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.”
Sandy Paws Project Welding Students, from left to right: Mike Funk from Hartford Emma Parins from Port Washington Nicolaas Luce from Hartford Kyle Worgull from West Bend (missing from photo)
In the Fall of 2019, Welding Instructor Steve Henderleiter began planning a service learning project for his Spring, 2020 students. Sandy Paws, the new dog park in West Bend, needed a sign.
Four students took on the project this spring, using geometry and rigging skills, as well as the welding they learned in fall semester. When COVID caused schools to shut down from mid March until mid May, it put extra pressure on Steve and his students to meet the June 30 completion deadline on their project.
Students were committed and worked hard and fast to make it happen! They put in extra volunteer hours to get the PAWS project done, plus made sure to get all their regular assignments completed.
Steve is super proud of his students! “Many students don’t get real world experience on their resume. Having this service project helps out their community, and gives them the hands on experience they need, prior to graduation. Now they will be able to find a job and handle issues that come up in welding project situations.” Associate Dean of Manufacturing Marcia Arndt stated, “So proud of the work that these students have accomplished under the constraints of limited classroom time. Steve as always you have done amazing work with giving these students real world experience and pride in helping the community. “
Steve himself is a dog lover. Sadly, his own dog passed away during the project before the sign was complete. Students added her name and birthday onto the sign in special memory.
Moraine Park, as well as other Wisconsin Technical College’s, are working to find a solution to the shortage of face masks at our local healthcare systems.
Kim Olson, a mechanical design technology instructor at Moraine Park, has been working virtually with colleagues to design and print masks on a 3D printer.
He has successfully designed and printed some samples, but is working on efficiency and waiting to see if they can get approval for these to be used in a medical facility.
“The masks need to be approved for efficacy by the medical profession, and we need to become a certified manufacturer before a healthcare facility could accept them,” Kim said. ” We aren’t sure if the state will have the ability to certify each technical college, but if they can, we will be ready!”
Moraine
Park Technical College has named Kevin Piotrowski, of Kewaskum, as their 2020
Student of the Year.
Piotrowski, a student in the CNC/Tool and Die Technologies
program, came to the College looking for job stability and the possibility of a
future career.
“I initially came to Moraine Park to earn my GED,” Piotrowski
said. “I spent years working jobs that didn’t require much training and offered
no stability. As a result, I had little motivation to excel in my career.”
He earned his GED in April 2018 and decided to enroll in the
CNC/ Tool and Die Technologies program.
“A majority of my classmates are much younger than me,” he said.
“After the first few days, the age differences didn’t seem to matter. We all
work together and want to see each other succeed. It’s a very positive
atmosphere.”
Piotrowski took this opportunity to redefine his life and
excelled with it. He has gleaned knowledge from his peers and teachers,
involved himself in clubs and activities, and been a Dean’s List student with
an impressive 3.9 GPA throughout his college journey.
“It hasn’t been easy,” he said. “I was fortunate to find a job
that offered me weekends and holidays, so I could attend school during the
week. I look forward to transitioning to a more steady schedule.”
It is because of his dedication, academic achievements, and
involvement at the College that Piotrowski earned a nomination for the Student
of the Year award.
Criteria for Student of the Year nominations include
demonstrating excellence in and out of the classroom while modeling Moraine
Park’s core abilities to communicate clearly, act responsibly, work
productively, think critically and creatively, adapt to change, demonstrate
integrity, and work cooperatively. There were five candidates this year, all of
whom excel both academically and in their service-learning. There are very few
student honors that exceed this award at Moraine Park, and to even be nominated
is a tremendous accomplishment. Other nominees include EnLeigh Dobyns-Schuetter
of Fond du Lac, Allyson Engel of Beaver Dam, Gretchen Rauls of Fond du Lac, and
Alex Tischendorf of Kewaskum.
“I was surprised to learn that I had been selected for this
award,” he said. “I’m sure that the other nominees were highly qualified, which
makes the selection an extreme honor.”
Piotrowski will receive his award at the Student Awards Banquet
on May 8.
“I appreciate the real-world approach to education that
Moraine Park has provided me,” he said. “My instructors had their own way of
teaching and motivating me, and I benefited from each one of them.”
Piotrowski will graduate on May 16. His goal is to find a stable
career in the CNC/Tool and Die industry.
For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.
Success isn’t given, it’s earned, and Christian Bailey-Steenport of Fond du Lac is using his drive and motivation to pave his path. He had a difficult upbringing with a traumatic home-life. As a result, he left home before finishing high school. The choices he made from there weren’t always the best, but it ultimately led him to where he is today.
“I had
a horrible home life,” Christian said. “When I left, I ended up with the wrong
crowd and eventually became a product of my environment.”
He
needed a change in his life, but at the time didn’t have access to
opportunities that could help turn his life around. It wasn’t long before
Christian was in trouble with the law.
“I
wasn’t making good choices,” he said. “However, my time behind bars is
ultimately what gave me the clarity and fresh start I needed.”
While
Christian was in jail, he made solid goals and a plan to obtain them. When he
was released on January 8, 2019, his first stop was Moraine Park Technical
College’s Economic and Workforce Development Boot Camp program test drive.
The
College’s test drive offers the opportunity to explore the welding and
computerized numerical control (CNC) machining careers, meet potential
employers, and receive valuable real-world opportunities. Christian immediately
signed up for the welding boot camp.
“Both
my Grandpa and Dad were welders,” he said. “I had some background knowledge of
the field and decided to learn more.”
Christian
began his college career in February of 2019 and hasn’t stopped since.
“When I
first came to Moraine Park, I was only interested in completing the welding
boot camp,” he said. “I wasn’t interested in making friends. I wanted to focus
only on my goals. It didn’t take long for my mindset to change, and I’m glad it
did. I’m learning a lot, enjoying college, and I have made some great friends
along the way.”
Christian
completed the welding boot camp in May of 2019 and immediately enrolled in the
welding technical diploma program. He is scheduled to graduate in December of
2020. He also has plans to earn his metal fabrication and automotive technician
technical diplomas and has an interest in serving an industrial maintenance
apprenticeship. His overall goal is to own a custom metal fabrication shop with
his brother, who begins his boot camp journey in January 2020.
“I am
motivated to succeed,” Christian said. “I’ve overcome a lot in my life, and my
college journey hasn’t always been easy, but I keep showing up. I’ve never
missed a day of class-ever.”
Currently,
Christian works full time at MEC, where he served his boot camp internship and
was hired before graduation. He also attends school full time. He is busy but
motivated, and that is the driving force that makes it all work for him.
“I’ve
had a lot of support from Moraine Park,” he said. “They helped me to succeed
and ultimately have guided me through this new path. I’m proud of myself and
look forward to accomplishing more.”
For more information about a career in CNC or Welding, visit morainepark.edu/bootcamp and sign up for one of the information and testing sessions in January 2020. These sessions are a required step to participating in the free boot camp program.
It’s no secret manufacturing facilities look much different today than they did ten years ago. The industry is producing more and at a faster rate. To meet production demands, companies now use advanced technology and require employees with a higher skill level.
Steve Henderleiter, a welding instructor at Moraine Park, is working to meet industry needs by educating students to utilize their strengths in the field.
“The industry has changed drastically over the years,” Steve said. “When I first started my career, the technology wasn’t nearly as advanced, and the diversity on the job was minimal. Females, my students in particular, offer a different and beneficial skill set to the welding profession. Mix that with the ever-evolving technology, and we have a fully collaborative and more effective welding lab.”
Today, women represent nearly one-third of the welding workforce, and this year, Steve has three female welders in his class. Mackenzie Markus, of West Bend; Kayli Mildbrandt, of West Bend; and Emma Parins, of Port Washington.
The three women are a dynamic trio, utilizing each other for support and camaraderie in the welding lab.
“There are more males in the class, but that doesn’t intimidate me,” Mackenzie said. “We are all very strong personalities, and we support each other. ”
All three women took advantage of tech-ed opportunities before coming to Moraine Park, preparing them to lead the way in their tech school classrooms.
“I was introduced to manufacturing in middle school,” Emma, a 2019 Grafton High School grad, said. “I was able to build upon those interests in high school. I enjoyed it, especially welding. I knew I would follow this career path.”
Emma suffers from an enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) that affects her hearing. She is deaf in her left ear and will soon be completely deaf. However, she finds comfort in knowing she will still have the ability to excel in her career.
“I don’t need my hearing to be a good welder,” Emma said. “It will be a transition, but I know American Sign Language and English Sign Language, and I trust that I will be able to communicate and grow in the field.”
In the classroom, the women enjoy having the mixed-gender dynamic and it often turns into a competitive challenge.
“This isn’t just a man’s job,” Mackenzie said. “I’m a good welder, and being in this program brings out my competitive nature. I want to do better than the men, and in most cases, I do.”
Due to the need for skilled workers, many of Steve’s welding students will have job opportunities available to them before graduation.
“The joy of this field is my pay is dependent on my skill, not my gender,” Mackenzie said. “The better I am, the more potential I have. So, there is a chance I could make more than a man in my field, which is almost unheard of elsewhere.”
The average entry-level salary for a welder in Wisconsin is *$39,100. Mackenzie, Kayli and Emma say they have never felt out of place at Moraine Park.
“Everyone has been so welcoming,” Kayli said. “Steve is the best instructor. I look forward to his classes.”
Their welding classes are held at Moraine Park’s regional center in Jackson.
“Steve treats us as an equal,” Emma said. “In this program, we have the same opportunity as anyone to excel in our skills.”
Mackenzie will graduate in May 2020 and has goals to obtain a degree in criminal justice, with overall hopes to be in the FBI. Emma and Kayli are scheduled to graduate in 2021. Emma plans to remain in the field, and Kayli has aspirations to follow in her grandfather’s footprints and enlist in the Navy. Her overall goal is to serve as an underwater welder.
Welding is just one area of manufacturing. The College also offers programs for CNC/Tool and Die, Electromechanical Technology, Fabrication Technologies and Industrial Mechanical Technician.
“My advice to any young women looking at the manufacturing field is to just go for it,” Kayli said. “Don’t let anyone deter you from your dreams and don’t limit yourself. There are so many opportunities to grow.”
The Beaver Dam Welding Club donated their time and club resources for the Christmas in a Shoe Box event coming up on November 13th for our troops overseas.
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).
Our CNC machining and welding
Test Drive event is being offered at Moraine Park Fond du Lac campuses on
December 17, 2019.
This Test Drive event includes hands-on, two-hour workshops for both welding and CNC. Both the welding and CNC Test Drive workshop will give attendees insight into these respective careers and provide valuable, hands-on opportunities to try out these career areas.
Participants who attend Test
Drive will also be able to learn about Moraine Park’s short-term training boot
camp opportunities. These boot camps offer a unique training opportunity to
potential candidates by providing entry-level skills as well as job experience
from these 13- to 15-week sessions. CNC Machining and Welding Boot Camps begin
in March 2020.
“Test drive is a great opportunity to get a hands-on experience in these high-demand careers and learn about free training opportunities,” said JoAnn Hall, Dean of Economic and Workforce Development. “Past participants have really appreciated these short, intensive opportunities to get a real-world glimpse into these careers”
Space is limited for the Test
Drive workshops, and pre-registration is required.
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