After placing 1^st during State Skills USA Competitions earlier in the year, Moraine Park students had the opportunity to compete in the National Skills USA competition held in Kentucky in June.  Zach Heberer competed in Industrial Motor Control and Paul Langenecker competed in Residential Wiring.

Both of Moraine Park’s students did extremely well during the National Skills USA Competition.  Zach Heberer placed 6^th out of 21 students in the Industrial Motor Control competition and Paul Langenecker placed 17^th out of 29 in the Residential Wiring competition.
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The school year is flying by and many around the State of Wisconsin are preparing and studying for water and wastewater operator certification exams. The exams are held in November and May.

As I teach many of the prospective operators in both disciplines, a subject that comes to mind is related to mathematics. Math is used in many career areas, and the same applies to the water and wastewater industries. When preparing for the exam, math will be worth reviewing and understanding. With today’s spreadsheets, hidden formulas, automated recording and other tools utilizing our various technologies, math behind the scenes is sometimes a forgotten skill.

But I will share a couple of stories with you that identifies the need to recall and utilize this skill. The good news is that Moraine Park Technical College’s Water Quality Technology program and water operator certification preparatory courses cover the operator related math and formulas well.
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As demand for gas utility technicians grows faster than the supply of skilled workers, Moraine Park Technical College broke ground on a state-of-the-art solution during a special ceremony July 24 in Beaver Dam.

The event marked the start of construction for an upcoming $2.3 million Energy Education Center.

This cutting-edge facility will be home to the College’s new Gas Utility Technician program, with a target of graduating the first class of gas utility technicians in 2019.
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We hosted our annual Girls Rock Robotics summer camp (you may remember it as Engineering for Girls!) last week at Moraine Park Technical College. Girls entering 6th through 8th grade from around the area took part in the event, exploring the world of robotics using LEGO Mindstorms.

The girls built robots with motors and sensors to perform tasks and react to their environment, with a showcase event for parents was held on Wednesday.  Take a look at the awesome job they all did in the photos below and be sure to check out photos from our Toolin’ It Manufacturing Camp we held earlier this month as well.

Oh, and no matter your age or gender, if you’re interested in a career in engineering, visit our programs of study for more information!
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Moraine Park Technical College mechanical design and engineering students had many great things to say after completing a special bike project to end the school year:

“It was fun to do [something so] meaningful,” said Tyler Hess from Random Lake.

“I’m just glad we got the opportunity to help,” said Jonathan Schalow of Farmington.

“I love being outside; and am glad I could help someone enjoy the outdoors a little more,” said Jacob Fendt of Hartford.

But in the end, nothing said more on a cloudy May afternoon than the roaring laughter of 11-year-old Mason Schommer of West Bend; his wide smile utterly contagious as he sat alongside his mother, Megan, on a specially-modified, two-person trike.
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Submitted by Gavin Dorsch – Civil Engineering – Structural Alumni

In today’s modern age of Construction it is very important that we keep up with the constant changes in construction materials, codes, design software and industry standards.  The Civil Engineering Technician – Structural program provides the needed  education for these factors not only for new students coming right out of high school who want to get into the “Industry”, but also for those that have been in the “Industry” for years and need or want to stay educated.
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Moraine Park sent students from the CNC/Tool & Die club and the Electricity club to the State Skills USA competition in late April.  The CNC/Tool & Die students competed as a team in the Automated Manufacturing Technology category while the Electricity students competed as individuals in the Industrial Motor Control or Residential Wiring categories.

Moraine Park had students take all 3 top spots in Industrial Motor Control. Zach Heberer placed 1st, Jacob Stamm placed 2nd and Ramon Cruz-Nagera placed third.
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Sometimes the thought of diving into a new career path can seem a bit daunting.

So it’s too bad there isn’t a way you could try out a career and get a feel for the skills needed first, right?

Spoiler alert: There is.
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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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