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.*
Ready to head out on a new adventure? Have you ever thought about becoming a commercial truck driver? You may ask yourself, what does it take to get the required license to drive a truck? You’ll need to get a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP) to practice driving on public roads.
Take the first step towards a new career by enrolling in Moraine Park’s CDL Learner’s Permit Exam Prep class. You will meet face to face with an instructor who will guide you through the requirements to obtain your Commercial Learners Permit in as little as a week. Our 15 hour classroom course will introduce you to the trucking industry, familiarize you with the different written exams, background and medical information, and prepare you to pass the required knowledge exam whether you plan to apply for a CLASS A, B, or C license. Once you are issued a Commercial Learners Permit, you may operate a commercial motor vehicle as indicated on your permit with another person licensed to drive the same type of vehicle.
If you have a valid Wisconsin Driver’s License and an acceptable driving record, Moraine Park Technical College can help you take that first step towards a truck driving career.
Make an investment in your future today. In as little as one week, we can prepare you to pass the knowledge exam. Get started by enrolling an upcoming class.
Monday – Thursday, June 1 -4, 2020 5:30 p.m. – 9:10 p.m. Fond du Lac Campus, Room B-128 CRN 10203
Monday – Thursday, September 14-20, 2020 5:30 p.m. – 9:10 p.m. West Bend Campus, Room T-104 CRN 20328
Monday – Thursday, November 2- 5, 2020 5:30 p.m. – 9:10 p.m. Fond du Lac Campus, Room B127 CRN 20327
We all have goals of living a happy meaningful life. After completing the “Learning for Independence Program” participants are able to achieve a higher level of success with living independently and being self-sufficient. On May 7, 2020 thirteen students were able to celebrate successful completion of a 2-year Learning for Independence (LFI) Program, moving them one step closer to meeting their goal of independence. Typically students are surrounded by family, friends, instructors and school staff for an on-campus celebration were the students share their LFI program portfolios and final comments of the program. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the celebration was held virtually for the first time.
“I am very proud of our LFI graduates! They have made so much progress over the past two years, meshed well as a group and became good friends through this program. Jo Marchiando and the MPTC instructors did a fantastic job of providing a variety of real-world learning opportunities and meeting the students where they were at. The pandemic forced our hand in quickly developing a virtual format and the MPTC staff, instructors and Jo collaborated and quickly adjusted sails,” states Christine Schultz, LFI Program Director.
LFI students are scheduled for three classes each semester at Moraine Park as well as participate in programs and activities on campus at no cost to the students to participate. During the 2 years of classes, students enhance their skills and exposure to career and educational options in technology, finance, manufacturing, customer service, child care and many other areas. “I enjoyed the home repair and virtual welding classes the best and working together as a team,” shared one of the students.
After completion, the students may have the opportunity to enroll in MPTC courses for credit based on individual needs, interests and preferences. There have been 2 students that transitioned into technical or associate degree programs after completing LFI.
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.
Classes will be starting again in fall 2020. 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.
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