

By asking other states to follow Wisconsin’s example, Obama is promoting an educational system that puts more belief in its students, said Randy Nelson, superintendent for the La Crosse School District.

“This would push the envelope and require that the school and the student does not give up on one another,” Nelson said.

But if Obama’s aim is to improve the number of students who are ready for a career or college by the time they leave high school, educators will have to do much more than fall back on state law, Finco said.

In La Crosse schools, educators give shorter schedules for at-risk students, who can use chunks of the day for work-study. The district also has alternative programs with specialized coursework, thanks to a partnership with Western Technical College, Nelson said.

Onalaska schools rolled out a network of supports to help keep students in school, and have since benefited with improved graduation rates, Finco said.

The Onalaska Alternative Services and Instruction School, located in the high school, gives at-risk students a more flexible environment for learning, with online instruction.

The high school also builds in “intervention” class periods, to give students more one-on-one time with teachers in classes where they struggle.

Even in states where the legal drop-out age is 16 or 17, schools should be taking advantage of similar programs, Finco said. Ensuring a full education for all students takes constant adaptation.

“We had to adjust what we did,” Finco said. “We continually tweak things to meet the needs of all the kids.”‘

Shawano County cattle feeders Adam and Rebecca Kuczer were named Wisconsin’s Outstanding Young Farmers last weekend. The Pulaski couple was chosen from among eight producers competing for the 2012 title. Meantime, the 2011 OYFs, Brian and Renee Schaal, Burlington, will be competing early next month in Arkansas with 10 producers around the country for this year’s national title.

Though the weekend selection process and banquet was held in Marshfield, the event was hosted by the JCI Greenfield chapter. (JCI Wisconsin was formerly known as the Wisconsin Jaycees, an organization of young professionals, ages 18 to 40, who are developing personal and leadership skills and making a difference in their communities through volunteering.)

With each new day comes opportunity for growth and change; that’s why the Kuczers chose their joint career in farming-for the day-to-day challenges. Extremely proud of what they do, these beef producers are articulate spokespeople for Wisconsin agriculture, focused on making connections with other producers and especially the non-farm public.

They farm 443 acres (410 tillable), growing 220 acres of corn, 110 of soybeans, 40 of wheat and 50 of hay. What doesn’t feed their cattle (between 250 and 300 head) is sold as cash crops. The Kuczers source 300 to 400-pound Holstein calves and take them to finish. Being Wisconsin is the “Dairy State,” Adam notes “Holstein bull calves are easy to come by,” and he’s “always looking for good suppliers.” He follows a regular vaccination protocol. Cattle are raised in five lots and segregated. He markets at local auction barns, but is intent on increasing direct-to-the-consumer freezer-meat sales.

Adam was raised on his parents’ dairy farm (Tom and Linda Kuczer). From early on, he knew farming was the career for him. After high school, he attended Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, and though he took a job in metal fabrication, he still helped out on the home farm. It wasn’t long before his dad approached Adam with the idea of working fulltime as the farm’s mechanic.

The first equipment Adam purchased was an excavator, which he used for ditching and clearing fence lines on the farm. He also did some custom work on his own, and over time, bought more machinery and then 120 acres, which he cash cropped, sharing equipment with his parents. The young producer’s finances were kept separate from his folks’ as he built equity and gained management experience.

In 2003, Adam married Rebecca, who was also from Pulaski, though not from a farm. Together, the newlyweds continued to work the farm, and built a new home. In 2007, the dairy cows were sold, as the younger generation transitioned the business to steers and cash crops. These 2012 state Outstanding Young Farmers purchased the operation in 2010.

Rebecca explains that the decision to raise steers instead of milking cows was based on how the two enterprises would “affect family.” Raising beef would “allow more time together” and provide more “flexibility with family” activities, she explains. The Kuczers have four children-Nicholas, 6; Sawyer, 4; and 1-year-old twins, Clara and Cadence. When she and Adam were called to the microphone to accept their prestigious award last weekend, Rebecca said “the day I found out I was having twins felt like I was dreaming.” Being named Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmers is every bit as dream-like. “Someone give me a pinch,” she said. “It doesn’t feel real!”

Rebecca later emphasized how a farm is a “great place to raise a family.” The Kuczer kids, she notes, spend many happy hours in their oversized sandbox, made with some 20 yards of sand.

Farming, however, has also held many challenges for this young family. Switching from dairy to beef demanded they extensively remodel facilities. Stalls were removed from the dairy barn, which was converted to storage. Lots were constructed for the cattle, as was drive-by bunk feeding. Heated waterers were added, along with a squeeze chute, scale and tub pen for handling, sorting and loading cattle. They redesigned their grain bin system, put up a 20 X 90 silo, built a new expanded feed room and re-roofed a barn.

In 2004-Adam and Rebecca’s first full year farming together-a long wet spring prevented planting. Rather than plant in July, they decided to use the rest of the year to tile their land. They bought a tile plow and installed 50,000 feet of drainage tile to improve their cropland. They installed another 50,000 feet two years later.

In 2007, Adam’s dad needed a second hip replacement. Having a strategic plan helped insure all the work could still get done and overcome that labor challenge. Finally, in 2010-the year the Kuczers purchased the farm-lightning caused a fire that destroyed a barn (storing all their dry hay) as well as a silo of high moisture corn.

Despite these adversities, the Kuczers persevered with their dreams and have continued to make progress.

Conservation is front and center in the operation. A duck scrape was constructed, and they’ve planted 5,000 black spruce and four one-acre foot plots for wildlife. Grass waterways and filter strips protect water quality. Adam does two-and-a-half-acre GPS grid soil testing and has built a variable rate fertilizer spreader, which saves money by better tailoring applications within fields and is better environmentally, too. He’s also switched from plowing to deep tillage to break compaction and allow better drainage. A single tillage pass in the spring saves fuel and keeps residue on top, preventing erosion and runoff. He uses a two-pass system for herbicide and nitrogen applications, and relies on an AgLeader monitoring system and GPS to monitor planting rates.

All this fine-tuning in the fields paid off last year, with some of his fields averaging 220 bushels of corn and 65 bushels of soybeans. Their goals are to acquire additional acreage to cash crop and maintain 300 head of cattle on their place at all times. They market 150 head a year. They’d also like to sell their beef directly to consumers, eventually being able to keep a state-approved freezer stocked with cuts.

Their focus on improvements also paid off by, of course, being selected from a field of eight candidates as Wisconsin’s Outstanding Young Farmers, by a trio of judges: Anne Berg, assistant vice president and team leaders with Badgerland Financial in Mondovi; Tom Drendel, former superintendent of the UW’s Marshfield Ag Research Station, now ag safety specialist with the National Farm Medicine Center in Marshfield; and Doug Urban, registered Holstein and Brown Swiss breeder at Milladore and 1993 state OYF competitor.

The Kuczers are very active off their farm, especially with Farm Bureau. They’re serving on the state Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee. Adam, 36, has also been Farm Bureau Young Farmer chair in his county for five years, and is presently Shawano County Farm Bureau vice president.

This couple participates in the Shawano County Brunch on the Farm, specifically organizing the kiddie pedal tractor pull. It’s an opportunity for them to “let people know where their food comes from,” says Rebecca. While they’re running this fun children’s event, she says “people find us very approachable.” It’s a natural venue for telling non-farmers about agriculture-something very important to the Kuczers, who are serious promoters of their industry. Adam feels it’s his responsibility to get involved, speak up and let the public know how he takes care of his animals and is intent on producing a “good quality product,” so “somebody else isn’t talking for us.”

Rebecca admits it’s a challenge trying to divvy up their time among the farm, family and their off-farm involvements. They enjoy networking with other young farmers through Farm Bureau, as well as last weekend’s OYF competition.

Adam is also involved in the Tri County Snow Riders snowmobile club and Pulaski Chase Cooperative. Rebecca is the reporter for the Northeastern Wisconsin Miniature Horse Club. She helps with chores on the farm and handles all the bookwork.

“We love to share what we do with others. What we do (i.e. farming) is so personal to us,” says Rebecca from her heart.

If you’re a gypsy moth bachelor seeking summer romance in western Wisconsin, chances are Chris Whitney will find you before you find a date.

Whitney is the trapping coordinator for the Wisconsin Gypsy Moth Slow the Spread (STS) Program at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Wisconsin is among several states involved in the STS Program, a national effort to postpone the establishment of gypsy moth in new areas.

For 14 years, Whitney has led a team of trappers around the state to set traps for gypsy moth.

“It’s an invasive species that needs to be monitored, and trapping is a way to show us where they are and where they are not,” Whitney said.

Trapping is just one phase of gypsy moth management. The others are egg mass survey and treatment. Data collected every fall from the trapping and egg mass surveys help the STS program determine which areas in western Wisconsin need treatment the following spring.

“To fight it, we need to know where it is. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know where to treat,” he said.

Before becoming the trapping coordinator, Whitney started as a trapper himself when he was still a science teacher in 1989. He also learned about the invasive gypsy moth for the first time.

“The caterpillar stage of its life cycle is the most destructive. Gypsy moth caterpillars are not very picky eaters. They have a big appetite for oaks as well as for hundreds of other kinds of trees and shrubs, and they only have a few natural enemies. So, they have the potential to cause heavy defoliation. In the adult or moth stage, they don’t eat anything and spend most of their time looking for a mate instead,” Whitney said.

The traps only catch male gypsy moths because the females cannot fly. Males find females by following a pheromone released by the females. This behavior is the key to capturing the moths. Lures in the traps mimic the female’s pheromone and attract interested males.

“In hopes of finding love, they find doom,” Whitney said.

Setting traps for gypsy moth not only taught Whitney new things, but it also sparked a new interest.

After 13 years of teaching, Whitney decided to change careers. He returned to school and attended Fox Valley Technical College where he earned a degree in Natural Resources Technology. After two years as a trapper and two years working for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as its trapping coordinator, Whitney reached the position he is at today.

“It’s a nice balance between office and field work. I like to travel around the state and see a lot of cool stuff that I don’t normally see,” he said.

The trapping survey is conducted every summer in most of western Wisconsin. Eastern Wisconsin is considered to be generally infested with gypsy moth and therefore, is not surveyed.

Naturally on its own, gypsy moth spreads about three to five miles per year. However, with the aid of people, it spreads much quicker.

“Moving firewood, transplanting infected nursery stock, logging or moving outdoor household items that have gypsy moth egg masses on them all contribute to the spread,” Whitney said.

The STS Program has reduced the spread of gypsy moth nationally from 13 miles per year to five miles per year and provides a cost-to-benefit ratio of more than 3 to 1.

“It is the goal of our state and national programs to contain the spread to about six miles or less per year,” Whitney said.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a feasible way to get rid of all the gypsy moths, according to Whitney. They’re here to stay and in time, will inhabit the whole state.

“But, not without a fight,” he added. “We’re going to hold the gypsy moth back for as long as possible.”

Gypsy moth history

The U.S. “invasion” started when some gypsy moths escaped after an amateur entomologist brought them to Boston from Europe in the 1860s in a failed attempt to breed a hardier silkworm.

Wisconsin started surveying gypsy moth spread by trapping in 1969 when egg masses were discovered in Kenosha County.

Currently, gypsy moth has established itself throughout much of the Northeastern and Eastern United States, the Upper Midwest, and portions of Canada.

The apprenticeship program could start as early as February with an initial group of about one dozen participants in the four-year program, said Todd Kiel, NWTC apprenticeship manager.

It’s envisioned program participants will come from — and fill — jobs within the marine sector, paper industry and manufacturing sectors — to name a few. The program is designed to give participants an American Welding Society certification.

“A lot of people can get to that through the regular (welding) program, but there are a lot of businesses who want their guys to upgrade their skills and this fits in perfectly,” Kiel said. “We had a company call last week that could find welders but can’t find fabricators. We can give them credit for their welding and teach them the fabrication portion.”

About 90 percent of the program is on-the-job training from a skilled worker.

Larry Adamus, maintenance coordinator at Domtar Paper in Rothschild, said the apprentice program allows the mill to beef up the skills of its work force; something needed as more experienced workers move toward retirement age.

Domtar, which has several locations in Wisconsin, initially expects to send three people through the program, Adamus said.

Participants in the program are sponsored by their employers who

pay for employees to attend the 440 hours of required classes.

The program was developed by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards and NWTC.

While the college offers a basic welding program, the welding-fabricator apprenticeship is designed to help teach welders some of the more advanced and niche skills needed in the workplace.

“With all the retirees coming, apprenticeship is going to be big, and these guys are going to have to learn on the fly,” said Scott Massey, welding instructor at the college. “We will cover some of the (welding) fundamentals when they come back, but we’ll also take it up to another level, and these new students will be allowed to move into more realistic situations from work.”

Troubleshooting and problem-solving are skills the program will include, he said.

“The companies I’ve seen show interest have been across the gamut from local fab shops that will build anything you want them to build to specialized shops like the shipyard or Oshkosh Truck and the sheet metal trades,” Massey said.

The program also is expected to train workers in skills that can be applied to green industries, such as the construction of wind turbines, said Owen Smith, Wisconsin Sector Alliance for the Green Economy outreach coordinator.

The welder-fabricator program is one of six apprenticeship programs developed through a $6 million SAGE grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. It is the second such program developed with NWTC.

Kiel said apprenticeship programs can help stabilize a work force by providing upgraded skills to the employee, who in turn, may be more likely to stay with their employer.

“There’s always a fear that once you credential people they’re going to leave, but generally speaking the opposite happens. They stick around and become more loyal,” he said. “It builds a higher-skilled, more competitive work force from the employer’s perspective, and it creates an employee who knows you want them around because the employer) is investing in them.”

Kiel said beyond the first group of workers, he doesn’t know what kind of numbers to expect, but he pointed out the program could be run on other NWTC campuses if needed.

Last month, there were 57 visits to the ER at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire for oral health problems.  The hospital says that number has been fairly consistent the past few years.

“It’s pretty common, it’s usually one or two a shift,” says Dr. Chris Felton, Sacred Heart Hospital Emergency Medicine Physician.

However, there’s little Felton can do.

“For a typical toothache we’ll place them on an oral antibiotic and an oral pain medicine,” says Felton.  “Sometimes we can perform a dental block depending on the location of the tooth involved.”

The dental hygiene program at Chippewa Valley Technical College is a low-cost option.

“We can provide oral surgery services, endodontic which is root canal service, we do some limited crowns if they’re approved, we do cleanings,” says Pam Entorf, CVTC Dental Hygiene Program Director.

CVTC says it’s seeing an increase in numbers, up to 200 patients a week not including cleanings.  Both the college and hospital say it boils down to a lack of dental coverage.

“I have seen this, just in general, is patients I would see in a private office that had dental insurance, have lost their job, lost their insurance, haven’t been to the dentist for several years because they couldn’t afford to go,” says Entorf.

“We’re happy to see anyone that wants to be seen, but there are a number of patients that don’t have dental coverage and could be more efficiently managed if they were able to get in to see a dentist,”  says Felton.

Dental health can play a big part in overall health.

“The oral health and systemic health or overall body health, if you have an infection in your mouth it can cause all kinds of negative things,” says Entorf.

CVTC says of their patients, six to 12 a month are referrals from ER’s.  Entorf says they try to get them in that day or the next.

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Owen Smith, Sage Outreach Program said, “We have met one of the key needs for heavy manufacturers in Northeast Wisconsin, as well as provided an integrated program for 2 occupations that are critical to green skill training and green manufacturing in Wisconsin.”

The Welder-Fabricator Program is one of six new apprenticeship programs to be developed through a six-million-dollar grant from the US Department of Labor and the second at NWTC.

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But they remain cautious, tempering their excitement with the reality that several steps remain before medical isotopes leave Rock County for health centers around the world.

City officials have been working with SHINE for months to site the plant in Janesville. The Middleton-based company also considered locations in Stevens Point and Chippewa Falls.

After months of closed-session strategy sessions, the city council directed staff to forward a revised developer’s agreement to SHINE. It was sent late last week.

For the most part, the agreement is acceptable, said Greg Piefer, SHINE’s founder and chief executive officer.

“We feel that we’re close enough that we can work it out,” Piefer said. “The fundamentals are all there. We just need to do what we would call ‘wordsmithing.’”

The Waukesha County Business Alliance said Wednesday that it has selected Scheibel Halaska as the agency to design and implement Wisconsin’s “Dream it. Do it.” manufacturing career-building initiative.

“Dream it. Do it.” is a national recruitment strategy sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers.

“The campaign is designed to re-brand the manufacturing industry as an industry providing high-paying, high-quality careers,” the WCBA said in an emailed statement.

The campaign is targeted at young people ages 17 to 27. Wisconsin will be the 20th region nationally to implement the program after a statewide license was secured by the Wisconsin Technical College System.

Manufacturers in the state have repeatedly said that finding qualified workers with the skills needed to operate complex, computer-controlled machinery is the top business challenge they face.

The initiative will first be implemented in the Milwaukee 7 economic development region, with the WCBA leading the program. Eventually, the program will be unveiled statewide. “The region will serve as a successful foundation for a statewide adoption in subsequent phases of the initiative,” according to the statement.

The program will begin with the development and launch of a careers website.

“A foundational element of the website will be tools and resources to support area manufacturers in becoming better at attracting, retaining and engaging next generation workers,” according to the statement.

The Waukesha County Business Alliance is a countywide chamber of commerce with over 900 member companies, representing more than 60,000 employees.

“This program showcases the responsiveness and flexibility of apprenticeship in meeting workforce training needs in the green economy,” said Lisa Boyd, Administrator for the DWD’s Division of Employment and Training. “Welding and fabricating are integral to producing components of renewable energy systems and energy efficient products. The Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards, in partnership with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, worked jointly to develop this comprehensive apprenticeship program.”

The Welder-Fabricator apprenticeship was developed in response to the needs of Wisconsin’s heavy manufacturing sector. It offers hands-on learning for two high-demand occupations in heavy manufacturing (welding and fabrication) in a single program. It follows a hybrid model in which apprentices are assessed on-the-job using a combination of time and competencies. The program is structured for four years, or 8,000 hours, including 7,560 hours on-the-job learning and 440 hours of related instruction.

“Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is very excited about our ability to offer the Welder- Fabrication apprenticeship,” said Todd A. Kiel, Apprenticeship Manager for NWTC. “We feel it gives us a full range of offerings that provide access to credentials for our constituents. With the increased demand for heavy manufacturing in Northeast Wisconsin, this cannot come at a better time.”

The Welder-Fabricator program is the fourth of six new apprenticeship programs to be developed through the $6 million SAGE project grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. SAGE’s purpose is to employ short and long-term strategies critical to the greening of Wisconsin’s workforce by forming partnerships with businesses, educators and other stakeholders to identify and address labor force needs specific to “green” or clean energy jobs in construction, manufacturing and utility industries.

After discussing the idea with college administrators and board members, the biotech faculty forged ahead with a proposal that attracted National Science Foundation support as well as backing from private companies.

Last week, less than three years after the stem cell education sequence was launched with humble facilities, a gleaming Advanced Cell Culture Education lab opened in remodeled space with state-of-the-art equipment. It will immediately triple the capacity of the college (formerly known as Madison Area Technical College) to graduate students with hands-on experience in growing and analyzing all types of stem cells and other advanced cells.

Across Wisconsin, there are other examples of colleges and universities – especially two-year institutions such as those in the Wisconsin Technical College System – of turning on a dime to meet industry needs and trends.

Those trends range from the need for lab technicians who understand the exacting protocols of working with stem cells, which are the building blocks for all types of human cells, to helping businesses find tech-savvy production workers or information technology specialists.

The notion of higher education becoming more nimble is gaining national attention, especially at a time when Wisconsin and the United States are grappling with the “job paradox” – the gap between high unemployment and skilled positions going unfilled for lack of trained (or trainable) workers.

It’s also part of the debate over the costs of higher education, not only for taxpayers in states where budgets are strapped, but for students themselves, who sometimes amass onerous debts related to the cost of earning a four-year degree but find themselves lacking marketable skills.

Layer on to those challenges the issue of an aging workforce – something that worries Wisconsin employers as the baby boom generation begins to retire – and the need for collaborative, cost-effective solutions emerges.

“Houston, we have a problem, and it’s not that too few people are going to college,” said Michael Bettersworth, an associate vice chancellor at the Texas State Technical College System. “It’s that too many people are getting degrees with limited value in the job market.”

Texas is an example of a state where all of the same problems that confront Wisconsin are coming to a head, and made even more pressing because the economy there is growing at the fastest rate in the nation. In Texas, some companies are manufacturing in community colleges to produce the workers they need.

Economic recovery is also under way in Wisconsin, which means it will be vital for policy-makers, business leaders and educators to embrace ideas that will create a sustained supply of skilled, adaptable workers.

Partnerships with business and higher education in Wisconsin are not uncommon, and they range from enduring relationships between industry and technical colleges (Snap-on and Gateway Technical College, for example) to broader industry consortia such as those at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Milwaukee.

The question is whether enough is changing, and fast enough, to meet the needs of Wisconsin industry in search of skilled workers.

Gov. Scott Walker announced last week he will create a College and Workforce Readiness Council to focus on closing the skills gap and designing “shorter, less costly degree programs” to fill the need for skilled technical workers. Members of the Wisconsin Legislature have introduced their own ideas, as well. One such bill would allow the unemployed to continue receiving jobless benefits as they take special occupational training. Another would allow the state Department of Workforce Development to recruit laid-off workers to be trained by businesses.

Higher education has a stake in helping students earn degrees faster – and to help those same students pursue degrees that are right for them. Not every college degree is directly marketable, of course, nor will it be in an economy so prone to technical change. But even the holder of a classic liberal arts degree should emerge with communications, creativity and teamwork skills, all of which are essential in the modern marketplace.

There’s also a misperception – often among parents of college-bound students – that the worst bachelor’s degree is worth more than the best associate degree. In today’s economy, that’s no longer true, which means the burden falls on parents and high-school counselors to present an array of career options.

Higher education must learn to be quicker on its feet, and traditional industries must do a better job of portraying a 21st century image. Both are essential for Wisconsin to meet its workforce challenges, today and tomorrow.

State Senator Jennifer Shilling says Western continues to be highly respected in Wisconsin.  Shilling says in these tough economic times, Western shows it can help workers, businesses and the community. “Western Tech has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to react to changes in the local economy in a way that is both nimble and innovative in order to best serve businesses and workers in our region,” says Senator Shilling.

Western President Lee Rasch and V.P. Mike Pieper were at the capitol for the vote.

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The company, which produces medical isotopes and cancer treatment elements, selected Janesville over Chippewa Falls, Stevens Point and locations in Louisiana and New Mexico.

Construction on the 35,000- to 50,000-square-foot facility won’t begin until the company gets approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a process expected to take 18 to 24 months, according to Greg Piefer, SHINE’s founder and chief executive officer.

“The community is great. Janesville has a lot of good people, the city leadership was really willing to work with this, and they were adaptive to our needs,” Piefer said. “There’s a feeling there that the city is trying to reinvent itself and we can be a part of that story.”

The General Motors Assembly plant in Janesville is idle, and several businesses that supplied parts and support to the plant have closed. The city is working to attract a diverse swath of businesses, especially those in the medical field.

The new facility is expected to open in 2015 and be located on 84 acres of land, much of it being used for a radiological and security buffer zone. The plant would be on the east side of Highway 51 across from the airport and just north of West Enterprise Drive.

SHINE, or Subcritical Hybrid Intense Neutron Emitter, will make molybdenum-99. When it decays, it produces technetium-99m, used in nuclear imaging procedures used on thousands of patients every day, and currently in short supply.

In 2011, SHINE secured $11 million in venture equity for the project, Piefer said.

The City Council is scheduled to vote Feb. 13 on an incentive package for SHINE, but details have not been disclosed. The company will also work with Blackhawk Technical College to develop a curriculum to train potential employees, said Vic Grassman, the city’s economic development director.

“We believe it is a significant new addition to Janesville,” Grassman said. “I can’t define a higher level of advance manufacturing. It transforms the image of Janesville.”

The board previously approved the scope proposal for the new programs at its November meeting — a two-year dental hygienist associate degree and a one-semester dental assistant program. That proposal awaits approval from the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) board, and is only a preliminary analysis of the potential demand for the dental care programs and rough cost estimates. Once that is complete, Urban told board members that a more detailed proposal on the course offerings themselves would be coming before them in March. State approval would then be expected in May.

“We haven’t set an implementation date,” Urban said. “A lot will depend on when the facilities are done. We need (state) approval on the programs before we can start marketing them.”

The plan is to house the dental care offerings in the new Peter Christensen Dental Clinic currently being constructed in Lac du Flambeau. That facility will provide Nicolet with the classroom space and equipment needed for the programs, leaving only instructor salaries as the sole cost the college will have to take on.

Nicolet President Elizabeth Burmaster said she and other college officials have already budgeted for two instructors for the programs to start in the fall. They will be responsible for getting the programs officially accredited. The actual curriculum has already been established within the WTCS. Eight of the 16 WTCS technical colleges currently offer the two-year dental hygienist associate degree.

“Every one of them has a waiting list,” Urban said. “There’s a huge need for this.”

CCMS was created to help provide Chippewa Valley businesses and their employees with critical skills in productivity, teamwork, problem solving, and adaptability. Such training strengthens the area’s workforce and is an asset to attracting businesses to Chippewa County.

Now in its second year, the CCMS training consortium program is once again a partnership between CVTC and the CCEDC. At of the end of 2011, over 300 employees from 20 Chippewa Valley companies have received a technical certificate in CCMS for completing all 12 training modules. In 2012 another 275 workers from 14 manufacturers have enrolled in the training.

“This cutting-edge training helps the region’s skilled workers be even more competitive,” says Tim Shepardson, CVTC’s Chippewa Falls Campus manager, who worked with Charlie to develop the training consortium.  “Receiving this award is just icing on the cake to all the great work our group has done to get this training in place and to benefit the employers in our area.”

Participating businesses have reported employee benefits, such as thinking outside the box, making wise decisions that help their company, and using a strong team approach, Tim notes.

Financial support to subsidize the training cost has come from two Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grants from the Wisconsin Technical College System, the first of which was used to launch the program. The grant was renewed in June 2011 for the current academic year.

“We’re eager to build on the number of regional workers who receive this vital training, which strengthens businesses,” Tim says. “Additional companies are invited to participate.”

For more information on the training consortium, contact Tim Shepardson at 715-738-6454.

Graduates obtaining national certification as a Certified Surgical Technologist demonstrate understanding of the basic competencies for safe patient care in the operating room.  The Certified Surgical Technologist is widely recognized in the healthcare community as the foremost credential for surgical technologists in the nation.  It is required for employment within many local, state, and national healthcare organizations.  There are criteria that surgical technologist must meet in order to qualify to take the examination.

“92 percent is an outstanding accomplishment,” said Service and Health Associate Dean Deb Clarke in the press release.  “We are excited about the possibility of similar results this year.”

For more information about how you can join one of Mid-State’s engaging programs, call 1-888-575-MSTC or visit www.mstc.edu.

“Demand for skilled employees in public safety, health care, transportation and agriculture is at an all-time high, and there is a strong demand for graduates,” said Weller, president of ITW Welding North America and Miller Electric Mfg.

“We need to invest in FVTC’s facilities now if we want to give the next generation of graduates — and the local businesses that need their skills as well as the college’s workplace training expertise — the competitive edge they’ll need in today’s economy,” he said.

Weller is the treasurer of Friends of FVTC, an advocacy group formed to raise awareness and public support for the April 3 building referendum. The group will kick off its TechWorks campaign on Saturday with events in the Town of Men-asha and Oshkosh.

Weller, along with FVTC marketing and sales student Devan Kuether, 20, of Oshkosh, say the projects will have a positive impact on the regional economy as well.

“It’s really going to benefit not only students but the entire community,” Kuether said.

Last Tuesday, FVTC’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved two resolutions authorizing the referendum and borrowing of up to $66.5 million for seven proposed projects at the state’s busiest technical school, which served 53,000 students in 2011.

The largest of the projects is the $32.5 million public safety training center proposed for construction on 74 acres of leased land on the south end of the Outagamie County Regional Airport, Greenville.

Other projects proposed for the Grand Chute campus include an $11.9 million health simulation and technology center, $7.4 million student success center, $6.2 million transportation center expansion and $3.5 million agriculture center expansion.

The referendum package also includes borrowing $1 million to purchase land next to the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center in Oshkosh for future expansion, $1.4 million to buy the Chilton Regional Center that the college currently leases and $300,000 to add a classroom/lab to the Chilton facility.

Besides demand from local employers, FVTC officials have cited an unprecedented 30 percent enrollment growth the past three years, historic low borrowing costs and probable competitive construction bidding as key factors supporting the comprehensive facilities plan.

When the college first began offering courses in 2005, the field of nanotechnology was geared toward very small electronics.

The FVTC Board of Trustees has approved two resolutions authorizing the referendum and borrowing of up to $66.525 million for seven proposed capital facilities projects.

The largest of the projects is a $32.5 million public safety training center proposed for construction on 75 acres of leased land on the south end of the Outagamie County Regional Airport in Greenville.

“We are sensitive to the current economic situation and its impact on the many families in this region,” said FVTC board Chairman Bill Fitzpatrick. “But we also know that this college plays a critical role in rebuilding the local economy by giving workers the skills they need for sustainable employment.”

Proposed projects at the Grand Chute campus include an $11.9 million health simulation and technology center, $7.4 million student success center, $6.2 million transportation center expansion, and $3.5 million agriculture center expansion. Also proposed are $1 million to purchase land next to the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center in Oshkosh, $1.4 million to buy the leased Chilton Regional Center and $300,000 to add a classroom/lab to the Chilton facility.

Growing demands from area employers for skilled workers, an unprecedented 30 percent enrollment growth the past three years, limited facilities, historic low borrowing costs and probable competitive construction bidding were key factors cited by officials to support pursuit of a comprehensive capital facilities plan.

Last year, FVTC served 53,000 individuals. “That’s more people than any other technical college in the state, more than Milwaukee, more than Madison,” Fitzpatrick said.

If voters approve the referendum, FVTC will be authorized to borrow the necessary funds over two years. The property tax impact on the owner of a $100,000 home is estimated not to exceed $12.50 annually with the $66.5 million borrowed over 15 years using conservative interest rate projections.

The referendum, FVTC’s first in 14 years, will require approval of voters in all or parts of nine counties, including Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc, Outagamie, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.

Friday we got a sneak peek inside the new, $3 million training facility customized for them.

“It’s our intention to be the premier marine manufacturing center in the Midwest,” NWTC Marinette Campus Dean Pat O’Hara said.

The new Northeast Wisconsin Technical College North Coast Marine Manufacturing Training Center is located in downtown Marinette.

Crews are transforming an old Goodwill Industries warehouse into a state-of-the-art facility designed for Marinette Marine workers.

“So we’ll be training really all their employees, really from an administrative level to a person that’s in production,” training center coordinator Brian Lancour said.

Over the next two years more than 1,000 workers are expected to train here, learning customized skills in welding, pipe fitting, and electrical work.

To make this facility as close to on-the-job training as possible, instructors designed the labs.

“This whole lab is actually wired like a ship would be wired so we can do a real good simulation of the wiring in a ship,” Lancour remarked.

Lancour has actually been working at Marinette Marine the last several months to make sure the training center has everything workers need.

“We have to actually work side by side with them so we know exactly what they’re doing and what their needs are,” he said.

Construction started less than two months ago but Marinette Marine workers will have their first class here January 30th.

Eventually, NWTC students enrolled in its new marine construction degree program will use it, too.

“In the fall term we’ll probably be looking at having our regular student population here more frequently,” O’Hara said.

Once classes start, NWTC expects to offer training almost 24 hours a day, six days a week.

“We now need to ramp it up because of all the backlog and because they’re also now bringing in more every month. So we’re looking at possibly using this facility basically three shifts,” Lancour said.

Smet Construction, which is in charge of the project, has 100 people working to finish the training center on time.

Scheuring Speed Sports and the local Air Force recruiting office came together to talk to auto technology students about how they’re pushing the edges of science and technology.

The Scheuring team will be racing this weekend in Eagle River, and they aren’t leaving much up to chance.

“It’s calculated, and if you can back it up with a computer telling you it’s the right decision, then 99% of the time, it is… You’re playing the physics game the whole time just trying to make sure everything is right,” says Scheuring team racer, Robbie Malinowski.

The team uses advanced computer analysis to read responses from the snowmobiles while they’re in action- They can then use that information to tweak the machines,and push their performance even higher.

But this type of diagnostic testing and use of computers, also has more practical applications.

“What they do in their racing, we do on an everyday basis as far as the Air Force is concerned, but on a much larger scale,” says U.S. Air Force recruiter Jesse Dettman.

The Scheuring team and the Air Force awarded a scholarship to one Nicolet student in the Auto technology program.

They hope to share with students the important and constantly changing role of technology in all fields.

The first seminar – Selling Your Products in the Global Market – is designed to give individual tools and knowledge to quickly begin hunting for international buyers and close deals. This session will be held between 8 a.m. and noon.
The second seminar – Exporting to China – will more specifically focus on the Chinese market with ideas on how to research and sell into this country as well as finding agents, distributors and partners in China. This session runs from 1 to 3 p.m.

To register online, go to https://corporatetraining.nwtc.edu or contact Holly Valentine at 800-422-NWTC ext. 6971 with additional questions.

With Kestrel Aircraft Corporation looking to hire 600 new workers in Superior…regional technical schools anticipate higher enrollment in programs geared toward manufacturing and engineering.

“This is huge. I like to think of it as a game changer, quite honestly, for our community,” says Associate Dean of Continuing Education at WITC, Charles Glazman.

Wisconsin Indian Technical College in Superior is already looking at adapting their programs to fit the needs of Kestrel.

“Our hope is that we can serve Kestrel with providing a skilled workforce based on their needs. That’s pretty much a purpose of the technical colleges within the state of Wisconsin,” Glazman says.

A workforce CEO of Kestrel, Alan Klapmeier, says they are excited to utilize.

“Certainly one of our characteristics of this company would be, in the beginning it’s engineering, it’s RND, it’s a lot of creative type jobs. And in the past we’ve used interns and students and new hires…so we’re looking forward to continuing to do that,” Klapmeier said.

Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen says having Kestrel come to Superior is a great opportunity for students.

“The Kestrel folks will be identifying the skill sets necessary so people can either present them or take the opportunity to present them or take the opportunity to get those skill sets on board,” Hagen says.

Skill sets that will be varied…like the positions Kestrel will be hiring for.

“There’s a lot of different jobs. To start with, it’s engineers and technicians that are building prototypes and test parts for certification. Later on, eventually, there will be more traditional composite manufacturing jobs, similar to other jobs in the area,” Klapmeier says.

Associate Dean of Continuing Education at WITC, Charles Glazman, says this will have a tremendous impact for students…one they are excited to prepare them for.

“We’ve got to be working along side them as closely as possible and trying to address those needs as they come up,” Glazman said.

Glazman says WITC has been in talks with Kestrel since August in order to work them on the future of both Kestrel and WITC’s programs.

The FVTC Board of Trustees on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve an initial borrowing resolution not to exceed $66.525 million and a resolution to pursue a referendum on seven capital facilities projects.

The centerpiece and largest of the seven projects is the $32.5 million public safety training center proposed for construction on 75 acres of leased land on the south end of the Outagamie County Regional Airport.

The action means that If voters approve the referendum, FVTC would be authorized to borrow the necessary funds over two years to complete the facilities projects.

“The board clearly understands the college’s attentiveness to the needs of our region’s workforce,” said FVTC board chairman Bill Fitzpatrick.

FVTC administrators and the board have done extensive studies and planned for the capital facilities projects over the past four years.

FVTC President Susan May said a community perception survey illustrated the important role that the technical college plays in training skilled professionals to fit immediate job openings and long-term careers.

“Our community and our workforce need to grow in alignment with the new skill requirements of this economy, and it certainly shaping up as a skills-based economy,” May said.

“We look forward to helping this community and this region grow the economy, career opportunities, and overall quality of life,” May said. “Putting facilities like this in play can make that kind of difference.”

The jobs are in customer care, information technology, sales and team leadership.

“We’ve just had incredible growth in the last five years,” said Jim Bere, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Alta. “As we look forward, we believe it’s going to continue to accelerate.”

Alta Resources built a $20 million, 180,000-square-foot office building in downtown Neenah in 2005. At the time, the company occupied four of the building’s seven floors and toyed with leasing the open floors to tenants to improve its revenue stream.

Today the company fills all seven floors and leases one floor of One Neenah Center. It also operates a 200,000-square-foot fulfillment center in the Southpark Industrial Center, and it has operations in California and the Philippines to provide clients with around-the-clock service.

Bere said Alta already has begun exploring options for expansion to accommodate further growth. He said the company likes downtown Neenah, but employee parking remains a major concern.

“We’re not sure where we’re going to put all of the people,” Bere said. “Do we look at other facilities in downtown Neenah? We’re looking at the full range of options.”

Chris Haese, Neenah’s director of community development and assessment, said city officials are aware of the parking challenges facing Alta and other downtown businesses. He said it’s a good problem to have because it reflects a vibrant business community.

“We need to come up with a plan for how we provide sufficient parking for both customers and employees,” Haese said. “For 2012, that’s one of the priorities of this office.”

Neenah budgeted $450,000 this year for improvements to downtown parking. Haese said the money would be used to evaluate parking needs and to start design work on possible options. He estimated downtown Neenah would need an additional 500 to 700 parking stalls in the next decade to meet demand.

World of outsourcing

Alta is an outsourcer of business processing services for Fortune 500 companies in the packaged goods, health care, entertainment and manufacturing industries. It doesn’t disclose its diverse list of clients because of confidentiality requirements, though it did acknowledge sausage maker Johnsonville as a client.

The company provides outsourced services in four main areas — customer care, e-business, fulfillment and sales. It has dedicated teams for specific clients.

Alta will answer questions about a client’s product, place orders, ship the product and bill the customer.

With Johnsonville, for example, Alta employees field inquiries from consumers who call a toll-free number on a Johnsonville package or website. Alta might respond to the inquiries by sending coupons or letters to the callers to promote brand loyalty and goodwill.

“We’re talking to a lot of consumers who are calling into us, but they’re really calling into who the client is,” Bere said.

Alta, though, is far more than a call center. It also develops and manages software systems for clients, and it uses social media like Facebook and Twitter to monitor the marketplace and quickly dispel misinformation about a client or client’s product that otherwise could go viral in the Internet world.

“We have tools where we can find a mom-and-pop blog or all sorts of chatter and get an inventory on what’s going on,” said Brett Meach, marketing manager for Alta.

Alta expanded into the Philippines to develop its information technology workforce and to process information around the clock, not just during business hours in the United States.

“We needed to have an ability to work 24 (hours) by seven days a week,” Bere said. “It gets really hard if you’re only geographically located in the U.S.”

Positioned for growth

Alta’s vision and performance have helped it to capitalize on the global outsourcing trend, and the precarious economy has worked in Alta’s favor.

Bere said when the economy tanked, companies refocused on their core business and looked to outsource other areas like customer care and software development. Alta was positioned to handle the additional business.

“We are at a stage where we can attract businesses larger than we’ve ever attracted before,” Bere said. “If before we would get a 15- or 20-person program, we now have opportunities for 100-person programs, 200-person programs and 300-person programs.”

Bere said Alta has improved its leadership throughout the company, which is another reason for optimism. He said the company tends to promote from within, noting that some of Alta’s top executives started out manning phones in the call center.

Alta will hold a career fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk, 123 E. Wisconsin Ave., to interview candidates for its job openings. The company will have its human resources department and program directors on hand.

“We’re looking for a boost in qualified candidates,” Meach said. “We’re expecting a lot of people to show up.”

Meach said many of the jobs are entry-level positions, but Alta also is looking for software developers, business analysts and team leaders.

Hundreds of people gathered in Kestrel Aircraft’s airport hanger Monday morning for the announcement including Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Kestrel said they plan to build this airplane, a K-350 that will carry up to eight people at low cost to the customer. With construction of the plane, Kestrel plans to create 600 permanent, non-seasonal jobs by 2016. Kestrel said most of these jobs will be recruited and trained locally. Walker says this is the biggest jobs announcement he’s made since his term began.

“We are talking about 600 jobs in a community that needs those jobs.” said Republican Governor Scott Walker. “But 600 jobs is a big announcement anywhere in the state of Wisconsin. So the fact that it is right here in Superior is even more special.”

Kestrel had a lot of incentives to choose Superior over its competing site in Maine. Between the State of Wisconsin, Douglas county and Superior, governments contributed nearly $120 million to the project. Most of that money comes in the form of loans, tax incentives and transfers of land. Kestrel’s CEO says the area’s determination made his company choose Superior.

“Thank you isn’t sufficient to say to Mayor Hagen the city and his team and the state and the county who all put this package together,” said Alan Klapmeier, CEO of Kestrel Aircraft.

Construction of the first of two facilities will begin this April, on Winter Street. This facility will create the composite material for the planes. Klapmeier said this facility will create 250 jobs.

A manufacturing facility will be constructed on the Head of the Lakes Fairground near the airport at an unspecified date. That facility will be the assembly plant and will create 350 jobs.

The committees have been particularly busy lately, as the college alters its medical programs to meet employers’ needs.

The Mid-State board of directors will consider suspending one program and adding another at its Monday meeting, after suspending three others last month.

The laboratory science technician program has had low enrollment since it was introduced. On the other hand, a new gerontology program would offer students the skills to work with an aging population, an industry with large potential for growth.

“What we do every year, we look at what we’re offering and ask, ‘Are (the programs) still viable, do they have numbers?’” said Ann Marie Krause, vice president of academic affairs. “These recommendations all came out of a committee of business and industry people saying it’s time to take a look at these programs and offer different ones.”

The laboratory science technician program, such as those suspended last month, is the casualty of a changing medical industry. The lab science program is too broad, and medical officials are looking for more specific focuses, Krause said.

The health unit coordinator, medication assistant and medical transcription programs also suffered from low enrollment and poor job prospects. With new technology such as voice recognition software and online filing systems, as well as new nursing positions, the programs weren’t turning out graduates with in-demand skills.

Medical industry officials like working with Mid-State because it provides them with a trained workforce equipped with the skills they are looking for in employees.

“It’s not just, ‘this is what the textbook says,’ but, ‘this is what your future employers are looking for,’” said Dawn Brostowitz, nursing director at Riverview Medical Center’s medical and surgical unit. “They give you the tools to be successful in these jobs.”

Mid-State also is careful not to disrupt students’ academic paths when they drop a program. All students will be able to finish the program before it is cut July 1, and no new students will be allowed to enroll.

“Before we even consider taking it to the board, we have a plan for completing students who are currently in the program,” Krause said.

OK, bad pun, but an accurate description when you get thousands of kids and their parents around everything that makes the world work and let them touch, turn and twist their way through dozens of exhibits.

They ranged from the simple to the complex: Alan Pesche, director of Barlow Planetarium in Menasha, using a torch to make a garbage bag float like a hot-air balloon to The Dream Flight U.S.A. “Spirit of Education” bus.

In the Wisconsin Public Service Corp. corner of the hall, Ethan Koch, 9, of Peshtigo Elementary School was riding a stationary bike, lighting up bulbs on a control board as the resistance was turned higher and the peddling got harder.

“It was pretty good at first,” said Koch, who called himself “a pretty good fan of science.”

He won his school’s science fair last year, Koch said, and leans toward meteorology as his favorite science.

No Wisconsin event would be complete without cheese, and the Schreiber Foods booth, where they were making string cheese, had long lines.

Cassidy Eckstein and Madyson Tritt, both 11 and both of Omro Elementary School, were among six students brought to the event by fifth-grade teacher Sherrie Mikkelson.

“The kids are pretty interested in the hands-on things,” Mikkelson said.

Eckstein was interested in how string cheese is made, but said getting her hair frizzed by a Van De Graaff static electricity generator was the highlight of her day.

Tritt was less discriminating, declaring “everything” her favorite.

Collin Jepsen, 10, of Wrightstown Elementary School enjoyed having a snake draped over his shoulders.

“It was six feet long. This other kid had to hold one end of it because it was moving all over the place,” he said.

Kids were making ice cream by shaking plastic storage containers, launching air-powered rockets, painting pictures with their eyes, making paper, gazing through telescopes and having fun with liquid nitrogen. And there was a lot more than that.

Julie Paavola, executive director of The Einstein Project, expected about 4,000 people at the expo, equal to last year’s attendance. Paavola was pleased to hear one parent’s observation that exhibits were getting better each year.

She said businesses have bought into the event more and more over the years.

“They are realizing we all need to be thinking about our future work force and where the employees are going to come from,” she said. “A lot of employers need science. They need employees to be smart. Brainpower is driving so much of today’s industry.”

Paavola said the point of the expo and its broad range of exhibits is that “science is all around us.”

And inside us, too.

A Northeast Wisconsin Technical College booth on microbiology included jars containing various intestinal parasites.

Ryan Schultz, 9, of Anne Sullivan Elementary School in Green Bay described the roundworms and flatworms and pinworms as nasty, but smiled when he said it.

Snakes were another matter. He owns a ball python and was happy to handle the other snakes at the expo. He said he’d like to see what the inside of a snake looks like, but not if it had to be dissected.

When Angelo Kolokithas, microbiology instructor at NWTC, offered to let Schultz and his sister, Erin, also 9, look at slides of bacteria in their mouths, they were quick to grab swabs.

When he asked, “You guys brush your teeth today? Am I going to see a lot of bacteria?” Ryan pointed confidently toward his sister and said “In hers!”

Two minutes later, after they’d seen their swabbings through a microscope, it was Erin who was smiling.

“I had less than his.”

SMT is adding 28,700 square feet onto its building at 1325 Cornell Road. The $2.2 million addition will include new offices, a sixth Vertical Machining Center and room for more growth.

Owner and President Russ Styczynski would like to start a second shift, but said it’s difficult to find machinists who want to work that schedule. Finding machinists is difficult, period.

“We are working with (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College) and Bay Port High School’s tech ed class. We’ve let them come to our facility and talk to our machinists,” he said.

He’s looking to hire five to 10 people, including assemblers. So constant has been its growth, the company recently had to forgo in-house assembly work because new machines took up that space. With the addition, it will be able to do more of that work again.

Sales are between $5 million and $10 million and have been increasing since Styczynski bought the company in 2006.

Financing for the addition was provided by Bank First National of Manitowoc. Bayland Buildings of Hobart is the contractor.

Business slowed during the recession, when maintenance projects were much of the work, but in the last 18 months sales started picking up. SMT’s machinists are working overtime to keep up.

“Bayland said this is the fifth or sixth machine shop expansion they’ve had,” Styczynski said. “We have orders into April right now and it’s still coming in. If I could do a second shift, I could double the company.”

Much of the work SMT is doing is side frames for printing presses, which is all new equipment, but Styczynski said they are seeing activity in mining, the marine industry and heavy equipment, too.

“We worked last year to diversify our clients. I can see jobs for five customers right here,” Styczynski said, standing on his factory floor.

His newest machine, to be delivered in April, is a Mighty Viper Vertical Machining Center, SMT’s sixth’s and largest VMC. Its table size has an X-axis of 201 inches, a Y-axis of 102 inches and a Z-axis of 42 inches.

It’s the seventh new piece of equipment he has added since buying the company, and the addition will have prepoured foundations for more.

Institutional accreditation evaluates an entire institution and accredits it as a whole. Other agencies provide accreditation for specific programs. Accreditation is voluntary.

For the past year and half, Blackhawk Technical College has been engaged in a process of self-study, addressing the Commission’s requirements and criteria for accreditation. The evaluation team will visit the institution to gather evidence that the self-study is thorough and accurate.

The public is invited to submit comments regarding the college to: Public Comment on Blackhawk Technical College, c/o The Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago IL 60604.

Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Written, signed comments must be received by April 3. Comments should include the name, address, and telephone number of the person providing the comments. Comments will not be treated as confidential.

In a format familiar to fans of the popular TV cooking shows Iron Chef, Chopped and Top Chef, 27 professional chefs will be demonstrating their culinary prowess at Madison College’s Truax campus on Jan. 13-15.

Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, Massachusetts and Wisconsin are among the states that will be represented at the cooking competition.

But the pros aren’t the only ones that will be showing off their cooking skills at the College’s version of “Kitchen Stadium.”

Aspiring chefs from Madison College will challenge culinary students from Fox Valley Technical College to determine who will represent Wisconsin in the regional competition in Detroit this spring. Culinary students from Joliet Community College in Illinois, Johnson County Community College in Kansas and Metropolitan Community College in Nebraska will also be vying for awards.

The event is being held in the culinary kitchens at Madison College’s Truax campus, which is located at 3550 Anderson Street. Unfortunately, this year the event is not open to the public due to space concerns.

The two rooms were slated to be cut from the addition in Watertown because bids put the college $271,000 over budget.

Putting the two rooms back into the construction plan will bring the project from 8,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet. Renovation areas at the campus will remain the same, totaling 3,855 square feet.

Besides the two community rooms, the total expansion in Watertown will include three new science labs and several academic and computer classrooms.

The additions and renovations to the Watertown campus were set to cost an estimated $2.6 million when Madison College district residents voted in favor of a referendum in 2010. Other Madison College campuses receiving updates include Reedsburg, Fort Atkinson, Portage and Madison. The entire project, known as the Madison College Smart Community Plan, cost $133.7 million and is a 15-year vision for all of the college’s campuses.

Madison College staff will work to come up with a solution to the project shortfall before the Madison College board meets in February or March, Casper said.

Board members visited with Watertown residents, and after speaking with them, Casper said they decided the community rooms were essential to the campus.

“The board thought it was important so it can meet the educational needs of the Watertown area,” he said.

Information and demonstrations will be provided at a seminar Friday, January 20. The event begins at 9 a.m. at Ridgeview Plaza, Hwy 54, Oneida, and ends with a demonstration at NWTC-Green Bay from 11:30 a.m. to noon.

Participants will learn how farmers are producing fuel from crops like soybeans, camelina, and sorghum and creating usable energy including small-scale ethanol and biogas.  Bob Brylski, statewide biofuels educator and director of Wisconsin Bioenergy Services will discuss biodiesel, vegetable oil, and ethanol fuels and Perry Anderson, Packer City International Trucks will demonstrate oilseed processing and biodiesel production.  Brenda Heinen, US Dept of Agriculture, will discuss rural development funding programs and Vance Haugen, UW Agricultural Extension Agent from Crawford County, WI will be discussing small scale biogas production.

The Computer Integrated Manufacturing Mobile Lab is designed to engage students earlier in the field of manufacturing and is equipped with the latest computer manufacturing technology used at most foundries and other industries. It is sponsored by Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Bay Area Workforce Development Board, Wisconsin Job Center and Lakeshore Technical College.

“This technology is very expensive for a school to purchase and the lab provides districts a chance to give kids the opportunity to experience the different technology,” said Patrick Rau, high school principal.

Utilizing the 44-foot mobile lab will cost the district $5,000 per semester. Students will utilize equipment such as the Haas computer numerical control (CNC) lathe, Haas CNC mill, 13 computers and an interactive SMART board.

“It’s really a good deal when you consider that the technology in there is over $100,000 worth of equipment,” said Mark Weber, dean of trades and engineering technologies at NWTC. “The cost to (school districts) is basically going to recoup diesel fuel and lab aids, so we’re just trying to cover the operating costs to bring it to them.”

Established as electives in the technology department, the courses — CNC Fundamentals 1 and 2 — will be open to Bonduel upperclassmen. The courses will run for an entire year and earn students both high school and college credit.

The lab will accommodate two groups of 12 students for a four-hour session at the school.

“It’s always been a challenge to connect industry with the schools, and these are the same machines that are in industry today,” said Travis Schindel, BHS technology teacher. “It’s a great opportunity for our students. There’s money to be made in this type of career.”

Schindel will be the course’s instructor. He will work with a CNC lab aide who drives the lab to the school each week.

The board also approved a new Cutting Edge Technology course, which will emphasize how to effectively use computers and digital media technologies as tools to enhance learning and skill development.

Other new classes will be peer tutoring, zero-hour fitness, college readiness and technical math prep.

With seven biosafety hoods, plenty of space and a big screen to project images from microscopes, a new stem cell classroom at Madison Area Technical College is a major advance from the cramped quarters where students previously learned how to grow the cells.

The expanded space, dedicated Tuesday, means up to 24 students can be trained each semester, up from eight before. The added capacity could supply more workers for the burgeoning stem cell industry in Madison and around the country.

MATC is thought to be the country’s only two-year college to offer training in growing human embryonic stem cells, first isolated in the lab in 1998 by UW-Madison researcher James Thomson.

Other schools use mouse stem cells, said Jeanette Mowery, a biotechnology instructor at MATC.

“We’re trying to increase the pool of well-trained stem cell technicians,” said Tom Tubon, project director for MATC’s emerging stem cell technologies program. “We’re also trying to make stem cell technology more accessible.”

MATC, also known as Madison College, paid for the $165,000 renovation for the new classroom at its Truax campus on the East Side.

Another $60,000 or so for equipment came from a $851,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The three-year grant mostly will help MATC make its instructional materials available to campuses nationwide, Tubon said.

MATC has been offering a basic stem cell methods class since 2009, two years after the school first received human embryonic stem cells from WiCell, a research institute in Madison that is part of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

In the new classroom starting next week, MATC will offer its first session of an advanced stem cell methods class. Eleven of the 23 students who have taken the basic class have signed up, Tubon said.

Students in the basic class learn how to grow and analyze stem cells. The advanced class will teach them how to coax the multipurpose cells into specialized cells, such as those from the heart and brain. It will also cover induced pluripotent stem cells, adult cells reprogrammed to their embryonic state. Thomson helped discover those cells in 2007.

Katie Draheim, a lab technician since May at the Madison stem cell company Cellular Dynamics, took the basic stem cells class last year. She said she previously had a hard time finding a medical research job, despite having a biology degree.

“I needed something that other people didn’t have,” Draheim said. “The stem cell class clinched it for me.”

Laura Horst, who works at ioGenetics, a Madison biotech company that focuses on proteins, has enrolled in the advanced stem cells class.

“Being able to tell a prospective employer down the road that I have two semesters of experience with stem cells is pretty valuable,” Horst said.

Emile Nuwaysir, chief operating officer at Cellular Dynamics, said the company provides additional training to graduates of MATC’s classes but appreciates the big head start they get at the school.

“We’ve gotten quality graduates out of the program,” Nuwaysir said. “I assume (the expansion) will make them even better prepared than before.”

Gov. Scott Walker says Wisconsin’s economy is heading in the right direction, even with 2011 job creation off pace to meet his campaign promises.

“We think we’ve built the foundation,” he said. “We’ve certainly changed the job climate.”

Walker, who visited the Coulee Region on Tuesday for the second time in five days, is promoting a plan that focuses not on the jobs but on the workers.

Accompanied by Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and members of his cabinet, Walker visited Select Trusses & Lumber, a growing manufacturing company with about 65 employees, where he outlined the initial phase of his “Wisconsin Working” plan, which he said will connect unemployed workers with existing job openings.

Though the state unemployment rate still hovers above 7 percent — representing about 224,000 jobless workers — there are often more than 30,000 job openings posted on the state’s online jobs board.

“We’re definitely moving in the right direction,” said Workforce Development Secretary Reggie Newson.

Walker’s plan offers short-term strategies that he said can bridge the so-called skills gap without spending additional money.

The plan calls for adding 14 employees at the state’s Job Centers, doubling the number of job fairs and focusing more resources on Wisconsin’s estimated 7,000 unemployed veterans, and creating a transitional program that Newson said would allow employers to “kick the tires” with workers who are collecting unemployment benefits.

Also included is a new advisory council to brainstorm ways to better prepare students for work and college.

Western Technical College President Lee Rasch said the plan is a start, but real improvement will require additional funding.

Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature last year passed a two-year budget that cut $71 million in from the state’s technical colleges. That’s meant cuts to staff and programs at WTC.

“We’re really stretched right now,” Rasch said. “We can put students on a waiting list, but that’s not helping anyone.”

Walker countered that his budget repair tools — which cut public employee benefits and stripped most collective bargaining rights — saved the technical colleges $22 million. Those tools also had something to do with several dozen protesters lining the sidewalk outside the truss plant.

On Monday, Assembly minority leader Rep. Peter Barca gave the governor’s plan backhanded praise, noting similarities to a package of job creation bills Democrats tried to introduce in November.

He hammered Walker for the state’s faltering job growth. As of November there were just 16,700 private sector jobs created in 2011, far short of Walker’s campaign promise to add 250,000 jobs in four years.

Walker compared himself to a football coach who took over a losing team.

“You’re not going to the Super Bowl the next year,” he said. “You want to be aiming for the playoffs by the fourth year. That’s our approach.”

Despite boasting one of the state’s lowest unemployment rates, western Wisconsin has challenges, said Steve Blodgett, acting director for Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Area Job Service. For example, many of those with jobs are under-employed in low-wage, low-skill positions that are the best they could find.

Blodgett also sees the skills gap — where laid-off workers, especially in the manufacturing sector, don’t have the training for today’s high-tech jobs.

“If you’re going to be a machinist you have to know how to run a computer,” he said. “They have to be retrained. They’re not ready for what’s out there.”

Rasch said some of the plan’s components could be helpful if done right:

He hopes the governor’s council will promote a program that allows students to earn college credits while still in high school. Western has quadrupled the number of such courses in the past two years, and Rasch said the program could expand.

Rasch is also bullish on the push for more short-term training — so long as the credits can be later applied toward a two-year degree.

“If we just do short-term training, we’ll get someone back to work but they may be in a job that’s most vulnerable,” he said. “Giving them a credential (is) in essence preparing them for the workforce of 2020, not just the workforce of 2012.”

Walker said the council would be comprised of legislators from both houses and parties along with representatives of K-12 education, technical colleges and the university system, employers and workforce development.

Walker said the short-term recommendations could be as simple as finding ways to steer young people toward manufacturing jobs.

“Right now our technical schools will tell you in some cases they have … high-skilled welding courses and they don’t have enough bodies to put into them. So it’s not a lack of funding. It’s not a lack of priority by the technical schools. It’s the fact that we don’t have enough people to put into those programs,” Walker said. “All the money in the world wouldn’t make a difference.”

This week, Gov. Scott Walker rolled out a new jobs plan called Wisconsin Working.  It focuses on workforce training and connecting those who are out of work with available jobs.

In October, Governor Walker held a jobs forum in Eau Claire.

During the forum, Paula Kimbllin from Xcel Energy said this, “We also have a real issue with hiring skilled employees.  Welders are a big problem, engineers are a big problem.”

The governor heard similar comments at other events across the state.  Wisconsin Working looks to address that need.

“What we’re talking about is making it easier for people looking for work to be plugged into those jobs,” says Gov. Scott Walker, (R) Wisconsin.

Governor Walkers plan calls for twice as many job fairs, more staff at the Department of Workforce Development to match job-seekers with services and more outreach for Wisconsinites with an added emphasis on veterans.  A second piece of the plan focuses on training.

“One of the biggest things we’ve heard from employers is they need quicker training, which means they need shorter turnaround, they’re not even necessarily looking for a two-year degree as they are looking for an eight week or three month process to get someone in the door,” says Governor Walker.

The added emphasis on training is welcome news to Chippewa Valley Technical College President Bruce Barker.

“It’s something we’re certainly excited in because that’s our business, trying to prepare the next generation, the next workforce and to help our displaced workers,” says Barker.

Barker says CVTC can trim the length of a few of its programs, but others like the welding program are actually taking more time.

“They’ve identified additional job competencies they want us to cover because the on-the-job training was too long and so we’ve recently shifted our programming to two-year programming,” says Barker.  “Now students can still job out after one-year, but to provide someone with job skills in the welding area with less than one-year is really giving them few job skills.”

The announcement also comes months after the state budget cut state aid to colleges and put a freeze on the ability to raise the tax levy.

“If we’re talking about expanding programs or expanding enrollment, that’s going to be severely difficult with our current funding difficulties,” says Barker.

WQOW News 18 reached out to the governor’s office on Wednesday to know if the program was going to cost the state money.  The governor’s office was unable to provide those figures.  However, the governor did say changes made to collective bargaining should help technical colleges.

“The goal for the tech colleges is the tools we gave them in the budget, if you look at the total amount of budget reductions versus the total amount they can save from the collective bargaining changes we put in, it’s a net gain for technical schools statewide of over $22 million,” says Governor Walker.

Some of the proposed changes, like increasing the number of job fairs, can be implemented immediately.  Others will need to be approved by lawmakers first.

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The funds will cover a new roof and other physical improvements, as well as programs geared toward helping women, children and families during tough times.

YWCA officials plan to introduce new services through a Women’s Empowerment Center, as well as a new anti-bullying effort and expanded after-school programs for kids.

“The needs of our community have evolved,” said Kathy Hinkfuss, executive director of the downtown Green Bay organization.

Officials plan to announce today that they have raised $2.7 million and are reaching out to the community for the remaining $600,000. Serving as honorary co-chairs of the Opening Doors Capital Campaign are Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy and former TV personality Marti Spittell Ziegelbauer.

The YWCA is trying to improve services for, among others, mothers who are struggling to hold their households together in challenging economic times, Ziegelbauer said.

“They need our help,” she said. “If we fail to help this segment of our population, we are greatly endangering the future of our community.”

The new Women’s Empowerment Center will offer employment training, job search counseling, time management assistance and other services. It also will include the Women’s Closet, which provides donated clothing to low-income women who are looking for work or going to school.

Designed to serve more than 300 women a year, the empowerment center will operate with help from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, Brown County and the Bay Area Workforce Development Board.

Hinkfuss said the YWCA has made programming decisions based, in part, on services available elsewhere in the community through potential partners.

I like to include arts and sports, educational offerings, dining, crafts and many other options to help keep the residents active and interested in life. The residents often give me ideas of places they would like to visit.

I plan a different outing/tour to places of interest in the Madison area each month. This month, a group of 14 is going to the Chazen Museum of Art. We’ve visited Epic Systems Corp., the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery and other places. After the tours, we stop for lunch. I plan events on-site including singers, pianists, bands, UW-Extension classes or woodworking projects. I plan computer and tai chi classes, movie and popcorn on Saturday evenings and many other offerings.

I conduct orientations for new residents. I get to know them and the kinds of things they are interested in doing. I also get to know their family members, which is a delight and often provides volunteer sources for events. For instance, a family member might mention they play the piano, so I invite them to play for the residents, or they might know a special speaker who would be of interest to the residents.

I have a degree from Madison Area Technical College in occupational therapy. I received my bachelor’s degree from Upper Iowa University in business. I attend regular continuing education to keep up with the newest trends. Prior to coming to work here, I worked at the Alzheimer’s Alliance conducting staff training.

My mother, Marge Salter, always taught me to be kind and understanding with all people. Because she has passed away, I smile in her memory as I work with the residents. It’s rewarding to see how much the residents appreciate what I do. Watching them in their community, taking care of each other, is very gratifying for me. Because this is an aging population, some of the folks leave us before I really get to know them. It’s difficult to say goodbye to someone who has lived here for several years.

Skills needed to perform my job include understanding the needs of older adults, being an excellent communicator and listener, and always having a smile on my face. The tools that I use to do my job are creativity, flexibility, patience and compassion.

When asked, how did he come to find the positive out of everything he been through? He said, “I’m my mother’s only boy and the second child. My father wasn’t around. The influences that were around were all negative.” Talk about magnitude.

“When I was in Colombia Correctional Institution I knew I wanted to enroll in school but wasn’t sure for what.” Maybe it was fate or a force of hand. “I tried my hand at the one year Building Services Diploma through Madison Area Technical College; it was all they offered at Colombia. Most of the coursework barely interested me,” Sabourin said. He then found a vital sign or as he so elaborately put it, ‘his positive in negatives’, when he started the electricity portion of the program.

He continued to say, “I knew without a doubt that this is what I wanted to do, I wanted to be an Electrician. I would stay in my room all day reading those old ‘Electrical Textbooks’ wrote in the early ‘80s. I finished one and picked up another. I even fell asleep thinking about working as an Electrician.”

Dennis was able to see his dream manifest itself into reality when a posting from the Joint Apprenticeship and Training for the Electrical Industry caught his eye. He immediately wrote to the Training Director, Mike Chetney, exclaiming his interest in the program.

A letter came back to Dennis from Mr. Chetney and he recommended Dennis to Big Step, one of the best community based organizations in Milwaukee to tutor him for the Electrical Aptitude Test and to help meet their Electrical Apprenticeship’s standards.

Dennis said, “The very last part of Mike’s letter inspired me. The part when he said, ‘Mr. Sabourin, you can make your dreams come true with hard work and dedication’ that positive feedback reinforced my positive motion. I hope the outcome of my story to be a clear example that when you take shortcuts your path is cut short. Even though this field is competitive the rewards are worth the wait.”

Heidi Peterson, Electrical Instructor and Department Chair of MATC, said, “When Dennis first walked into my classroom he was smiling, polite, always asking questions, and always offering to help. One would think that he slept in a bed of roses and woke up in an array of sunlight. I would not have thought he had the kind of background he had. Obviously, it was a growing experience. The highest you can get in my class is 100. Dennis has 109. Most students who need extra credit don’t take advantage of it. This is not the case with Dennis. He does the extra credit anyways.” Talk about getting the most out of your program.

Heidi continued, “Dennis has incredible drive, he takes this serious. With his grades, drive, toppled with his positive attitude; Dennis will go far. He has a future as an Electrician and Dennis will be great.”

Chuck Wimmer, Electrical Instructor at MATC, said, “Dennis is an aspiring outstanding individual who has a strong future as an Electrician. I’m going to have him back as my tutor next semester.

What strikes me as unique about Dennis is that he has the willingness to learn and help others. One day, after class, he urged some students to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity for the experience and to craft their skills. I don’t see this type of drive from many of my students.

Most are just doing what they can to get by, while Dennis is doing more. On the days he doesn’t have class he comes and helps his classmates with their lab.”

Dennis, your future is promised, keep surpassing the negatives and continue to make good on the promises. Greatness awaits you.

The 2011 Fond du Lac Retirement and Departure Intentions Study that was undertaken by Moraine Park Technical College, the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce (AC) and the Fond du Lac Area Human Resources Association concludes that there will be a loss of 36 percent of local workers to retirement within the next 10 years.

Josh Bullock of Moraine Park Technical College, a primary coordinator of the survey with Joe Reitemeier of the AC, said though many respondents said they would contemplate working, they want a job on their terms.

“I think the definition of retirement that you retire and are literally completely out of the work force (is over),” Bullock said.

He said retirement often includes doing something new and more on the employee’s terms.

The jobs — often part-time positions in the retail or service industries — are not necessarily life-sustaining but help improve the quality of lives.

Bullock said the survey shows a future “talent mismatch” for the Fond du Lac area. A labor shortage is projected for persons skilled in manufacturing and production — the type of employees needed by many Fond du Lac businesses.

He said a “startling” statistic is that the percentage of people planning to retire had increased from a similar study in 2008. Interestingly, the increase comes at a time of economic and future uncertainty.

“They are saying they will find a way to retire with what they have,” Bullock said.

More than 3,100 workers in the Fond du Lac labor force completed surveys.

Results showed 17.8 percent of surveyed employees plan to retire within the next five years and 17.6 percent plan to do so within six to 10 years (a cumulative loss of 35.4 percent of workers within the next 10 years).

“Despite the recession of 2008, the loss of values in the housing and stock markets, rising debt associated with federal economic stimulus programs, high unemployment rates and two major wars, baby boomers are very committed to their intentions to retire when they feel financially stable enough to do so,” according to the study.

It concludes that baby boomers are planning to retire as soon as they are financially able — with the sole exception being their desire to have access to benefits post-retirement.

“The folks in manufacturing or production workers are not likely to come back to that work force,” Bullock said. “So they truly will be lost to us.”

The study says access to all possible replacement workers becomes an “immediate concern.”

Employers have stressed the need for soft skills in new hires for several years. Increasingly, they are looking to improve those skills in existing employees.

Those skills include conflict resolution, leadership, ability to work effectively within a group, willingness to do multiple jobs, an ability to innovate and communication.

Such training is not always instantly noticeable on the profit statement, which may be why it’s just coming into broader favor, but companies that have done it are pleased with the results.

RGL Specialty Services, a subsidiary of RGL Holdings, which also owns Leicht Transfer & Storage and Checker Logistics, provided leadership classes last year for 70 of its more than 230 employees.

Police and firefighters both are necessary for public safety, but the state funds training for each group differently.

A state Department of Safety and Professional Services fund helps pay for firefighter training. It is covered by 2 percent of the premiums homeowners pay for fire insurance, said Peter Silva, fire service education director for the Wisconsin Technical College System, which governs firefighter training for the 16 technical colleges statewide.

“Most volunteer departments wouldn’t be able to afford the training without it,” he said.

Technical colleges that provide the training are to be reimbursed by the state. About $600,000 a year in that fund helps pay for training costs statewide, said Clark Wagner, director of financial operations for Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

The state covers training tuition but not a student’s books, travel or lodging fees, said Tom Vandenack, fire training coordinator at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Some fire departments can pay for training through their budgets, he said.

Previously, MATC students had to transfer to UW-Madison before they could enroll in Air Force ROTC. That made it difficult for them to complete officer training, which takes a full three years.

The agreement will allow MATC students to pursue officer status in the Air Force and compete for scholarships. Capt. Jesse Somann, with Air Force ROTC Detachment 925 at UW-Madison, told the UW-Madison news service that he’s had a number of calls from MATC students who are interested in joining the program.

The program has similar agreements with UW-Whitewater, Edgewood College and Marantha Baptist Bible College.