When was the last time you took an Excel course? If you are like most of us you have probably googled a command or two or watched a YouTube video on a specific function when needed. You get the work done, but the experience was uninspiring. Over the course of a few weeks, you’re lucky if two or three of the new commands or functions you learned make it into your daily routine. Sound familiar?
Here are some simple Microsoft Excel tricks you can use to be more productive at work.
Select All. This quick keyboard commands can cut your computer task time by seconds, which quickly adds up to minutes and hours. [Ctrl]+A can be used to select all of the data in your Excel spreadsheet at one time. It also works in Word and other Windows applications.
Display formulas. Not the original author of a spreadsheet than you will find this helpful. When you hit [Ctrl] + ~, all of the formulas in a spreadsheet will be visible, allowing you to edit or tweak them as needed.
Using Quick Analysis. Who doesn’t want to analysis data quickly? Right click inside the table you wish to work with. Select the Quick Analysis button to open the menu. Hover over one of the tabs: Formatting, Charts, Totals, Table or Sparklines to preview the effects. Click on the button to apply the feature.
Moraine Park offers a host of Microsoft Excel classes that can teach you basic and advanced skills, or can be used as refresher training. Consider what skills would make you more productive. Here are some options:
Moraine Park Technical College, in partnership with the Specialty Cheese Co., worked to develop a training to benefit employees. Harley Lemkuil, Training Specialist at Specialty Cheese identified a need for English Language Learning (ELL) classes and began seeking out options in 2019.
“At Specialty Cheese, we treat language skills like any other skill that an employee may possess,” Lemkuil said. “We know that language can be a barrier to personal growth- and lack of personal growth affects company growth. We want our employees to succeed and helping them to build English speaking skills is one way to do that.”
Lemkuil worked directly with supervisors to identify employees whose English skills were at a point where they could communicate at work but in a limited fashion. Employees could participate if they wished, but the training was not mandated. Once participants were identified, they assessed everyone by asking a series of questions and ensuring that participants were comfortable through the process. Lemkuil then took the data he gathered from employees and worked with Moraine Park’s Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) department to develop an ELL training plan.
“Moraine Park helped provide good insight into the different learning styles and were very flexible with the training during the Pandemic,” Lemkuil said. “We initially planned for the training to be in-person, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted that possibility. Moraine Park was able to seamlessly transition the learning material to be done over zoom meetings.”
As with many industries, the transition to an online platform offered some valuable learning opportunities for the organization as well.
“The online format made it more difficult than usual to keep the employees engaged with grammar material,” he said. “Jennifer Elliot, the Moraine Park ELL instructor, made some innovative changes such as finding a printed publication that included the employees, to heighten engagement. Through that, we learned that the more personal the material, the more likely the students are to engage and practice their grammar skills.”
The goal of providing this round of training was to help employees who wanted to grow their language skills. For this reason, Lemkuil relied on anecdotal feedback from the employee participants to access effectiveness, rather than testing each participant. However, he is hoping that future ELL programming will include a more subjective analysis of the program.
Lemkuil is looking at program growth the same way he approached the start of this training- slow, thoughtful, and taking into consideration the needs of employees.
“It’s very important to not only have the commitment of your employees but to also create an environment where the employees are free to practice their skills,” Lemkuil said. “This is a crucial step in getting the learning process. If an employee uses new grammar topics and is made to feel embarrassed by native English speakers, that employee isn’t going to want to practice their skills ever again.”
By creating an atmosphere that fosters growth and inclusivity, Lemkuil is opening the doors of possibility for his employees.
“In the coming years, Specialty Cheese would like to provide this opportunity to all employees who are interested in learning English,” he said. “The goal is to provide a more convenient class location which helps improve attendance to the program. It’s an ambitious goal, but we are confident that this continued training will be a benefit all around.”
The Fall 2020 Welding and CNC Boot Camp completion definitely looked different from the ones MPTC’s Economic and Workforce Development has held before. But then, so did the entire boot camp.
Boot camp is always intense. The phrase, “We call it boot camp for a reason,” gets thrown around often as the normal stresses of learning to be a student again, balancing home and work life, and life hurdles get in the way. This semester the addition of quarantines and resulting virtual attendance and loss of hands on time added to the challenge.
But nine remained and we celebrated your accomplishment the only way we could. EWD wishes the best to our boot camp completers and acknowledges the extra hurdles you overcame, the extra patience you showed, and the extra flexibility it took to make it though.
We’re proud of you and your unique accomplishment.
We hope the unique ceremony showed just how much.
MPTC’s Economic and Workforce Development boot camps have been held continuously since fall of 2012 at little or no charge to students. Recruiting for spring has already begun. If you’re interested in being part of boot camps, or just want to know a little bit more about them, look us up at www.morainepark.edu/bootcamps.
Moraine Park Technical College held its fall 2020 Manufacturing Skills Academy completion ceremony on Wednesday, December 23. A total of nine students finished the program, four from Computer Numerical Control (CNC) and five from Welding.
This program was designed to combat the skilled worker shortage by offering a variety of boot camp sessions. The boot camp sessions are free to participants, teach skills that are unique to a particular pathway, and connect students with area employers. The program also combines a 144-hour paid internship with coursework, including Occupational Math, Print Reading, Team Building, Problem Solving, and program-specific courses. Participating internship sites for this session were FZE Manufacturing Solutions, LLC, Mid States Aluminum Corporation, Ultra Tool & Manufacturing, and Wabash National.
Moraine Park has had over 400 participants in the Welding and CNC boot camp programs since its induction in 2012.
The students who completed the CNC boot camp are Loni Gromacki of Germantown, April Novak of Fond du Lac, Ethan Strebe of Fond du Lac, and Brian Wilson of Fond du Lac.
The students who completed the Welding boot camp are Nathaniel Horner of Beaver Dam, Timothy Lowe of Fond du Lac, Robin Robertson of Colgate, Steven Stathas of Jackson, and Xavier Thomas of Fond du Lac.
This year’s graduation speakers were Timothy Lowe and Ethan Strebe. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ceremony was open to boot camp students and Moraine Park staff only. The event was live-streamed to allow for family, friends, and employer partners to participate.
Moraine Park’s Skills Academy boot camps are free to participating students, thanks to financial support from community resource partners and the Workforce and Training (WAT) grants.
Registrations for the spring 2021 boot camp program are now being accepted. For more information, visit morainepark.edu/bootcamps.
The Learning for Independence (LFI) students, as part of the program at Moraine Park Technical College, like to plan a project that includes giving back to the community. This year 9 students and 3 instructors went to the Fond du Lac Fairgrounds Expo Center to help organize and set up for the Salvation Army Christmas distribution program on Thursday, December 10th.
The Salvation Army doubled the distribution this year as close to 700 families were seeking assistance for almost 1,800 kids. They helped sort thousands of items, including toys, clothes, books, stuffed animals and more that have been donated to the Christmas distribution programs, like Toys for Tots, the Angel Tree, and Adopt-a-Family. Some students helped to unload big trucks with gifts from businesses in the community.
The students enjoyed it, were overwhelmed by all of it and were exhausted at the end of the day. They volunteered on their last day of class before semester break and ended with a positive and giving note.
Learning for Independence is a cooperative transition program offered in partnership by Fond du Lac Area High Schools and Moraine Park Technical College. The students range from 18- 21 years in age, have a documented need for transition services in education, employment and/or independent living. The students have completed four years of high school and met desired level of academic proficiency for graduation at various Fond du Lac County High Schools.
For additional information on the LFI program or applications for enrollment, please contact Chris Schultz at cschultz@nfdlschools.org or call 920-929-3750, extension 6143.
Last winter, just a few weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic, Brenda was beginning the CNC Boot Camp training through the department of Economic & Workforce Development. She already had years of manufacturing experience but wanted to upgrade her career in the field of computer operated machining.
When this training was forced to go virtual, Brenda struggled. But MPTC staff encouraged her to persist and even allowed her to seek an internship outside the region when she was forced to move closer to family. Ultimately, Brenda flourished in this field and earned her Entry-Level CNC Certificate and a job offer by June. Her new employer was impressed with her CNC training and complemented her instructors.
Brenda says, “I’m glad I stuck with it! And when I was offered a better position last month, they were glad I knew how to run multiple machines; I’m earning more money today than I ever have!”
Are you interested in getting into a new career in just 3 months like Brenda? What about earning a college level certificate with hands on training and a PAID internship as part of the program? Even better – there is NO TUITION for students! Tuition and materials are covered 100% by a combination of grants and community agency support. No experience necessary and no income limits applied!
Spring Boot Camps are starting soon, so check out the upcoming opportunities to learn more about this amazing program. Visit morainepark.edu/bootcamps to sign up for an upcoming information session.
Are you interested in a new career in just 3 months? What about earning a college level certificate with hands on training and a PAID internship as part of the deal? Even better- NO TUITION for students! Tuition and materials are covered 100% by a combination of grants and community agency support. No experience necessary and no income limits applied! Check out upcoming opportunities with Moraine Park’s Manufacturing Boot Camps. We offer 3 month training programs in CNC Machining and in Welding where you can earn an entry level certificate and take part in a paid internship at a local business with the opportunity for it to become a full time job offer when you complete the program.
Unsure what Welding and CNC Machining have to offer? Come check us out at our Test Drive on December 9th where you can tour the labs, participate in a workshop for CNC or Welding and try your hand at creating a project with the help of our instructors. Participating is FREE and you are not obligated to apply or enroll after. Spaces will be limited due to COVID-19 protocols, so please sign up early.
The first step to enrolling in Boot Camps is attending an Information Session, where you will learn more about Boot Camps and next steps. Information sessions will be held in January 2021 and Boot Camps will run March-June 2021. Boot Camps are a full time program for 3 months and run Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.
We are excited to introduce Dan Zoschke, our new Welding Instructor in the Economic and Workforce Development Department. In his role, Dan works with participants who are learning and crafting their manufacturing and welding skills. He will also be working with students in our short term manufacturing boot camps as well as support the growth of that program.
Dan came to Moraine Park Technical College from a long career in Manufacturing. He has worked at Apache Stainless Corporation as a Welder/Fabricator specializing in custom built tanks. This included Tig welding several different types of metals including Stainless, Hastelloy, Titanium and other high alloy materials. Dan has also worked at Central Cable Contractors as a Maintenance Welder. During his time at Central Cable, he had performed high level skilled welding on light and heavy duty equipment in control environments as well as in the field using all welding processes.
Dan is passionate about manufacturing and is excited to share his skills with current and future business partners as well as boot camp students.
“I am eager to meet and work with our business partners as well as our boot camp students. I am looking forward to making a positive impact in the lives of boot camp students. I am also excited to support the growth of skilled trades within our district as well as promote sustainable careers in manufacturing.”
Moraine Park Technical College awarded its first business and industry partnership awards, recognizing valued partners of 2019. The College’s Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) team has implemented five separate partnership awards to be presented each fiscal year; Excellence in Partnership, Employer of the Year, Innovation, New Partner of the Year, and Workforce Development Champion.
The Excellence in Partnership award is given to an organization involved in several areas of the college including advisory committees, Foundation donations, TechConnect, EWD contracts, and boot camp internships. The 2019 award recipient is Mayville Engineering Co. (MEC). As a longtime partner, MEC has supported its employees serving on Moraine Park advisory committees; welding fabrication, IT applications developer, and mechanical design technology. Their generous contributions to the Promise program were vital in meeting fundraising goals, ultimately helping fund tuition for students who otherwise couldn’t afford it. MEC has been utilizing TechConnect and partnering with EWD both in contracted services and as a boot camp internship site for several years. All of these reasons, and more, earned them the inaugural Excellence in Partnership award. The College presented the award to MEC representatives Alex Crimmings, Charles Francis, and Kevin Smith, during a small, private gathering.
The Employer of the Year award is given to an employer who has made a significant investment in their staff through a partnership with Moraine Park Technical College. The 2019 award recipient is Mercury Marine, for being a valued and consistent partner with Moraine Park. Mercury Marine has partnered with the College to launch the following development programs: Basic Shop Math, CNC Machining Fundamentals, CNC Machining Level 2, Core Skills, Forklift Train the Trainer, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, Inspire Supervisor Series, Intro to Engine Fundamentals, Nims Review, and Dealer Training. The College presented the award virtually to Andres Gonzalez, vice president of human resources at Mercury Marine.
The Innovation Award is given to an organization that implemented an innovative solution to a workforce challenge. The 2019 award recipient is Bike Friendly West Bend, for their work and collaboration that surrounded the implementation of bike racks around the city of West Bend. The racks were created by students in the mechanical design and welding programs at Moraine Park. As a result of this project, the students gained valuable real-life experience and earned service learning hours. As well, the City of West Bend was positively impacted and can move forward in their bike-friendly efforts. The College recognized Bike Friendly West Bend and representatives Andrew Schumacher and Jeff Puetz with a virtual recognition.
The New Partner of the Year award is given to an organization that supports Moraine Park through contributions, sponsorships, or involvement for the first time. The 2019 award recipient is Envision Greater Fond du Lac for their collaboration and engagement in the development and delivery of the new Leading Through People and Processes (LPP) program. Envision began working with Moraine Park in the winter of 2018 to create an innovative approach to leadership development within the Fond du Lac community. Their existing program had been in direct competition with the College’s offerings, and the goal was to show the community the value of collaboration and partnership while creating a new best practice opportunity. The Leading Through People and Processes (LPP) program, launched in summer 2019, was the first training program developed and delivered collaboratively with Moraine Park. The College presented the award to Envision Fond du Lac representatives Holly Brenner, Allen Buechel, James Cleveland, Sadie Parafiniuk, and Paul Reetz at a small, private gathering.
The Workforce Development Champion award is given to an individual focused on improving the skills and retention of personnel in the region and has positively impacted workforce issues around recruitment, training, and career development. The 2019 award recipient is Harley Lemkuil from Specialty Cheese. Specialty Cheese Inc. first partnered with Moraine Park, as a boot camp internship site, in 2019. Since then, under the leadership of Lemkuil, they have created additional partnerships with the College including machining onsite training and participation in the EWD’s podcast. Lemkuil is always looking for ways to help provide resources to improve the lives of employees including a rideshare program, training in Spanish and English, and child care services. Additionally, Lemkuil is exploring having onsite English Language Learner (ELL) classes. The College recognized Harley in a virtual setting.
For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.
*In person photos were taken prior to the statewide mandate.*
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