In an effort to help their companies reduce costs, improve product quality and run more efficiently, three area leaders took their Lean skills to the next level by completing Moraine Park’s Six Sigma Black Belt training.

Jeremy Lehman, Alliance Laundry Systems, and Emily Chadwick and Orlando Soza, both of Grande Cheese Company, completed the training. In addition to preparing for the American Society for Quality (ASQ) exam to become a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, participants made significant progress on a business project during the training. Participants presented their project’s progress to business representatives, sponsors and project champions during a completion ceremony March 6, 2023.

Participant’s projects sought to determine:

• Whether the benefit of a product’s component outweighs the added cost and assembly
• How to provide more flexibility and increase quality in a specific product line’s production process
• How to reduce product failure and waste

Once completed, all of the projects are expected to improve companies’ bottom line through cost savings and waste reduction. Compared to Six Sigma Green Belt projects, Black Belt projects are expected to have a broader significance to the participants’ companies. According to Jeremy Lehman, “the skills acquired from this course will allow me to better mentor Green Belts within my organization”. Black Belts like Lehman will have a significant impact on Green Belts within the organization as they work to improve the company’s overall product quality and profitability.

If you are interested in Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt training, contact MPTC’s Economic & Workforce Development division at training@morainepark.edu or 920-924-3449.

The Moraine Park Technical College Economic and Workforce Development Department welcomed Malinda Moore (also known as Lindy) as the new Administrative Aide. In her role, Malinda provides administrative assistance and technical support to all facets of the Economic and Workforce Development team. Before joining MPTC, Malinda spent eight years as an Administrative Coordinator for a private real estate company.

Malinda started her educational journey at Moraine Park Technical College earning her Associates degree in Human Resource Management. She earned her Bachelors in Business Administration with a Human Resource concentration and a minor in Pre-Law at Marian University.

Malinda has traveled the world ranging from Canada, Ireland, Mexico, and even lived in Cape Town South Africa. She enjoys reading books, averaging over one hundred books a year. Her favorite genre to read is fantasy. If she’s not in another country reading a book, you’ll find her at a local trivia night sharpening her wits against other teams.

“It is so exciting to be back here, but this time as an employee. I had a positive experience here as a student. Learning how to create an enriching work environment and to develop myself personally. That has not changed since joining the EWD. They support me in my personal goals and have a wonderful team-based environment that cultivates innovation. I have learned so much in my short time here, and look forward to what is to come next. “

Welcome to the team, Lindy!

In an effort to help combat the skilled worker shortage, Moraine Park Technical College offers Manufacturing Skills Academy Boot Camps–a unique opportunity to gain entry-level skills. The two boot camps–Computer Numerical Control (CNC) and Welding–are tuition-free, 3-month long programs.

In addition to skill development, the boot camps include a 144-hour paid internship to get hands-on experience that ideally turns into a full-time job opportunity. Moraine Park partners with businesses all over their district area to offer paid internships to the students in the program. Wabash National has been a valued partner since the boot camp’s induction in 2012.

“The need for welders at Wabash is constant,” Nate Glancer, HR business partner at Wabash National, said. “We are working against a talent pool that has been shrinking steadily over the past decade. People that have been with us for 40-plus years are retiring, and as they are leaving, we are having a tough time filling those spots. Welders are a main component of what we do here; making up about 70 percent of our workforce, which is why this boot camp program is so vital to us.”

Since 2012, the boot camp programs have had over 400 participants. One of those participants, Elise Winkel, found life-changing success after completing the welding boot camp in 2019.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and taking several art classes, Winkel, a stay-at-home mom of four girls, thought the welding boot camp would be a good fit for her.

“Welding is very much an art, and you have to be able to work well with both hands a the same time,” Winkel said. “The boot camp was a little out of my comfort zone, and I was the only woman in my class, but I felt comfortable with the gradual pace of the program, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

Winkel completed her internship at Wabash and stayed on full-time after the boot camp’s completion as an inside seam welder. Because of this career change, Winkel and her husband decided to have another child and bought a home together.

“About 93% of our boot camp graduates found jobs,” Kelli Karpinski, MPTC economic workforce development business development manager, said. “The best part is that these once unskilled manufacturing participants start out making $23/hr or more, and more often than not, they advance very quickly.”

The boot camps are free for participants, thanks to financial support from community resource partners and the Workforce and Training (WAT) grants.

To learn more about Moraine Park’s Manufacturing Skills Academy Boot Camps, contact bootcamps@morainepark.edu.

Workforce shortages, rising costs and high product demands are propelling area businesses to boost efficiency through Lean efforts. To that end, 11 area business professionals explored ways to eliminate waste, improve production quality and work more efficiently through Moraine Park’s Six Sigma Green Belt certification training.

Class members presented their final projects Monday, November 14, 2022, and received their certifications upon successfully completing the program. Program participants included Joel Arend, Whisker LLC; Jacinda Buss, Richelieu Foods Inc.; Kenneth Beckrow III, Tenneco; Andrew Ford, Alliance Laundry Systems; Cody Genthe, Keiding Inc.; Laura Libera, Grande Cheese Company; Bethany Newsome, Tenneco; Jinal Patel, Centro Inc.; Brian Rosik, Plastic Components Inc., a division of Rosti; Jon Vogt, Alliance Laundry Systems; and Travis Wuesthoff, Amsted Automotive. Presentations took place on the Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac campus with business representatives, sponsors and project champions attending.

The participants completed independent class projects, which included how variability in quality measures affect the final product; efforts in reducing scrap, defective components and production change-over time; ways to optimize the packing process; and how to increase throughput on a profitable production line. Participants that calculated a cost savings as part of their project averaged a $168,800 return on investment for such things as reduced scrap, the cost of escape due to shipping defective components and missed production opportunities.

Six Sigma training provides participants with techniques and tools needed to improve processes that results in better business performance. MPTC will be offering its next Six Sigma Green Belt Certification training on Mondays February 20-May 22, 2023. The deadline to register is January 31, 2023. For those who have completed Green Belt Certification, MPTC will offer a Black Belt Program from January 30-March 6, 2023. The deadline to register is January 6, 2023.

To register for either training, email training@morainepark.edu or call 920-924-3449.

Moraine Park Technical College held its fall 2022 Manufacturing Skills Academy completion ceremony on Friday, December 9. A total of six students finished the Welding program.

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.

The students who completed the Welding boot camp are Christian Muchka of Fond du Lac, Joe Nault of North Fond du Lac, Nathan Preciado of Fond du Lac, Kaleb Ransom of Fond du Lac, Emmanuel Saucedo of West Bend and Oliver Sterling of Columbus.

Participating internship sites for this session were Wabash, Bradley Corporation and Sam’s Well Drilling.

This year’s graduation speaker was Christian Muchka of Fond du Lac. Muchka completed his internship at Wabash.

Moraine Park has had over 400 participants in the Welding and CNC boot camp programs since its induction in 2012. The bootcamps are free to participating students, thanks to financial support from community resource partners and the Workforce and Training (WAT) grants.

Registrations for the spring 2023 boot camp program are now being accepted. For more information, visit morainepark.edu/bootcamps.

Last week, six inmates from John C. Burke Correctional Center (JBCC) earned welding certificates from Moraine Park Technical College. They were celebrated in a completion ceremony on Thursday at Moraine Park’s Beaver Dam campus.

The six individuals completed Moraine Park’s 12-credit welding certificate program over a span of 12 weeks. They are now eligible for work release from JBCC and can begin working in the community immediately.

JoAnn Hall, Moraine Park’s dean of economic and workforce development, welcomed the graduates and families in attendance. Paul Jensen, a Moraine Park Economic Workforce Development welding instructor, handed out the certificates with Kevin Carr, Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary, and James Barrett, Moraine Park’s vice president of student services.

Moraine Park has partnered with the Department of Corrections for almost 50 years.

Moraine Park Technical College awarded its annual business and industry partnership awards, recognizing valued partners of 2021. The College’s Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) recognizes five partnership awards each 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, Handshake, EWD contracts, and boot camp internships. The 2021 award recipient is J.F. Ahern. Ahern is actively involved in MPTC’s program advisory committees, contributing their industry knowledge to the growth of the College’s students and program curriculum. They are generous donors to the Foundation’s annual scholarship fund, the Forming Alliances to Cultivate Talent (FACT), and the Promise program scholarships. Ahern is also a major donor for Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac Automation, Innovation and Robotics (AIR) Center project efforts. They were collaborators with EWD in creating an online programming and sponsoring the Live2Lead professional development training. Finally, Ahern understands the importance of educating our youth on the vital careers needed in today’s manufacturing and trades industries. They achieve this by partnering with many K-12 schools throughout the state to support curriculum development and facilitation, offer job shadowing and facilities tours, and give presentations to high school classrooms on the benefits of joining the trades. 

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 2021 award recipient is the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, for being a valued and consistent partner with Moraine Park.  

The Innovation Award is given to an organization that implemented an innovative solution to a workforce challenge. The 2021 award recipient is The Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac, for their participation in the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment. This partnership with Moraine Park provided opportunities to connect with the community and the youth through the development and growth of the Boys and Girls club team members. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work is imperative for community growth and development of all people, and the Boys and Girls Club took an impactful step with this partnership and the work they continue to do around DEI to better serve our youth and the community.  

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 2021 award recipient is Whisker formerly known as AutoPets. Whisker has been a strong new partner with MPTC as a Workforce Advancement Training grant partner to run multiple Supervision courses in 2021. They were a major sponsor at the Dodge County SHRM DEI conference, and employee and MPTC alumnus, Tyler Soto, is a great advocate and ambassador for the college.  

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 2021 award recipient is Jesse Zahn, head of maintenance at MSI Express. MSI’s facility is equipped with automated machinery for filling beverage containers that will eventually find their way to internationally known chain coffee shops and restaurants. To ensure his staff is fully skilled in reducing downtime, Zahn sends multiple associates to the Industrial Maintenance boot camp each year. He now has developed an educational pathway and established a plan of advancement with his employees who complete the boot camp. In addition, some of his associates have expressed interest in seeking an electromechanical degree from Moraine Park and Zahn is committed to helping them achieve this goal through a combination of tuition assistance and help in facilitating the enrollment process. 

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu. 

Moraine Park Technical College and Kreilkamp Trucking of Allenton have combined efforts to create the Wisconsin Regional Truck Driving Academy, a unique career opportunity to help respond to worker shortages.

Like many industries, Kreilkamp’s workforce is declining, and the worker shortages are impacting his business.  

“Currently, there are more loads than trucks,” Kreilkamp said. “For every driver, over nine loads are waiting to be hauled. Delays like this cause late deliveries and contribute to many of the product shortages we are seeing today.”

The need for skilled truck drivers is also top of mind for Moraine Park.   

“We are continuously reviewing industry needs for future programming,” Pete Rettler, dean of Moraine Park’s West Bend Campus, said. “Ironically, Tim came to the College to discuss his needs right when we were exploring how we could help. Our partnership formed from there.”  

Kreilkamp and Rettler worked to explore the needs and how to fulfill them feasibly.   

The needs revolved around the challenging process of obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL); access to a semi is required to take the road test. Additionally, many driving schools charge $5,000 or more upfront for the training. For individuals starting in the industry, this is a significant expense and, in many cases, an unaffordable option.   

“We realize it is not easy to get into the trucking industry,” Kreilkamp said. “Many of our seasoned drivers are retiring, and I knew we would have to create a solution to begin to rebuild the workforce.”  

As Kreilkamp and Moraine Park continued to work through logistics, the need to create an accessible driving school became evident. 

“We needed to provide an option with no upfront costs and access to equipment,” Kreilkamp said. “I could provide the space and tools but did not have access to instructors or curriculum.”  

Kreilkamp had the tools and space for classrooms and driving, and Moraine Park had educational resources. Together, the Wisconsin Regional Truck Driving Academy was created.   

The Wisconsin Regional Truck Driving Academy is an eight-week program taught by two Moraine Park instructors. Cohorts will run every eight weeks, with 12-15 students in each session.  

Those interested must be 18 or older, have a good driving record and be able to pass both a drug test and a Department of Transportation (DOT) physical. Individuals accepted into the program become employees of Kreilkamp. Lodging, transportation and meals are paid for during the program, and participants earn a wage while they complete the training.  

“We cover all the costs to apply for and enter the program, including the DOT physical,” Kreilkamp said. “The only upfront commitment is to show up to class, the rest is taken care of.” 

The Wisconsin Regional Truck Driving Academy, funded in part by a grant, is managed through Moraine Park’s Economic and Workforce Development department. After completing the program, participants will have a Moraine Park technical diploma, be employed by Kreilkamp and begin working immediately. The starting salary for a regional truck driver is approximately $61,000 per year.  

“With unemployment at an all-time low in the region, creative solutions to finding and retaining talent are critical,” JoAnn Hall, Dean of Economic and Workforce Development at Moraine Park, said.  “Employer-funded training programs, like this one, become a critical component to support business growth. Combining the expertise and resources of both of our organizations has been key.” 

This program is all about opportunity, and for many, the ability to start or restart their career can be life-changing. Moraine Park and Kreilkamp are looking at a variety of potential partnerships that can help those with barriers to employment participate in the program. 

“We are excited to witness the growth of skilled truck drivers,” Kreilkamp said. “It is a great industry to be part of; the compensation and benefits are high, scheduling is flexible and our drivers get satisfaction in knowing they are contributing to economic growth.”  

The overall goal is to create 72 skilled truck drivers each year, and future goals revolve around developing further partnerships for even more growth.  

“This is a really exciting opportunity for Moraine Park and our entire district,” Rettler said. “Our mission is to provide access to education, and this program does just that. As our largest partnership to date, it is sure to make a significant impact all around.”  

For more information on the Wisconsin Regional Truck Driving Academy, call 262-629-5000 ext. 3028 or 3036.

Moraine Park Technical College held its fall 2021 Manufacturing Skills Academy completion ceremony on Friday, December 17. A total of 16 students finished the program, five from Computer Numerical Control (CNC) and 11 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 Mercury Marine, RB Royal Industries, Inc., Mid-States Aluminum Corp., FZE Manufacturing Solutions LLC, Wabash National, Maysteel Industries LLC, The Jor-Mac Company, Apache Stainless Equipment Corp., Hy-Brid Lifts by Custom Equipment LLC, and Wisconsin Stamping & Manufacturing.

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 Connor Philipsky of Fond du Lac, Devin Ferguson of Fond du Lac, Patrick Trieloff of Oshkosh, Tadayuki Ken Yoshino of Ripon, and Youse Chang of Fond du Lac.

The students who completed the Welding boot camp are Jesse Godina of Fond du Lac, Shayne Thornsen of Randolph, Eric Stierna of Oshkosh, Jennifer Gruender of Beaver Dam, Victor Nelson of Fond du Lac, Cody Holter of Beaver Dam, Weston Christensen of Neosho, Jared Landsee of Reeseville, Zachary Prator of Hartford, Joshua Boileau of Oshkosh, and John Dwyer of West Bend.

This year’s graduation speakers were students Zachary Prator, Jared Landsee and Devin Ferguson.

“The Welding boot camp is easily the most rewarding thing I’ve done,” Prator said. “When I started, I was lost and didn’t know where I was headed. The boot camp has shown so many different mindsets and has inspired me to start my own welding business in the future. I’m grateful to all my instructors for teaching me not only the course material, but also meaningful life lessons that made me a better person through this experience.”

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 2022 boot camp program are now being accepted. For more information, visit morainepark.edu/bootcamps.

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