On Thursday, June 14, 2018, nine Six Sigma Green Belt candidates representing 4 local manufacturing companies presented their final projects and received their certifications. The graduation ceremony took place on the Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac Campus with business representatives, sponsors and project champions present.

Participants completed 88 hours of training over 6 months, and additional time working on their independent project work collecting and analyzing data to improve products, processes and reduce waste. The return on investment from these projects resulted in over $536,000 – an average of $60,000 per company, with opportunity to continue saving as the projects are fully implemented and scaled.

Six Sigma Green Belt certification programs are suited for individuals who are expected to work with process improvement initiatives. Though the use of the DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) process, participants will apply the skills and tools learned to their workplace project. To learn more about Six Sigma Green Belt, click here.

Reading and hearing about new career opportunities is helpful. But what if you actually could try them out as well? Moraine Park Technical College is offering a unique opportunity to do just that with its “Test Drive” workshops for welding and computerized numerical control (CNC).
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The Moraine Park Technical College Economic and Workforce Development Department is pleased to welcome Mindie Boynton as a new Business Representative.  Her role as Business Representative is to consult with businesses and other organizations to identify skills gaps of their employees, develop a plan to close those gaps, and then execute the appropriate training.  Her goal is to help businesses become more competitive and profitable, and organizations to become more effective and efficient by helping their employees acquire new skills or improve their existing skills.

Mindie comes to MPTC from UW Oshkosh, where she was the Director of the Growth Management Academy and also an Outreach Program Manager for the past 6 years. She also served as a coach and mentor to students participating in the Sales Emphasis program through the UW Oshkosh College of Business. Prior to that, Mindie spent the past 10 years in private sector sales and marketing roles.

Mindie earned her Bachelor’s degree from UW Milwaukee. She is a Certified Program Planner (CPP) and is licensed in social & behavioral research.

She has served on many regional committees and boards to include the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance task force, Northeast Wisconsin IT alliance committee, Oshkosh Chamber marketing committee, Propel steering committee, and Women in Management, past president.

She enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons and French bulldog. They enjoy spending time on the lake, live music, traveling and all things outdoors.

“I am excited to be a part of the EWD team that is developing talent and tackling important workforce challenges that impact our region and beyond. I am passionate about developing meaningful relationships, helping businesses achieve their goals by connecting them with resources to be successful.”

For more information, visit www.morainepark.edu/gateways/business-and-industry/.

Join us for our Complimentary Business Forum

With unemployment at an all-time low in Wisconsin, employers are challenged with recruiting and hiring for the thousands of open positions the State has to offer. The challenge of finding available workforce to fill those positions is causing companies to re-evaluated their recruitment strategies and explore new opportunities and means to bringing skilled individuals into their company.

DWD Secretary Ray Allen stated the following, “Wisconsin’s economy continues to perform exceptionally, with our unemployment rate decreasing to 3 percent, tied for the lowest rate on record, and our total labor force and employment once again reaching all-time highs. As we move forward, we will continue to develop comprehensive plans and programs that prepare all individuals, regardless of age, education and barriers to employment, to enter into one of the thousands of gainful employment opportunities Wisconsin has to offer.”

Have you considered using resources available throughout the State, such as The Joseph Project and Department of Corrections, just to name a few for recruitment? There is an unexplored labor pool of long term unemployed, under-employed, veterans and people with disabilities out there to help you fill the gaps in your workforce.  We would like to invite area businesses to join us as we explore some of the opportunities available to help you successfully recruit new employees into your company.

When: Friday, April 20, 2018

Where: Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac Campus, Room A-112

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Cost: Free

Registration: https://bit.ly/mptcrecruit

(Registration required by April 18th)

Are you curious about Reiki, balancing your chakras and other alternative approaches to well-being?  Reiki is a Japanese form of stress reduction and deep relaxation that helps to strengthen the immune system and promote healing for just about anyone. This hands-on healing is effective for emotional, mental and physical health issues and is currently being practiced at 800 hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. What about chakras, do know what they are?  Chakras are the centers of your spiritual powers inside the human body.  These energy centers help regulate all processes of the body, from organ function, the immune system, and emotions. Intrigued in learning more yet?  MPTC is offering a varierty of Health and Wellness courses this spring to help you try a new approach to your health in 2018, all taught by John Oestreicher.

John is a business owner of Hands on Healing Energy and practices Reiki full-time.  He was a past teacher of health and wellness courses in the UW-System offering health and wellness courses and workshops to individuals, organizations and businesses.  John has been practicing meditation and mind/body connections for over 30 years and has received certifications as a Reiki Master/Teacher, Lo Ho Chi, and Star Medicine.  He has also earned his certificate in Reconnective Healing.

John will be offering a new class this April called Reiki Level 1 – Health Care.  This unique class for health care providers allows students to learn stress reduction techniques for emotional, mental and the physical health of their patients.

If you are interested in learning more about alternative approaches to your well-being, see a full listing of health and wellness classes here.

What do making Cheese, creating Artisan Breads, and delicious Italian Pastas and Sauces all have in common?  These fun one-day personal enrichment classes are all taught by our talented Susan Horvath, Culinary Instructor, at Moraine Park.
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“Start now and be in a new career by Christmas.” That was a goal and a promise made by Moraine Park Technical College Boot Camp students in September.

On December 8 the Fall 2017 Manufacturing Skills Academies completers came together with friends, family and employers to celebrate their accomplishments. Through an acceptance process that began in the summer, classes that meet every day starting in September, and an internship that ran throughout the camp – culminating with 9 consecutive days on the job.

The College uses grant funds to provide specific training necessary for students to secure job opportunities at partnering businesses. The grants make the program free for students, as well as providing a cost-of-living stipend and a 144-hour internship making $12/hour.

For an up-close chance to learn more about boot camps, Moraine Park is hosting a CNC Machining and Welding Test Drive event Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, including a resume review workshop, a free networking lunch with internship employers, and a hands-on opportunity to make something in the lab with our instructors and take it home with you!

Space is limited for the Test Drive workshops, and pre-registration is required. Deadline to register for the January workshops is January 17, 2018.

For more details on the Test Drive or boot camps, visit morainepark.edu/bootcamp, or call Todd Hayes at 920-924-3334.

So instead of struggling with unemployment, underemployment or temporary work, find out if attending a Welding or CNC Boot Camp is a good fit.

This could be YOU!

Each year during the month of November, the Economic and Workforce Development Department hosts a Saturday Sampler event on the Fond du Lac Campus. This free event is a fun way for our community members to get a sneak peek into the varied offerings and opportunities available at Moraine Park.

This year, the courses highlighted were Android Smart Phone and Tablets, Cake & Cupcakes Décor Galore!, Community Ed 101, and Wellness Way to Approach Inflammation.

Android Smart Phone and Tablets was taught by William Schroeder, MPTC Instructional Technology Clerk and Adjunct Faculty member.  William provided an excellent overview on Android features, the newest apps, and how to operate the device more effectively.

For those attending Cake & Cupcakes, Susan Horvath, MPTC Adjunct Faculty member, shared shopping tips and tricks of the trade for decorating with frosting.  They also got to leave with their cupcake creation!

Community 101 showcased a few of the opportunities available to community members inside the walls of our beautiful campus.  This included a glimpse of Park Terrace, where students serve meals they have created and cooked, and Techniques Salon and Spa, our student-run salon offering a variety of services at reasonable prices.  In addition, Greta Juknialis, MPTC Learning Resource Center Clerk, gave participants a glimpse into the wide variety of services, books, videos, and equipment available in the library.

Our newest MPTC Adjunct Faculty member, Dr. Jeremy Schingen, presented Wellness Way to Approach Inflammation.  Dr. Schingen provided a very informative presentation on how to reduce inflammation in the body and what should be done to become a healthier you.

Do you want to learn more about Moraine Park’s Continuing Education offerings?  Take a look at the numerous offering available, here and watch your mailbox for the Spring 2018 Continuing Education schedule coming after the holiday!  For more information on all that Moraine Park Technical College has to offer the community throughout the year, check out our website at: https://www.morainepark.edu/

Written by: Brenda Ten Haken

Here’s a look at some of the fun participants had!

Reading and hearing about new career opportunities is helpful. But what if you actually could try them out as well? Moraine Park Technical College is offering a unique opportunity to do just that with its “Test Drive” workshops for welding and computerized numerical control (CNC).
Continue reading