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Moraine Park Technical College will host their Heavy Metal Tours event during October’s manufacturing month. This free event offers participants a behind-the-scenes opportunity to tour local manufacturing facilities and learn more about the skills needed to fill current employment gaps.
The events will run from 4:30-8:00 p.m. Participants will meet at the Fond du Lac campus, and after a brief introduction, they will be bussed to the Heavy Metal Tour event locations.
Tours will take place at the following Fond du Lac area manufacturers. A light meal will be served.
- Wednesday, October 2, Kondex Corporation
- Thursday, October 10, Fives Group and RB Royal Industries, Inc.
- Wednesday, October 16, Wells Manufacturing Corporation and Mid-States Aluminum Corp.
- Wednesday, October 23, BCI Burke Co. and Mercury Marine
“The manufacturing world is changing,” Marcia Arndt associate dean of manufacturing at Moraine Park said. “This is a fun opportunity to highlight our local partners, the advancing technology, and the overall changes within the industry.
Space is limited for this unique opportunity, and registration is required. Interested individuals are invited to participate in all four weeks, or they may choose their preferred date(s). For more information, or to register, visit morainepark.edu/heavymetal or call (262) 306-5321.
Sometimes where you start, isn’t where you are destined to end up, and Catherine Holmes of Fond du Lac knows that first-hand.
Her educational journey began after she earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and started her career working with special needs children. She left the workforce for a short time when she relocated to Fond du Lac and began raising her family. Catherine then joined the team at Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac, where she has been an employee for over 10-years. It was there that she was introduced to the business analyst career field, a high demand job that is considered one of the best-kept career secrets.
The beauty of this career path is that it wears many hats. In fact, you may have never actually seen the job title of business analyst. However, jobs like project manager, business systems analyst, functional analyst, process analyst, market research analyst, or management consultant, are all actually business analysts.
Catherine enrolled in Moraine Park’s business analyst program in August of 2017 and was hired as a business analyst for Agnesian prior to graduating.
“I love that no two days are the same,” Catherine said. “We call ourselves the engineers of change, but my role is to reevaluate processes and offer guidance.”
More specifically, she is helping to navigate a change in computer systems by holding conversations and being the liaison between her employer and the computer system company.
One of the best parts of this career path is that it is considered in high demand by many industries, including healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, finance, and retail. Employers throughout the United States will need 861,400 analysts by 2024. That is a growth of 14% compared to all occupations at 6.5% growth. In Wisconsin, employers will need 13,151 analysts by 2024, and the median annual wage is $71,230 for an experienced analyst. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections).
Today, Catherine is a college graduate, with goals to continue her educational journey.
“I highly recommend this career field,” she said. “My instructor, JoAnn, was supportive and flexible, and set me up for success in the field.”
When the need for 9-1-1 services arises, there is no better reassurance than hearing that help is on the way. On average, there are 765,000 medical emergency calls placed annually in the state of Wisconsin. In spring 2019, Greg Mowery, an emergency medical technician (EMT) student at Moraine Park, will be fully trained to help respond to these calls.
“Helping others is my passion,” Greg said. “I am being trained to respond to emergencies quickly and professionally, and to get the patient the care they need as soon as possible.”
Greg was a fire department employee in the state of Oregon and worked on their emergency medical services (EMS) crew. It was there that he helped to save an 8-year old boy who was severely injured in a climbing accident.
“I’m glad I was there,” he said. “I helped stabilize him and with him rode to the hospital. A year later, I saw him out in the community. He didn’t remember me, but I remembered him. While some of his injuries were life-changing, he was alive and well. That is the best feeling, knowing I had a part in saving his life.”
It’s for this reason that Greg decided to become a licensed EMT in the state of Wisconsin, and upon completion, he will be furthering his education in the paramedic program.
“Moraine Park’s Paramedic program instructors are great,” Greg said. “Drew brings great leadership and innovative ideas, and Andy brings a wealth of experience. Together they make a great team.”
Andy Baus and Drew Novak, paramedic program instructors at the College, both have extensive backgrounds in the field and are working to fill our communities with educated paramedics.
Andy, a resident of West Bend, not only has previous on-the-job and teaching experience, but he also comes from a long line of emergency service professionals. Drew, of Waupun, is quite familiar with Moraine Park, having served as an adjunct faculty for the last five years.
Andy and Drew will be instructing the EMT, paramedic and advanced paramedic technical diploma, and the paramedic associates degree program. These are offered at Moraine Park separately or as an opportunity for career laddering by first taking the EMT program and then utilizing that diploma to advance into the paramedic field.
“For anyone in the emergency services profession, education doesn’t stop at the EMT level,” Drew said. “It’s important to keep learning. There are huge opportunities in the field and now is the time to take advantage of those.”
In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for skilled employees in the paramedic field is expected to grow 15 percent by 2026, much higher than the average growth prediction of 7 percent for all occupations. This jump in growth is a result of an aging workforce and the need to fill the positions with trained and licensed professionals.
“The industry encourages students to pursue the paramedic associate degree program,” Drew said. “This allows the opportunity for an extensive hands-on internship and a chance to build a well-rounded background in the field.”
There are also opportunities to complete a fire certification, opening up even more doors for employment.
“Creating relationships with our communities is very important to us,” Drew said. “Many of our students will become employees of the municipalities and private companies in our district. It benefits everyone to make sure they leave the College skilled, educated, and ready to make a difference.”
As for Greg, he is looking forward to the future and expanding his career options. He will graduate in spring 2019 with his EMT diploma and will become a part-time employee of the North Fond du Lac Fire Department. His goals are to utilize his paramedic degree as an employee of the fire department and hopes to one day have the opportunity to follow in Drew and Andy’s footsteps and become an instructor.
“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from Drew and Andy at Moraine Park,” Greg said. “As a result, I will get the opportunity to make a difference and help save lives right in my community.”
“As I approached my last semester of the Health and Wellness program, I decided to enroll in the Think Critically and Creatively course. I didn’t think it would be that difficult of a class, but it challenges me in an unexpected way. It’s not your typical classroom set up – group discussions are the norm by talking about what you learned from a video or by using the Elements of Thought model to examine case studies and issues. This class challenges you to really think and use your brain – in a way that, for me, hasn’t been used that way in awhile.
This class will help me become successful in my career because I now have valuable knowledge about how to think critically and solve problems outside the box. When thinking this way, I will be able to come up with new solutions. Thinking critically will be useful in the Health and Wellness field because not everyone is the same so they will need different solutions and ways that they can implement healthy living tips into their daily lives. I have loved this class so far and I think everyone should take it! I’ve learned valuable knowledge from Dr. Rebecca Leichtfuss and also learned more about myself and how to push myself to think differently. “
Written by: Kelly Prom,
Health & Wellness Program Student
Moraine Park Technical College named nearly 1,100 students to the Dean’s List for the spring 2019 semester. To qualify for the Dean’s List distinction, students must earn a minimum semester grade point average of 3.5, be enrolled in at least six credits of undergraduate-level courses, be in good academic standing and cannot have a failing or incomplete grade for the semester.
Thomas Hopp of West Bend was sworn in on July 8 as the newest member of the Moraine Park Technical College District Board. He will serve as an employer member representative, with a term expiring in June 2022.
Hopp learned from a young age the all-around benefits of volunteering within the community.
“My father was a large influence in my life,” Hopp said. “Through his dedicated volunteer work, he taught me that volunteering and helping others creates a strong, vibrant, and growing community by simply taking time to help others.”
Hopp has been an active part of the community of West Bend for many years. He currently serves on multiple boards including Albrecht Free Clinic, Commerce State Bank, and the United Way of Washington County. Additionally, he is involved with the City of West Bend Safety Commission as a volunteer for over 10-years and the Kettle Moraine YMCA as an active member and volunteer for over 20-years.
“I have always believed that continuing education benefits everyone and what better organization to contribute as a board member than MPTC,” He said.
Also sworn in alongside Hopp were Renee Almeida of Beaver Dam and Vernon Jung of Kewaskum, retaining their spots on the board as an employee member and additional member, respectively. Their new terms will also expire in June of 2022.
The 2019-20 District Board members for Moraine Park were also nominated into office during the meeting. The following board members will serve as officers: Bur Zeratsky, chairperson; Vernon Jung, vice chairperson; Bob Lloyd, treasurer; Lowell Prill, secretary.
.Moraine Park Technical College is offering the Girls Rock Robotics summer camp at the Fond du Lac Campus August 12-14, 2019 from 9-Noon each day.
Registration is open and underway for all girls entering grades 6-8 in the fall of 2019. This camp will allow attendees to explore the world of robotics using LEGO® Mindstorms. Students will build robots with motors and sensors to perform tasks and react to their environment. They will learn how to program the robots using the software in which you place icons in sequence to create the instructions that you desire. As a bonus, they will also spend time working in teams to build and program a robot to solve missions similar to those in First Lego League® (FLL) competitions.
The registration fee is $30 per student and is waived for Free and Reduced Lunch recipients. Space is limited. Register today at morainepark.edu/grr, or by contacting Renae Fischer at rfischer6@morainepark.edu or (920) 929-2477.
Moraine Park Technical College is offering a unique opportunity to “Test Drive” and learn about the welding and computerized numerical control (CNC) machining careers.
The Test Drive event will offer the opportunity to explore these respective careers, meet potential employers, and receive valuable real-world opportunities. A two-day event will be at the Fond du Lac campus on Tuesday, July 16 and Thursday, July 18, and there will be a one-day event at the Beaver Dam campus on Tuesday, July 23. Both events will include a free, hands-on workshop.
Participants who attend the Test Drive event will also learn about Moraine Park’s Manufacturing Skills Academy boot camp program. These expedited 13- to 15-week sessions are offered for free, and they allow individuals the opportunity to learn a skilled trade. The boot camp program was created to help address the manufacturing industry need for skilled workers.
CNC machining and welding boot camps are scheduled to begin in September 2019, with applications currently being accepted.
“Past participants have really appreciated these events,” JoAnn Hall, dean of economic and workforce development at Moraine Park said. “They offer a glimpse directly into the career path and allow individuals the opportunity to see if it will be a good fit.”
Individuals interested in participating in one of the boot camp programs are required to attend either a Test Drive event or an Information and Testing session as a first step in the application process.
Information and Testing sessions will be in Fond du Lac on Tuesday, July 2 and Thursday, July 25; Beaver Dam on Thursday, July 11; West Bend on Monday, July 22.
The boot camp programs are free to participating students thanks to employment opportunities and financial support provided by area businesses including Amerequip, Apache Stainless, Integrity Saw & Tool, Inc., Miba, Midstates Aluminum Corporation, Signicast, and Wabash National. Individuals interested in applying for the program are required to pay the $30 program registration fee.
Space is limited for the Test Drive events, and pre-registration is required. For more details or to register, visit morainepark.edu/bootcamp, or call Nikki Dahlke at (920) 924-3334.
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