Welding boot camp preps new workers

From fox11online.com: “Welding boot camp preps new workers” — FOND DU LAC – If you’re looking for work or a career change Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac might have the job for you.

That is, if you’re willing to go through boot camp.

The college is offering an intense, 10-week training program for already available manufacturing jobs.

Students will learn the basics of welding and other machine work businesses say could lead to one of those jobs.

It starts with welding 101 and then some at Moraine Park Technical College.

“When I first started I thought you just welded two pieces of metal together and that was basically what you did,” said Chad Krebsbach of Green Lake.

But as Krebsbach quickly found out, welding jobs today require much more skill.

“I wanted to get better in stainless steel welding and TIG welding and I accomplished that I think.”

It’s that kind of success story that led Moraine Park Technical College to seek $1.3 million in grant money to create two separate boot camp programs in high demand manufacturing jobs. A 10-week training program in welding or a 15-week program in CNC machining.

“It will get them basic entry level skills to get them into these manufacturers so they can continue to gain wages and have jobs and then hopefully come back and finish their degree,” said JoAnn Hall, dean of workforce and economic development at Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac.

For companies like Brenner Tank in Fond du Lac the program helps them find skilled workers with the specific training they are looking for.

“There is a huge skills gap and we need to get that message out that there are good jobs paying jobs available in the manufacturing community and this is just another way to make that happen,” said Dave Hodorff, vice president of operations for Brenner.

Roughly a dozen local companies are partnering with the school with the expectation of hiring the boot camp grads. Many will need further training, but school officials say the boot camp is a way for them to get their foot in the door for in-demand jobs.

“Almost all of the employers we are working with provide tuition reimbursement, they are committed to the long-term growth of their staff, but they need people in and doing these jobs so they can service their customers,” said Hall.

Sparking interest in a new generation of manufacturing workers.

The first boot camp is already underway and a second will begin in February. The school says it can churn out 90 students a year under the three year grant program.

The school is holding two informational sessions about the boot camps next week.

Columbia County considers Madison College for management training

From wiscnews.com: “MATC proposes to train department heads” — Columbia County Supervisor Sue Martin had a blunt question: “How do you teach an old dog new tricks?”

Mike Baldwin replied that the Madison Area Technical College’s Center for Community and Corporate Learning can, indeed, help Columbia County’s department heads maximize their skills in leadership and management.

Baldwin, assessment facilitator for the training program, fielded numerous questions — some as blunt as Martin’s — at a meeting Wednesday for the county’s department heads and the supervisors who are chairs of the County Board committees that oversee various departments.

County Board Chairman Andy Ross said the county’s 2013 budget includes about $20,000 for leadership training.

Such a need was identified for managers in the county’s highway and transportation department, in a 118-page report from Baker Tilly, a Madison-based consulting firm that has spent the last several months analyzing the department’s operation.

But all of the county’s departments, and even experienced managers, should benefit from leadership training, Ross said.

“We put a lot of money into buildings and things like that,” he said. “But one of the optimal aspects we have is you folks. We should be doing some investing in you.”

Baldwin and Barbara Martin, outreach training liaison for the MATC program, spoke to the County Board’s executive committee earlier this month, and laid out a proposal that would entail:

• Meetings between county department heads and representatives of the MATC program, starting at the beginning of next year, to assess each department head’s strengths and weaknesses in management.

• A report in February to the executive committee, regarding the results of the assessments and a proposed list of training topics.

• Training in leadership and management, to start the first week of March.

The proposal must get approval from the executive committee next month before the assessments can begin.

Ross had been the outreach training liaison for the MATC program until his June 2011 retirement. He noted Wednesday that he would receive no financial benefit from the county paying MATC for the leadership training.

Ross said he recommended using the MATC program because of its success.

Baldwin said private-sector entities are the main users of the program, though the state of Wisconsin has used it. Columbia County would be the first county government body to utilize the program’s management training, he said.

Barbara Martin said the proposal for management training indicates the value that the County Board places on county department heads.

“Columbia County is taking you seriously,” she said, “and wants to invest in you.”

Susan Martin, chairwoman of the County Board’s human resources committee, said her 30 years of experience in human resources in the private sector has shown her that management training programs work best when they include an assessment of the organization’s overall effectiveness.

“This is a very tight timeline,” she said, “and I don’t recall any attention being paid to the overall organization.”

Also, she said, it may not be the department heads who most need leadership training, but rather the lower-level managers in some of the county’s larger departments.

Supervisor Fred Teitgen, chairman of the County Board’s planning and zoning committee, asked whether the assessment conducted before the training could offer insight into the workload of various departments; determine whether departments have the right size staff for their workload; and identify opportunities for different departments to share staff.

Baldwin said the assessment would factor in the county’s limited financial resources, and the effect of those limitations on staffing.

Ross said the executive committee, of which he is chairman — whose members include Robert Westby, Vern Gove, Richard Boockmeier and Mary Cupery — would exercise ongoing oversight of the leadership training process.

NTC honored for efforts to address skills gap

From toolingu.com: “Tooling U-SME recognizes six award-winning schools for their excellence” — In its ongoing commitment to support the manufacturing community, Tooling U-SME recognizes – for the second year – outstanding educational facilities that are developing a learning culture that works to overcome the manufacturing skill gap that is rampant in the U.S. and abroad. Tooling U-SME’s Platinum Education Centers (TUPECs) are educational programs that embrace technology and are active in developing manufacturers for today and tomorrow.

The TUPEC program was created in part because of the crisis facing manufacturing. Business research firms like Deloitte report that, by 2021, one million skilled jobs such as machinists, assemblers, inspectors, among others will go unfilled due to retirement and the lack of individuals with the right manufacturing skills and knowledge to replace them. Schools in the manufacturing industry are doing their part, and Tooling U-SME applauds those who have stepped up to meet the global challenge.

The six programs honored this year are:

• NTMA-U National Apprenticeship Program
• Northcentral Technical College, WI
• Davidson County Community College, NC
• Wilbur Wright College, IL
• Virginia Western CC, VA
• Middle Georgia Technical College, GA

The schools chosen have invested in their curriculum with Tooling U-SME’s online training program, which offers a blended learning format that trains specifically to the daily job functions of skilled workers. Pre- and post-exams help identify learning disparities with a learning portal that allows for reporting for teachers and multimedia, key manufacturing content and assessment exams for students. The 400+ online classes in departments like abrasives, metal cutting, welding, among others allow students to learn at their own pace while giving instructors extra time to teach in the classroom. Tooling U-SME’s content is robust and maps to industry credentialed standards: NIMS, SME, MSSC and AWS. Following the adoption of Tooling U-SME educational programs on average, educational institutions noted a marked 16-18-percent increase in post-exam testing. Tooling U’s efforts to support the manufacturing community will continue as industry partners with schools to produce a knowledgeable and skilled workforce.

“Manufacturing in the U.S. is thriving and we need to ensure that we have a strong pipeline of workers to fill the gaps to keep our manufacturers competitive,” says Toni Neary from Tooling U-SME’s Government and Education Group. “We are dedicated to working with instructors, programs and school systems throughout the U.S. to make sure students are well-trained, competent and, where applicable, certified. Our programs use Tooling U-SME to deliver knowledge to their students while conducting hands-on and in-person training to instill the skills needed for today’s cutting edge jobs. We are so proud of all of our schools and wanted to congratulate our six newest TUPECs. They are shining examples of where career and technical education is moving.”

NTC introduces new iPad app for area students

From myfoxwausau.com: “NTC introduces new iPad app for area students” — A new iPad app is helping teachers see how their students are learning.

The WI-Skills app was introduced by North Central Technical College and is currently being used at four local high schools to monitor students’ apptitude in manufacturing courses.

NTC officials said the goal is to help educators map the progress of students throughout their coursework.

It will also allow them to see how they are grasping the material.

“It’s going to give them real time access to the student progress. They are going to be able to see how the student is doing and have video and picture documentation of the student performance,” Wausau West Instructor Theran Peterson said of the new app.

Teachers said the app is in the early stages. It was created thanks to a grant from the Department of Education.

MSTC Quick Start Learning classes set for winter and spring

From voiceofwr.com: “MSTC Quick Start Learning classes set for winter and spring” — Want to train for a new career?  Need to advance your skills in your current career?  Mid-State Technical College’s new Quick Start Learning classes are an easy solution for people on the go.

Quick Start Learning classes are ideal for the busy lives of local businesses and their employees.  These short-term classes don’t follow traditional semester schedules.  Convenient start dates offer more flexibility and choices in what, when, and where students can learn.  Evening and online classes accommodate those who are unable to attend daytime classes.

Class options include topics like fire training, first aid/CPR/AED, gerontology, hazardous materials, hydraulics, leadership, medical terminology, Microsoft Office, nursing assistant acute care, phlebotomy, quality management, and Spanish.  View classes in these and many other fields at http://www.mstc.edu/quickstartlearning.

Additional classes are added often.  Class offerings are subject to demand and provided on a first come, first served basis.  For more information, contact an MSTC Career Coach at 1-888-575-MSTC or stop by an MSTC Campus Office.  Individuals previously enrolled at MSTC can register online through MyMSTC.

Scholarship winner on millwright career path

From twoharborsmn.com: “Scholarship for motor-minded Two Harbors High School senior” — Russell Nelson missed his lunch hour on Thursday. Instead, the Two Harbors High School senior spent those 40 minutes checking out AMSOIL’s latest snocross racing technology, on display behind the mechanics shop at the high school.

There was pizza available, but he was too busy hobnobbing with the AMSOIL snocross team’s owner Steve Scheuring, mechanic Tony Clement and Air Force Staff Sergeant Dave Overstreet to grab a bite. He finally slipped away to have a snack but returned quickly for the grand finale of the afternoon–receiving a $200 scholarship from the AMSOIL team.

“I chose him based on the fact that he’s a good student and a good worker,” said Mike Fitzpatrick, who made the call as to which of his students would receive the scholarship.

Nelson plans to attend Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College for mechanics and says he hopes to be a millwright after graduation.

“He has a plan and we want to support him. We’re all about success,” said Staff Sgt. Overstreet. The Air Force is a sponsor of the AMSOIL team and part of their outreach work is getting kids excited about science, technology, engineering and mathematics—STEM subjects. They’ve found that showing off the snocross machines at high schools is an effective way of doing so.

Nelson has already proved his dedication to technology and engineering. He spent most of his high school career in the shop classrooms at the high school, evidenced by the impressive number of advanced mechanics classes he has under his belt. In fact, he’s taken many of the classes twice; not because he failed them, but because he enjoys spending his days in the shop, he said.

“I just always knew I wanted to work with my hands,” he said.

Overstreet said Nelson is exactly the type of student they’re looking to support. Although Overstreet is a recruiter and Nelson isn’t joining the Air Force, he’s still impressed with Nelson’s drive and focus on the future.

“Our country needs guys that are thinking ahead,” he said, whether they are in the armed forces or not. Nelson fit the bill.

MATC investing millions to address skills gap

From bizjournals.com: “MATC investing millions to address skills gap” — Milwaukee Area Technical College is investing millions into its programs to address the region’s talent shortage and has added dozens of new programs since 2011, president Michael Burke said.

The school also recently received a more than $1 million federal grant to provide advanced manufacturing support for the community, Burke said.

Southeastern Wisconsin employers, particularly manufacturers, say they’re struggling to find candidates for open positions with the right skill sets, despite high unemployment.

As part of its response to that need, MATC has added eight degrees, 15 technical diplomas and 24 certificates since 2011, Burke said.

Foundries partner with colleges to keep up with evolving training needs

From insightonmfg.com: “Foundries partner with colleges to keep up with evolving training needs” — Even with its roots in one of the earliest manufacturing processes – casting – the foundry industry has to undergo almost constant technical training to keep up with the latest production and engineering technologies.

Managers at foundries in the region as well as educators say that some major technical shifts  include more robotics in the handling and finishing of castings, a new generation of computer-aided design software, and more use of advanced, programmable equipment generally.

“Foundries are modern and high-tech, with the need to be able to work with technologies like robotics,” says Steve Dreger, a key account manager with Fox Valley Technical College’s department of Business and Industry Services. “The time has passed for thinking of foundries as dingy work environments.”

By partnering with technical colleges including FVTC and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, foundries are staying current with technology. The surprise, however, is that mastering technology is just part of the educational focus. Foundries also are pursuing “soft skills” like leadership training, even for production employees.

The technical challenge itself is significant. According to Gordy Barth, manager of training and development for Waupaca Foundry, robotics training is one of the biggest needs. The Waupaca-based foundry uses robots for functions including core making and trim pressing.

“It’s a pretty rapidly changing pace around here with the technology, equipment and systems we work with,” says Barth.

Waupaca Foundry regularly works with FVTC to tailor needed technical training, says Barth. With robotics training, it used to send production people to a Michigan site operated by ABB Robotics, an equipment manufacturer, but the travel was expensive. FVTC was able to work with ABB Robotics to bring in the necessary equipment, and get an FVTC instructor certified to teach the course. As a result, Waupaca Foundry employees can take the training in Appleton, slashing the training costs.

Other technical training for Waupaca Foundry takes place at FVTC’s Waupaca site. The foundry has donated some hydraulic equipment and other gear to the site for manufacturing training needs.

Barth says it’s the flexible approach FVTC takes in tailoring training, as much as having the right equipment, that is key to the partnership. “You name it when it comes to training, and [FVTC] is able to do it for us,” he says.

Dreger says FVTC’s instructors usually have the skills to teach a class tailored for a foundry, but sometimes specialists are brought in. In one case, the instructor for a class on how to use a specific 3D CAD software package was brought in from the software reseller near Milwaukee, teaching as an adjunct FVTC instructor.

The other side of the training that’s taking shape for foundries centers on leadership skills. For example, some of the production supervisors at Neenah Foundry have taken leadership training via FVTC, says Heidi Mitchell, VP of human resources for Neenah Enterprises.

Mitchell says a targeted, local leadership training program is simply more practical than expecting production workers to acquire management skills via university courses or four-year degree paths.

“We decided that the next best thing was to develop a leadership curriculum that they could undertake locally focused on supervisory and leadership skills,” says Mitchell.

About 20 foundry employees have taken the leadership course, says Mitchell. “It’s been a wonderful partnership with FVTC,” she says. “It gives our people the leadership skills they need, we pick up the cost, and we build a stronger relationship with FVTC for future needs.”

Similarly, De Pere-based foundry C.A. Lawton Company included leadership development as part of a training package it put together with NWTC under a Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grant. NWTC helped complete the WAT grant application and tailor the training program, which also included team building skills, and some technical manufacturing training in areas such as welding and blueprint reading.

Gloria Plog, human resources manager for C.A. Lawton, says a mix of administrative employees and production-focused employees are taking the leadership skills course. “It’s more than the technical skills that are important,” says Plog. “It’s also the soft skills that help a company rise to greatness.”

Foundries looking for custom-tailored education programs from NWTC typically want a mix of technical and leadership training, according to Dean Stewart, dean of corporate training with NWTC. On the technical side, electro-mechanical skills and robotics skills increasingly are needed by foundries, says Stewart.

Leadership training for foundry workers is related to the need to improve knowledge transfer, says Stewart, which is especially important given the aging workforce in manufacturing. Stewart says leadership training can help experienced foundry workers become better mentors and teachers.

“The foundries know that unless their people build stronger leadership and communication skills, they are going to have issues going forward in passing along knowledge,” he says.

MPTC helps victims of salon shooting

From fdlreporter.com: “MPTC helps victims of salon shooting” — It was a sea of purple entering Moraine Park Technical College’s Techniques Salon and Spa on Tuesday, Nov.13.

Staff and students were sporting the shade to help raise domestic violence awareness for the national Cut It Out event. The color is meant to be a symbol of peace, courage, survival, honor and dedication to ending violence.

On that day, 5 percent of proceeds from Moraine Park’s Techniques Salon and Spa, located on the College’s Fond du Lac campus, went to supporting families of the victims of the Oct. 21 Azana Salon shooting in Brookfield. Moraine Park joined more than 80 salons in the region in this Cut It Out effort.

Throughout November, the barber-cosmetology department is offering trendy purple hair extensions for $5, purple ribbons for $1, and $2 hand massages. All proceeds from these services will benefit families of the Azana Salon shooting victims. To make an appointment at Techniques, call 920-929-2106.

Moraine Park Cosmetology student Emily Wille of Beaver Dam, a purple extension in her hair, spoke about the importance of the Cut It Out event.

“This event, along with activities we have planned for the month of November, is important for helping families of the Azana victims,” Wille said. “We are getting to practice what we learn in class to give back to those in need.”

Sara Sears, barber-cosmetology instructor, was instrumental in organizing the event.

“This was a great way to give back to the community and one way to respond to the tragedy that occurred so close to home,” said Sears. “We hope the little things we’re doing will help make a larger impact to our community members struck by this unfortunate event.”

Moraine Park also hosted domestic violence survivor Teri Jendusa-Nicolai. She shared her miraculous story of survival with a large group of Moraine Park staff, students and community members.

In 2004, Nicolai was beaten by her ex-husband, placed in a garbage can, and left for dead in a storage locker. She survived, and now shares her story in an effort to save others from domestic violence.

Nicolai’s story has been covered nationally and she continues to spread the word on domestic violence to law enforcement agencies, middle schools, high schools, colleges and shelters.

As part of her Moraine Park presentation, Nicolai spoke about signs to watch for and how to get out of an abusive/violent relationship. She also addressed how to help a loved one who might be in a dangerous relationship.

WCTC culinary students make turkey dinners for needy families

From jsonline.com: “WCTC students make turkey dinners for families” — As you dig in to your turkey and trimmings tomorrow, think about the fortunate recipients of 10 Thanksgiving meals prepared by culinary students at Waukesha County Technical College.

The students who roasted the turkeys and mixed the stuffing, cooked up the cranberries and glazed the carrots don’t know who the families are and don’t need to.

For once, instead of focusing on acquiring skills that will lead to a paycheck, and possibly – someday – a restaurant of their own, they were handed a chance to give to the community. For once, it wasn’t about dazzling diners, it wasn’t about the bottom line.

The charitable effort began last year when a staff member asked if the culinary classes could prepare two turkey dinners for needy families through the SPARKS Alliance, a United Way-funded program in Waukesha focused on increasing parental involvement.

“This year, I wanted to expand it,” said Jack Birren. “I have 17 students in each class. To have them make one turkey dinner seemed like a waste. If I’m already doing one, it’s just as easy to prep for five.”

So he asked and was granted permission to make and donate 10 meals this year.

Two meals again will go to SPARKS, destined for families from Hadfield Elementary School in Waukesha. The rest will be donated to the Food Pantry of Waukesha County for distribution to families on its list.

The meals – four built around a 14-pound turkey, to serve eight, and six featuring a turkey breast, to serve four – were prepared in two of Birren’s classes: five meals last Thursday and five more this Tuesday. In addition, the pastry instructor on Monday donated the corn bread his class already was scheduled to make.

The cost of the meals came out of Birren’s regular school food budget.

The turkeys and turkey breasts were carved up and frozen, along with the accompaniments: mashed potatoes, gravy (made from pan drippings), maple-glazed carrots, homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn bread. (No dessert this year – maybe next, Birren said.) The family recipients will be given instructions for thawing and reheating.

Birren said his students were excited by the opportunity.

“I always wanted to do something like this,” said Deanna Werner of Lannon as she mixed ingredients last Thursday for the stuffing, “but I never had much of an opportunity, being a student and working full time.”

Birren hopes the example set here will stick as the students graduate and build their careers.

Televised food shows have given a higher profile to chefs, he said. “I tell my students, take advantage of what national TV has done for our profession. You can have more of an impact in the community. Get your face out there and find a way to help.”

—–

Preparing dinners to donate doesn’t just help the needy families; the culinary students at WCTC also get hands-on experience preparing the biggest holiday meal of the year, right before the holiday. They can take that expertise home to their families as they celebrate Thanksgiving.

The whole turkeys roasted for these meals were brined overnight, said Birren. Just before roasting, a mixture of softened butter, garlic and fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, etc.) was spread under the skin all over the bird. Then the cavity was stuffed with halved oranges and apples and more of the same herbs.

One advantage of a classroom kitchen is access to specialty equipment – like the combi oven that combines steam cooking and convection heat. Roasted in that oven, the 14-pound birds were crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, in just 1 hour and 20 minutes. (In a conventional oven, roasting would take about 3 ¾ hours.)

This is one recipe from the menu that’s easy to replicate at home. It’s reduced from the students’ recipe.

Whiskey Cranberry Sauce

1 pound whole cranberries

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whiskey

4 ounces (one-third of a 12-ounce can) frozen apple juice concentrate

Juice and grated zest of 1 small orange (or two-thirds of a large orange)

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup canned pineapple tidbits with juice

¾ cup granulated sugar

In saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then keep at a low simmer until sauce is reduced and thickened to desired consistency. Taste and add sugar if needed.

NTC partners with medical college to share space

From wausaudailyherald.com: “Medical College of Wisconsin to start campus in Wausau” — Local education and medical leaders are pleased that months of hard work recruiting paid off with this morning’s announcement that the Medical College of Wisconsin will have a campus in Wausau.

The private, Milwaukee-based college announced in January that it was seeking sites for new campuses to raise the school’s profile statewide and find new clinical partners to help educate future generations of doctors and nurses. The college selected central Wisconsin and Green Bay in June and plans to open the campuses in 2015.

The college’s board of trustees met Friday to vote on exact locations for the campus, but the board’s decision was not announced until today. Marshfield, Stevens Point and Wausau were considered the three top locations for central Wisconsin.

“As a major provider of health care services in Wisconsin, we recognize the importance of this effort by the Medical College of Wisconsin to establish a medical education program in this part of the state, said Michael Kryda, Vice President of Medical Affairs for Ministry Health Care. “This program will compliment the already long-established medical education programs within our system as we continue to address the need for additional physicians in the many communities we serve across the state.”

The medical college will begin negotiations to locate classrooms and offices at the Liberty Mutual Insurance building, 2000 Westwood Drive, in Wausau. About 20 Medical College of Wisconsin students and school officials in October toured Wausau and made stops at Liberty Mutual and Northcentral Technical College in Wausau.

Wausau was considered a good possible location based on the close proximity of Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Ministry Saint Clare’s Hospital in Weston and branches of Marshfield Clinic. The estimated cost to develop medical education programs in both regions is approximately $11 to $12 million per region.

A community venture

The medical college campus will work in partnership with many local medical facilities and higher education institutions in central Wisconsin.

The medical college will partner with the University of Wisconsin Marathon County, which will provide student services and support, and NTC that will have space for a medical student learning laboratories and clinical simulation center.

Lori Weyers, the president of Northcentral Technical College, said medical college officials were impressed the school’s Center for Health Sciences, where students get hands-on training and education. The school already has a simulation center, and a $250,000 grant NTC received last year for the Wisconsin Technical College System will allow NTC to expand the facility.

“Our students will have a unique opportunity to be in an accelerated learning environment, working with Medical College (of Wisconsin) students, and interns,” Weyers said.

Aspirus, Ministry Health Care, and Marshfield Clinic all will play a critical role with the campus, providing physicians who will serve as faculty members and allow students to receive clinical education at those facilities.

Science faculty members for the college campus will be identified from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, University of Wisconsin Marathon County, University of Wisconsin – Marshfield/Wood County, and Northcentral Technical College.

The medical college also wants UWSP, UWMC, NTC, UW-Marshfield/Wood County and Northcentral Technical College to develop pipeline programs to prepare undergraduate students for medical school.

“MCW is developing community advisory boards in both Central Wisconsin and Green Bay to assist with the development and implementation of the local medical education programs,” Joseph E. Kerschner, MCW’s dean of the medical school and executive vice president, said in a news release. “The community advisory boards also will advise me in the selection of a community campus dean in both regions.”

Eliminating a shortfall

A 2011 report by the Wisconsin Hospital Association revealed that Wisconsin faces an estimated shortfall of 2,000 physicians by 2030. The hope is that the new medical college campuses will bring new physicians to central Wisconsin to train and stay in the area.

Duane Erwin, the CEO at Aspirus, said 150 people have graduated from the Aspirus family residency program that started in 1978 in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and 87 residents practice in Wisconsin with 44 people still in the immediate region.

“Having students trained in the region helpsmake sure those physicians stay in the area to provide the care we need to provide,” Erwin said.

One of the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s recommendations in its report last year on the creation of new medical campuses to allow more students to be trained in medical fields. Dr. Charles Shabino, a senior medical adviser with the hospital association, called the new medical college campuses “a significant step forward” toward reducing the state’s looming physician shortage.

Gov. Walker proposes changes to education funding

From madison.com: “Gov. Scott Walker unveils agenda for Wisconsin during speech in California” — Gov. Scott Walker unveiled major new policy initiatives Friday night in a speech in California, including decreasing taxes, boosting the school voucher program and requiring Wisconsin’s schools, technical colleges and universities to meet certain benchmarks to earn state funding.

Among the proposals was one to tie funding for technical colleges and the University of Wisconsin System with how well those institutions prepare students to take available and needed jobs in Wisconsin.

The glimpse into Walker’s legislative agenda came at the end of an hourlong talk at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation in Simi Valley, Calif. Walker had been in Las Vegas for a meeting of the Republican Governors Association, where he was elected vice chairman.

The speech was not covered live by Wisconsin media but was available on the Internet. Among those in attendance was one of Walker’s biggest campaign donors, Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply in Janesville.

Walker’s talk focused on what the governor described as his successful initiatives to reduce the cost of benefits for public workers, improve the quality of education, boost the economy and maintain social services. After the speech, a woman who described herself as a “fellow Wauwatosan” asked what Walker planned to do now that Republicans had regained control of both houses of the state Legislature.

“We’re working on massive tax reform,” Walker said.

“We think if we want to continue the economic success we’ve had over the last year and a half, again one of the best ways to do that is to put more money back in the hands of entrepreneurs, more money back in the hands of small business owners, more money back in the hands of our consumers.”

Walker added he plans to push for lower property taxes, which is the primary revenue source for schools and local governments. And he said he will propose “aggressive income tax reduction and reform.”

Education reform

The Republican governor said his proposals for education reform will tie funding to outcomes, including how well the education system meets the need for trained workers. Walker said he has heard “tremendous concerns” from employers in health care, manufacturing and information technology “that they have jobs but they just don’t have enough skilled workers to meet those jobs.”

The governor said he plans to tie education funding to performance, ranging from kindergarten-through-12th grade schools, which now are evaluated by state-required report cards, to the technical college and University of Wisconsin systems.

“What we’re going to do is not just put money in … we’re going to make investments that are driven off of performance,” Walker said.

“We’re going to tie our funding in our technical colleges and our University of Wisconsin System into performance and say if you want money, we need you to perform, and particularly in higher education, we need you to perform not just in how many people you have in the classroom.

“In higher education, that means not only degrees, but are young people getting degrees in jobs that are open and needed today, not just the jobs that the universities want to give us, or degrees that people want to give us?”

Walker also said he wants to do more to help choice, charter and virtual schools in Wisconsin but offered no specifics.

Senate Minority Leader-elect Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee said he was disappointed Walker chose to unveil some of his initiatives in California before Republican supporters and donors rather than Wisconsin residents.

Larson said his impression from the talk was that Walker has no plans to moderate his stances and instead plans to continue a path of “divide and conquer.”

He contrasted Walker’s plans to “hyper scrutinize” public schools while giving more money to “unaccountable” private schools that studies show perform no better or worse than public schools.

The Democratic lawmaker said Walker’s proposal for higher education funding sounds like “social engineering” that would force students to study “what industry wants” rather than what students want.

UW System spokesman David Giroux said in the last state budget, the Legislature ended up for the first time giving the UW specific performance measures that it is required to report on annually.

When the UW System put in a modest request for new funding in this biennium, it said specifically that it would tie the funding to new initiatives focused on workforce development and economic development, Giroux said.

“In some respects at least, we’re already there,” Giroux said. “We’re not just asking for new money carte blanche. We’re asking for state investment. And we are promising to deliver a return on that investment.”

Christina Brey, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the state’s largest teachers union, said it’s one thing for Walker to give lip service to world-class schools and it’s another thing to back his words with actions.

“The actions we’ve seen in the state are historic cuts to education funding, even though there is no better return on investment to taxpayers than education,” Brey said.

She said it defies common sense that the state would now refuse to direct aid to students who need it most, while at the same time telling schools they are responsible for implementing new accountability systems, educator evaluation systems, and Common Core standards — a uniform standard for what students should know each year that is used by most states, among other initiatives.

The public schools are responsible for all of these initiatives, Brey said, and to talk about cutting funding or refusing funding increases for schools that need it most, while siphoning more public funding away from public schools to the unaccountable voucher schools, is wrong.

GOP on board

State Assembly Speaker-elect Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he saw snippets of the California speech and it contained simple ideas Assembly Republicans have been talking about on the campaign trail for the last six months: reducing the income tax rate, trying to make it easier for a business to begin and thrive, and ways to make the state’s education system more accountable and produce better results.

“I think it’s pretty much consistent with what we have been saying,” Vos said. “I’m excited about it. I think that Gov. Walker joins a cohesive group of Legislative Republicans who are all heading in the same direction. I hope the Democrats will take our hands and work with us to try to find some common ground.”

Walker’s vision for the state has focused on letting families keep as much of the money they earn in their pockets as possible, and have the state do things that are necessary, but figure out ways to do that more effectively, Vos said.

“He’s laying out a good first step,” he said, “which is to put the agenda out there and involve the public early, and now we’ll have an opportunity for the Legislature to get involved.”

MATC to expand welding facilities

From biztimes.com: “MATC to expand welding facilities” — Milwaukee Area Technical College plans to expand the welding facilities at three of its locations in the next three years to extend its training capacity.

The school will receive a three-year, $1.4 million U.S. Department of Labor grant starting in 2013 to help fund the project. It’s part of a larger $14.9 million grant awarded to the Wisconsin Technical College System for expanding and improving advanced manufacturing career pathways.MATC plans to build a new welding fabrication facility in Mequon and renovate the weld labs on the Oak Creek and West Allis campuses, which will cost about $5 million. MATC will also redevelop its curriculum and hire more faculty as part of the expansion, said Duane Schultz, associate dean at the School of Technical and Applied Sciences.The Mequon project will begin in March and is expected to be finished by July. That program would enroll students in fall 2013. Oak Creek will begin some modest upgrades to its weld lab in March, and the West Allis weld lab will be expanded starting in summer 2013.

The Oak Creek campus will have its exhaust system updated so 10 more welding booths can be added to increase capacity, said Sue Silverstein, a welding instructor at the Oak Creek campus.

“We just realized that the space we have needs to be reorganized,” Silverstein said. “We’re sort of trying to make each campus specialized.”

Employers in each area have different needs, which is why the welding programs will be focused on different tasks, she said. The West Allis campus will offer an associate degree in robotics and inspection and a new heavy plate welding curriculum, while Mequon will be fabrication focused. Oak Creek will be multifunctional, with a welding diploma program, apprenticeship classes and individual classes.

A welding advisory committee that includes members of the business community will provide input on the curriculum.

“We’ve always had these reports of the shortage of welders—we’ve known that,” she said. “We’ve known that this has been an issue—it was just making it a reality.”

FVTC earns Well Workplace Award

From biztimes.com: “Wisconsin employers earn Well Workplace Awards” — The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA), with its local affiliate, the Wellness Council of Wisconsin, recently presented 11 additional recipients of the Well Workplace Award in Wisconsin for 2012.

The new Gold Well Workplace Award recipients are: American Family Insurance, Madison; Appleton Papers Inc., Appleton; Bergstrom Automotive, Neenah; Evergreen Retirement Community, Oshkosh; Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton; Franklin Energy Services LLC, Port Washington; J.J. Keller & Associates Inc., Neenah; Kimberly Area School District, Combined Locks; Kleen Test Products Corp., Port Washington; and McClone, Menasha.

In addition, Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp., Appleton, has received the Silver Well Workplace Award.

The Well Workplace Award designation is awarded throughout the year to employers from around the nation that have implemented corporate health initiatives to improve the lives of their employees.

The Well Workplace Awards initiative is driven by a set of criteria outlined in WELCOA’s seven benchmarks to a results-oriented Well Workplace.

David Hunnicutt, president of the Wellness Council of America stated, “In a time when the health of our nation’s workers is not what it should be and health care costs consistently reflect this trend, the Well Workplace initiative provides employers with a powerful approach to stemming the tide of increasing costs and systematically working toward improving the health and well-being of their most valuable asset- their employees.”
Wellness Council of Wisconsin executive director Jessica Raddemann said, “These employers worked hard to successfully meet the rigorous standards set by the Well Workplace process. It is our pleasure to recognize them as the newest Wisconsin employers to achieve Well Workplace status.”

Founded in 1985 by the Wisconsin business community, membership since then has grown from nine founding companies to more than 450 organizations representing over 440,000 employees. In addition, Wisconsin currently has 75 Well Workplace Award-winning employers as well as four active Well City projects: Well City Fox Cities, Well City Milwaukee (Silver Award 2010), Well Oshkosh and Well City Racine (Bronze Award 2012).

MPTC renovations improve library, cafeteria and more

From wiscnews.com: “MPTC renovations improve library, cafeteria and more” — The latest addition at Moraine Park Technical College has been completed offering a new library, cafeteria and computer lab on the west side of the building.

The new library is 6,800-square-feet, replacing a 2,700-square-foot facility.

Campus and community partner Karen Coley said the former library will be the last major project on campus. Remodeling there will include adding another Mercury Marine Lab to meet demand.

“We will also be adding one general classroom and IT rooms to the campus,” Coley said.

To create the student life area of the campus, Coley said they gutted the former cafeteria. A classroom was replaced with a student area with two big screen televisions, a gaming system and seating.

Brightly colored chairs were placed around the tables in the new cafeteria and special energy efficient lighting was added to go with the school’s green initiative.

One of the big pluses was adding a kitchen.

“We did not have any kitchen before the remodeling,” Coley said.

Campus Café and Catering won the bid to provide the food service at the school.

“It’s made a real difference in students staying on campus for meals,” Coley said.

A patio was also added off of the cafeteria and will have tables for use during warm weather.

A career center was added that is much larger than the former space and there are double the computers in the room for students to use for career assessments.

See MPTC/Page 2

An open computer lab will be staffed part-time and is adjacent to the new library.

Librarian Susan Bentz said the big difference is the windows. The former space had none and the new library is full of light.

The library has the same number of books although it looks like fewer in the expanded space. More computers were addedas well.

“The books are no longer the focal point,” Bentz said. “It is much more student centered”

A periodical reading center was added as were study rooms.

The project cost $1.2 million and took about six months to complete.

The addition is the second project to follow the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. In 2010, the district completed a 6,800-square-foot addition to house the reception, administration, student services, conference room, security and maintenance areas. Parking stalls were added as well.

Young workers looking for career pathways

From biztimes.com: “Teachable fit: Generation Y” — By Aleta Norris of Impact Consulting Group — Jeff Karlson, a supervisor at Allis-Roller in Franklin, had much to share about his two-and-a-half-year timeframe with the company when we spoke recently. A member of Generation Y, Jeff is an exciting representation of what we see in so many organizations – members of the emerging workforce who are on fire for what they do.

As I talked with Jeff about his role – overseeing a team of employees in a newly-added location for the company – he was clearly excited about what he is doing. Contributing to his excitement? He has been selected as the candidate from his organization to begin an 18-month manufacturing apprenticeship program at MATC in January.

As a part of this program, Jeff will attend a weekly one-day class at MATC (for one year) and then receive significant guidance and mentorship back at his work environment. The program, designed through a collaborative effort involving educators and industry leaders (and provided through a partnership of the state Department of Workforce Development and MATC), is designed to last 18 months and provides a framework for participating companies to support the process.

“We need more interest from companies in our business community to support programs like this one,” said Dave Dull, president of Allis-Roller. Both Dave and Julie Zaja, manufacturing manager at Allis-Roller, spoke enthusiastically about their commitment to doing their part to help close the skills gap. Along with their support of MATCs new Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program, they have been involved in and exploring additional avenues to recruit young machinists and welders, then investing in their development and success.

“We are fully aware that young workers today are looking for an advancement pathway,” said Julie Zaja. “They are interested in variety and change. We all need workers, and we’ve decided we’re better off looking for the type of person we want … then grooming them and supporting them. We need an education component right in the workplace.”

Julie went on to share that one of the things that has supported Jeff’s success, as well as the success of other employees at Allis-Roller, is the commitment of their key supervisors.

“Jeff’s supervisor gets along really well with people and wants to help them,” she said.

This is critical. I’ve said this before – employees join companies and leave bosses. Part of Jeff’s success is the availability of his leadership.

“One of my biggest challenges coming into the company was that I knew nothing about steel or welding,” Karlson said. “I just kept going to the proper people who could answer my questions. My supervisors spent a lot of time with me to train me.”

Before I continue, let me reiterate, as I have before, that while I am a fierce advocate of Generation Y, I am not advocating that organizations have the sole responsibility of catering to the preferences of the Gen Y workforce, the answer will lie in the middle.

So, what IS the compromise? The leaders of Allis-Roller have sent a clear message to Jeff Karlson: “You make a difference.” That is, without question, contributing to his passion for what he does and his productivity.

According to Julie, however, he brought a bunch to the table.

“Jeff is quality minded, conscientious, gives suggestions, is leadership minded and is responding well to the added responsibility we’ve given him,” she said.

Organizations today, more and more, are beginning to build their models and approaches around their need to attract and, more importantly, retain talent. As Julie mentioned, Allis-Roller has tried to be in tune with what young people are looking for. Along these same lines, I had an opportunity to talk with Kathleen Hohl, director of communications and events at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC).

Reinforcing the same type of interest in understanding the emerging workforce, Kathleen said, “As we try to recruit emerging workers to our manufacturing apprenticeship program, we know there has to be some kind of cool factor. We’re focused on how we can make manufacturing look cool, because young people, in particular, are swept up by what’s new and viral. We’re also focusing on renewable and sustainable, because we see young people focusing on Earth-friendly habits. We know we have to tap into where they are if we want to capture their attention.”

Yes, to a large degree today, the individual rules. It’s great to see organizations stepping back to explore their part in the equation. It inspires the Jeff Karlsons of the world to step forward and do theirs.

NTC brings the world to Wausau

From wausaudailyherald.com: “NTC brings the world to Wausau” — When Northcentral Technical College holds its annual Global Fair on Thursday, students from 18 countries will share their heritage and culture with the community.

The event is a celebration, which includes food, dancing and arts and crafts. But it’s also meant to underscore the diversity of north central Wisconsin and, in a small way, prepare people to work and live in a global environment.

“This Global Fair creates a lot of awareness among different cultures,” said Dr. Lopa Kabir-Islam, a internal medicine physician at Marshfield Clinic Weston Center. Marshfield Clinic is a partner with NTC in offering the event, and Kabir-Islam has been part of the celebration for four years.

A native of Bangladesh, Kabir-Islam is an example of how people and businesses are becoming increasingly mobile in a global economy. It’s common for physicians from other countries to practice in central Wisconsin, she said. Marshfield Clinic, for example, “has providers from all different backgrounds — China, Philippines, Thailand,” she said.

Events such as the Global Fair offer ways for people to hone “global competencies,” said Michelle Lindell, the international education coordinator for NTC. By that she means that in the modern era, nearly everyone has to deal with people from vastly different backgrounds and cultures at some level, often on a day-to-day basis.

The more people embrace that reality and are comfortable with it, the better off everyone will be, she said.

For example, meeting students from areas such as Latin America and the Middle East can help break down stereotypes and divisions, Lindell said.

More and more, people are looking for ways to expand their way of thinking, Lindell said. Local businesses are doing it by reaching out to new markets beyond the U.S., and NTC is doing it by looking at economic opportunities by searching for ways to create educational links in growing countries such as the BRIC nations, Brazil, Russia, India and China, Lindell said.

The Global Fair, Lindell said, can be “the first trigger to learn more about other people, and (the start) of opening up a whole new world.”

Veterans enter workforce with help from Wisconsin’s technical colleges

From witc.edu: “Veterans enter workforce with help from Wisconsin’s technical colleges” — After nearly five years in the Army and three tours in Iraq, Brent Rapos found educational and career success at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. Rapos chose accounting because he always liked numbers.

“It had been a number of years since I had been in school and when I started taking classes, I wasn’t sure I could switch careers,” Rapos said. He enrolled in online classes through WITC so he could continue to work and support his family.

Slowly, his comfort level with the college grew and so did his confidence. Rapos completed his associate degree and is working toward an online bachelor’s degree. He also started a tax return preparation business. That confidence was the key.

The former sergeant credits Cheryl Pich, financial aid advisor at the WITC Rice Lake campus, with helping him access the Wisconsin GI Bill benefits available to him.

“She is so helpful with what benefits are best for you and all the different paperwork required. Cheryl was very proactive, getting the information needed before the deadlines,” he said. “I also felt she really appreciated my service.”

Veterans who faced challenges during their service return to Wisconsin with leadership skills that can be a great match for the education and training available through the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS).  By accessing the WTCS, veterans contribute to their college community, which only enhances their value to Wisconsin business and industry.

According to the American Council on Education (ACE), more than 2 million soldiers are transitioning to civilian life after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The number of students using their Wisconsin GI Bill benefits in the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) has increased dramatically since these new state education benefits became available during the 2005-06 school year, when about 1,000 eligible veterans or the eligible spouses or dependents first used the program.  During the 2011-12 academic year, almost 4,500 Wisconsin veterans or spouses or dependents used the Wisconsin GI Bill in the WTCS.

“We help vets in any way we can,” says Terry Klein, the director of financial aid for WITC. “We will answer any questions via phone, e-mail, or in person and we try to meet with each veteran in person to explain the process and gather the information we need to process their benefits,” Klein says. “We keep up to date on any changes to educational benefits so that we can pass this information on to our veteran students. We also work to resolve any problems that might come up in regards to their benefits.”

Once enrolled in classes at WITC, the college has another form of assistance for veterans. Organizations for veterans exist or are quickly being added at WITC’s four main campuses to help provide useful information and resources to veterans throughout the school year.

One such group at WITC’s Rice Lake campus offers support to veterans for academic success. It also provides a place and time for veterans to gather, network, and support one another, and helps to identify unmet needs unique to veterans.

“WITC works hard to identify the needs of veterans and how to best help veterans and their families succeed,” said WITC President Bob Meyer.  “Veterans bring a wealth of experience and add tremendously to our college communities and we are honored to help them succeed.”

Stevens Point receives grant for MSTC site

From spcitytimes.com: “Stevens Point receives grant for MSTC site assessment” — The City of Stevens Point has been awarded a $34,500 Site Assessment Grant by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to assist in environmental investigation on a site located at 1201 Third Court.This grant is in addition to a future grant application the city will apply for through the Wisconsin DNR as announced at Monday night’s finance committee meeting.

The Community Development Authority of the City of Stevens Point acquired the 3.83 acre site property in October 2011 by condemnation. The grant will facilitate the redevelopment of the former CenterPoint Mall by Mid-State Technical College. Mid-State will be renovating a portion of the former mall as part of Mid-State’s new campus.
“We are extremely pleased to have been awarded this grant, and we are grateful for the continued support from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation of this project,” said Michael Ostrowski, Director of Community Development for the City of Stevens Point.

“This project will be an investment in the revitalization of the downtown Stevens Point area, and will ensure that Mid-State Technical College will have the resources to provide continued educational opportunities for community residents.”
The Brownfield Site Assessment Grant (SAG) Program is state program for WEDC to grant funds to local governments to perform environmental investigations, demolition of structures, removal of abandoned containers and underground tank systems.

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), formed in 2011 as a public-private entity to foster economic development efforts for the state and business climate.

Chippewa Falls are job picture picking up

From chippewa.com: “Area job picture picking up” — For all the talk of a down economy, Riverside Machine & Engineering in Chippewa Falls has had pretty steady growth. Human Resources Director Rita Bernard estimates it at about 12 to 20 percent each of the past few years.

“We are adding to our workforce. We want to add two full-time and two part-time people,” she said.

A manufacturer of metal parts primarily in the medical and aerospace industries, Riverside has need of people in the machine tool trade. To find them, Riverside came out to the Career Fair at Chippewa Valley Technical College Tuesday, where 27 manufacturers had registered for tables.

The employers were not necessarily in the driver’s seat at the Career Fair. Many were in recruiting mode, looking to convince students who will graduate soon to consider their companies.

Brandon Halmstad felt that. The second-year student originally from Ladysmith in the electromechanical program found quite a bit of interest — in him.

“It’s hard to keep track of where (which tables) I’ve been,” he said. “I looked into ConAgra, and I looked into Presto a lot. I’ve heard from a few different people that they’re a nice company to work for.”

Yes, there are positive signs in the local economy, even with an unemployment rate hovering in the 6.8-percent range in the Eau Claire-Chippewa Falls area. CVTC’s Career Fair was a bit of a good sign itself, with 72 companies registering for 76 tables at three locations. Last year, there were just 51 registrants.

Of course, whether there is a surplus or shortage of workers for job openings depends on the field, but having companies in growth mode tends to help an economy across the board.

“We just about doubled our workforce in a year’s time,” said Gary Fenner from Pro-Cise, a contract manufacturer on Eau Claire’s north side. Pro-Cise is part of the Plank Enterprises family of companies, where Fenner is corporate vice president.

Fenner said Pro-Cise, which has seen growth in orders from the oil industry, currently employs 26.

“We’re looking for machinists and welders, just like every other manufacturer here,” he said.

That includes Thomas & Betts Corporation, whose plant in Hager City has a huge demand for welders to make those huge metal power line poles.

“We have a high demand right now. We just added a third shift not too long ago,” said company representative Rod Peterson.

Other opportunities are available outside the manufacturing area. Service Manager Frank Paulich of E.O. Johnson Office Technologies was primarily recruiting people from the Information Technology programs at CVTC, but one who also has some mechanical aptitude.

“Our real need right now is someone in the middle — someone who carries a screwdriver in one hand and a laptop in the other,” he said.

For job seekers, it’s often all about training for the jobs that are available. First-semester CVTC student Alex Henry of Eau Claire was looking for internships in the Information Technology field.

“Long term, I would like to program mobile applications or games, but I just need to get some experience in the industry,” said Henry, who also has an English degree from UW-Eau Claire.

He set up a couple of interviews at the Career Fair and has a generally positive outlook on his prospects once he finishes the two-year program.

Education collaboration key in Menomonee Falls

From jsonline.com: “Collaboration is king in Menomonee Falls schools” — It was early spring this year in Menomonee Falls when the school district brought together area business leaders, district teachers and administrators, college deans and chamber of commerce representatives to talk about an important issue: the local skills gap.

Particularly for this community rich with manufacturing and industry, that meant talking about health care jobs that would need to be filled at Community Memorial Hospital, and the need for trained workers in area manufacturing plants – and the school district’s role in preparing that labor force.

But unlike similar meetings where conversations fizzle after coffee or lunch, the ideas took root. The school district now aims to rebuild its technical education program from graduation backward, coordinating with a lead local manufacturer and Waukesha County Technical College to revamp curriculum and push new content down to the middle school level that will support that high school work.

At a time when budgets are tight and schools are under increasing pressure to strengthen student performance, collaborative efforts with other districts or nonschool entities are drawing attention as ways to either save money or create better opportunities for children.

A dramatic example would be the wholesale merging of districts to save money. But there are less controversial means to better share resources and streamline non-instructional costs, and Menomonee Falls is a leading example.

A major change two years ago occurred when the district moved out of its offices in an old school building and into the upstairs wing at village hall, which was renovated in 2002. The village was downsizing, and the school district was facing expensive maintenance in its space, so the 10-year agreement between the district and the village was a win-win. Menomonee Falls pays about $36,000 in rent to the village each year, less than it would have cost to renovate the district’s old building.

“For our end, vacating space wasn’t really a means to save,” Menomonee Falls Village Manager Mark Fitzgerald said. “For me, it was more about the fact we had this wonderful civic campus facility and we weren’t fully utilizing it, and part of me thought that was poor public stewardship.”

Sharing space for central operations was initiated under current Menomonee Falls Superintendent Patricia Greco’s predecessor, Keith Marty. But that agreement set the stage for a land swap between both entities this year. The district offloaded an old maintenance facility to the village, in exchange for a better one from the village. The village intends to rip down the old district facility to build a future fire station.

“It’s been a good partnership,” Greco said. “Finances have been a part of it, but the partnership has also been about efficiency and effectiveness and how we can work together. The dynamics are much stronger than what I’ve seen in other communities.”

That partnership is part of what spurred the district to initiate conversations this spring with an even broader group of area stakeholders, focused around the skills gap. At the same time, Greco and Fitzgerald are also talking about how they might share the cost of installing broadband fiber optic cable in future years to provide better Internet access to the village.

The pressure on districts to better share and collaborate is not new. Districts for years have shared specialty teachers in special education or foreign language, and over the past 10 years a few districts around the state have merged.

But the extent to which districts are being urged to explore ways to reduce non-instructional student spending has increased, especially in the wake of Gov. Scott Walker’s 2011-’13 budget that dramatically reduced state spending for schools and tightened the cap on how much schools could seek from local taxpayers to plug budget holes.

That legislation also limited collective bargaining and gave school boards more power over setting employees’ wages, salaries and benefits, but the law was overturned and faces an appeal.

Building partnerships

Mergers of school districts remain rare and are usually politically unpractical. More feasible options may fall in the realm of what Menomonee Falls is doing: building partnerships with entities outside the district.

Menomonee Falls faces a significant expense if it wishes to update all of its technical education classrooms and equipment at the high school. But if it could offer certain classes at Waukesha County Technical College, or at a local manufacturing plant that partners with the district, the district could save money and offer students experience on state-of-the-art equipment.

The idea is still very new, and Joe Weitzer, dean of the Center for Business and Performance Solutions at WCTC, said all the parties are still thinking about how it might work, or even if it could work.

“We’re all considering, how do we sell this to parents and legally make it happen?” Weitzer said.

Revising a school’s technical education program by allowing businesses and local postsecondary partners access to curriculum, and considering them as future training partners, is unusual, Weitzer said.

Weitzer offered another possibility: WCTC could offer training to workers at Wacker Neuson, the employer that has stepped up as an anchor business to help Menomonee Falls build up its pipeline of students into postsecondary training and manufacturing careers. The technical college could help mentor and oversee students as they rotate through the plant, perhaps on summer internships.

Weitzer said he hopes everyone can agree to a set of standards in the curriculum by January, and that they could be offering some reshaped technical education classes to students as early as next fall.

“There isn’t a quick solution on this; we have to address how to get a steady pipeline of skilled labor,” Weitzer said. “This isn’t something where we have a business contribute funding for a few years and then we’re finished. We’re trying to build something sustainable for the future.”

Women find manufacturing a pathway to opportunity, better pay

From chippewa.com: “Pink collar careers: Women find manufacturing a pathway to opportunity, better pay” — EAU CLAIRE — Charlene Montanye of Menomonie got her start in welding a couple of years ago, when her family was building a wheelchair ramp for her grandmother. He father gave her a couple of pieces of metal frame and told her to go weld them together.

The request surprised her, but it wasn’t as if the task were totally foreign to her. Montanye, 24, had watched her father and uncles weld things many times. She was able to do it, and now she is in her third semester of the Welding program at Chippewa Valley Technical College, aiming for a career as a professional welder. Her dad thinks it’s a good choice.

“My dad pushed me to become something. It didn’t matter what, but something that I liked,” she said. “I think it’s a great field, and I enjoy competing with the boys.”

Yes, Montanye realizes it’s a very much male-dominated industry, but she also realizes there’s more money to be made in manufacturing than in some traditional female-dominated fields.

Plenty of manufacturing jobs go unfilled because of the lack of trained workers. Pay for such jobs is rising and opportunities abound, including opportunities for women who have the training.

Chrystal Reidt realized that years ago. She went through the Welding program at Chippewa Valley Technical College, where graduates today earn on average $16.21 an hour to start. Reidt’s training led her to a career that included three years at PDM Bridge and four years at McDonough Manufacturing, both in Eau Claire.

“I never worked with another woman,” said Reidt, who today is a Welding instructor at CVTC.

That’s a reflection of women being slow to pursue careers in manufacturing jobs.

“It’s not really put out there for them, so they don’t consider it as an option,” said Reidt. “An effort should be made to encourage them. They don’t know what’s out there.”

Practical choice

Welding and other manufacturing jobs may be non-traditional for women, but the field can be an imminently practical choice.

Robin Butts has a 5-year-old daughter to raise. Fortunately, she has the help of the girl’s father, works for a cooperative employer and has a plan to help her meet the challenges young families face in today’s economy.

Her plan involves furthering a career in manufacturing.

Butts, 25, of Augusta, works on the manufacturing floor at Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) in Osseo.

Butts has proven her worth at GFS. She works in an area that makes lighting equipment. “There’re a lot of women in the office and in the area where I work there are five women, but in the rest of the plant I don’t think there are any on the manufacturing floor,” she said.

In her area, Butts became a go-to person. When some equipment broke down, she could get it going again. However, she didn’t have any formal training or degree, so to open the possibility of advancement, she sought more training.

Butts is enrolled in the Electromechnical Technology program at CVTC and is working reduced hours while going to school. The company is helping pay for her education.

“I’m very thankful to my supervisors at Global for allowing me to go back to school and for being so understanding,” she said.

Electromechanical Technology graduates from CVTC make an average starting wage of over $20 an hour, according to a survey of 2010-11 graduates.

Butts says she likes being active all day, even if the work is more strenuous than a desk job.

Montanye isn’t worried about the physical work, or the fact that she’ll be working with men.

“I was never a girly-girl. I liked to hang out with the boys,” Montanye said.

“I can help them out with things, and that makes a world of difference to me,” she said. “I don’t rub it in to them, but I feel that little bit of a sense of accomplishment. Every woman wants to show up the men, in one way or another.”

Montanye has her eye on a job at Thomas and Betts Corporation (Meyer Industries) in Hager City, which has a great demand for welders to manufacture those huge metal poles for power lines.

“I think it would be cool to drive by one of those and say, ‘I built that,'” Montanye said. “But my ultimate goal is to open my own welding shop.”

Father’s footsteps

Jennifer Sorenson, 24, of Eau Claire looked into other fields, but decided they weren’t for her. She developed an interest in welding, following in the footsteps of her father.

“It kind of excites me,” the first-semester Welding student at CVTC said about going into a male-dominated field. “There are very few women in the welding industry.”

Sorenson enjoys the work.

“I like the hands-on work, finishing something and being able to show something physical from your work,” she said.

Sorenson is considering completing CVTC’s new two-year welding program, which would send her to the workforce with a higher level of skill. She’s looking into work in a pipeline field, or perhaps in aluminum welding. There are plenty of opportunities.

“You pretty much have a job waiting when you walk out the door,” she said.

These future manufacturing workers aren’t letting the image of traditional gender roles limit them, and aren’t listening to the “that’s a man’s job” attitude.

“You can’t let anybody hold you back,” said Montanye.

But it will also take encouragement to get more women to choose higher paying manufacturing jobs.

“A lot of this has to do with the high school level,” said Reidt. “High schools tend to push university education. They could do more exploratory things with workshops for girls.”

Part of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS), Chippewa Valley Technical College serves an 11-county area and has campuses located in Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Menomonie, Neillsville and River Falls.

Fox Valley Tech expanding ag facilities at Appleton campus

From thecountrytoday.com: “Fox Valley Tech expanding ag facilities at Appleton campus” — Expansion to the Agriculture Center of Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton is estimated to be completed by fall 2013 as part of a $66.5 million building and acquisition project approved by voters last April.

The number of full-time equivalent students taking agriculture classes has increased nearly 87 percent in the past four years, according to college planners. The agriculture facility was last expanded 14 years ago, and new programs have been added without additional space, they said.

The $3.5 million agricultural area expansion calls for razing an older building, which was accomplished earlier this year. Additions will be made to the existing instructional building for more classrooms and computer labs. Current class space will be remodeled too. A new storage and maintenance building will be added adjacent to an existing storage building.

Planners expect the agricultural area expansion to be completed by fall 2013.

Construction is taking place in Appleton and at regional centers.

• $34.8 million Public Safety Training Center to be built adjacent to the Outagamie County Regional Airport;

• $11.9 Health Simulation and Technology Center addition;

• $7.4 million Student Success Center;

• $6.2 million Transportation Center Expansion;

• Regional expansions at Oshkosh ($1 million) and Chilton ($1.7 million).

FVTC also has centers in Waupaca and Wautoma.

MATC to launch wind turbine on Oak Creek campus

From matc.edu: “MATC to mark launch of Oak Creek Campus wind turbine Nov. 9” — Milwaukee Area Technical College will mark the launch of a new wind turbine at the Oak Creek Campus at a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for Friday, Nov. 9, at 11:30 a.m. The event will be held at the Center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing (ECAM), 6665 S. Howell Ave.

MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke, Oak Creek Campus Vice President Dr. Evonne Carter, associate dean Dr. Joseph Jacobsen and representatives from businesses that partnered on the project will attend the event.

The 47-foot wind turbine generates 3.5 kW and completes the renewable energy sources portfolio at ECAM. Other elements include a geothermal heat pump, two solar thermal systems and several photovoltaic systems. MATC utilizes Johnson Controls’ METASYS Energy Management System to collect data from the wind turbine.

An on-campus weather station provides the opportunity for performance monitoring of the solar thermal and photovoltaic systems and wind turbine. The station replicates industry standards that students would encounter on the job. Two wind power courses will begin in the fall 2013 semester.

Other academic programs, including Power Engineering and Boiler Operator, Sustainable Facilities Operations, Energy Engineering Technology and Environmental Health and Water Quality Technology, will incorporate the wind turbine into curriculum.

FVTC Tech Village scaled back due to land sale changes

From postcrescent.com: “Tech Village scaled back due to land sale changes” —   GRAND CHUTE — Work could begin later this month on a scaled-down version of a private apartment complex to house Fox Valley Technical College students.

The Outagamie County Board voted recently to sell 18.2 acres of land at the southwest corner of State 15 and Casaloma Drive to Madison-based development group UHCS Tech Village LLC, which owns and operates multiple private student housing communities.

The development company is purchasing the county-owned land for $856,630 — significantly less than the $1.36 million the county’s Property/Airport Committee had recommended in early October.

The buyer is still paying the $100,000 an acre the county was seeking but the overall sale price was rolled back because a new wetland survey last month revealed that only just under 8.6 acres is now considered buildable land. The county has been trying to sell the land for years and a wetland survey done more than five years ago indicated it had 13.6 acres of buildable land.

A closing date has been set for Nov. 28, pending the review by Grand Chute officials of revised plans for the housing project.

Under the revised Tech Village plan, the project’s first phase — estimated at $8 million — would feature a four-story, 90,000-square-foot building with 100 fully furnished apartments with one to five beds in each unit. Each floor of West Commons would have a study area, lounge, postal facility, central laundry, computer classroom and a fitness center.

“We still have room for most everything, it will just be on a little smaller scale,” said Tim Carlson of True North Architecture, Appleton, which is working with the Madison-based development group.

Units will be ready for occupancy in time for the start of FVTC’s fall 2013 semester, Carlson said.

The second phase, called East Commons, involves the construction of a 72,500-square-foot building with 60 apartments. It will include a cafe or sandwich shop, which will be connected to West Commons to allow all student residents to share the amenities.

The project would include a recreational trail along Casaloma Drive. The goal is to work with Outagamie County to link the new trail with an existing trail north of the Timber Rattlers stadium that connects to a U.S. 41 overpass and existing trails at FVTC.

“It’s the county parks trail and were working on an agreement with them to pave, light and maintain that trail section so that there would be no outlay of public money for that work or maintenance of it,” Carlson said.

While the first two phases are geared toward traditional students, the project’s last two phases will provide housing for students with families and those in specialized short-term training programs.

The third phase, called The Suites at Tech Village, would provide 90 one-bedroom apartment units in a three-story, 45,000-square-foot building slated for construction in late 2014.

The final phase — The Meadows at Tech Village — consists of 26 townhome units with one or two bedrooms for students with families.